Ghost in the Shell

The duty before the film of the same name, which doesn't raise too many hopes, is fulfilled and it's really great even after years. Perhaps I could have rather chosen the remastered 2:0 from 2008, however, the original version is incredibly well animated, politically incorrect brutal, and irresistibly shot. The cooperation of brisk music and slow-motion shots is simply irresistible. (07.03.2017)

Visually a really spectacular flick, which is something the Japanese are really good at in similar films. It is more complicated with the story, as it certainly does not belong among the simpler ones. And the form of narration does not help that either. I had troubles concentrating on the story about cyborgs, when I was staring at that incredible precision in the animation. And it was not helped by the fact that after the less talkative half, the second half began, which somehow started to explain everything. You would expect some top-notch shocking finale, which in reality is pretty quiet and thought-provoking. So much that during the beautiful meditative music accompanying the end credits (which, after all, was playing throughout the whole film) I was just staring speechlessly, thinking about the meaning of the whole thing. (07.04.2016)

A visual masterpiece that reminded me of Blade Runner in places. It has the same slightly depressing feel, and the metropolis of the future is just as visually impressive. The animation is truly unique, very inventive, and the first half felt like a cinematic poem with great attention to detail with its atmosphere and rather easy flow of the plot. Kenji Kawaie's music is soft, meditative and fits the mood of the film beautifully. I enjoyed the first half thoroughly, but in the second half I got lost in the overload of dialogue in which the cyborgs solve the mandatory problems of "can a machine have a soul" and "what is a soul?", and the plot was a bit convoluted. The second half of the film does not maintain the high bar set and the ending is unsatisfying. Suddenly the closing credits rolled and I was left with mixed feelings. So only four stars, maybe I'll change my mind after a second viewing. (19.03.2004)

Sorry, Scarlett, but you also failed to bring the American remake to even a slightly competitive level compared to the original Japanese version. I wrote about the remake lacking the cyberpunk soul, and Mamoru Oshii was able to give the film both a cyberpunk appearance and philosophy. There are only a handful of films that can present the cyberpunk world with honor, and Ghost in the Shell holds an honorable place among them. I have no problem with giving it four stars, I just don't want to give it the fifth one because I always had a little problem with the artistic interpretation of manga. Overall impression: 85%. (05.09.2021)

A film that confuses you then leads to dead ends and suddenly, in that moment of understanding, the viewer is left with nothing but a gape of bewilderment and a vain effort to contain their enthusiasm. As a result, Ghost in the Shell is an incomprehensible, yet at the same time incredibly captivating anime, which with a bit better character work could lose the impression of a colder spectacle and therefore easily reach the highest levels. (03.07.2006)