A difficult film to enjoy, Ghost in the Shell takes its time to set everything up, before hitting hard right at the conclusion, where everything clicks into place and re-frames the entire film from a fairly good thriller to a masterpiece on what it means to be human.
Story: The film deals with the issues arising in a society where technological augmentation is commonplace through the eyes of a cyborg police officer, Motoko Kusanagi, fighting against an unknown superhacker.
Art: Very good for its day. Not much else to say.
Sound/Music: The voice acting was very polished, but the music had nothing truly jump out at me.
Characters: Mostly well written, although I take some exception to the often irrational behaviour of Motoko Kusanagi. Some of what she does, particularly towards to end of the show, seems really daft. It had me wondering such questions as "why are you doing that here and now?"
Motoko's foolishness aside, this film isn't remembered for its characters, but for its philosophy.
Enjoyment: Like Steins;Gate after it, Ghost in the Shell arranges the building blocks very carefully before hitting home with a sharp psychological twist that makes it truly memorable. I truly thought the film was somewhat mediocre, until right at the end. It really is greater than the sum of its parts, which is why my overall score outstrips the individual scores. The two quotes that bookend this review are KJV equivalents of lines referenced in the film. This, in a way, is what makes the film so good. Not the mere referencing of biblical lines, but exploring the nature of being on a deep and fundamental level, and the deep thinking and discussion it provokes. Whether or not you are a Christian, it matters little. Watching this film, as I did, with both Christians and atheists, it was clear that everyone present gleaned a great deal from this film. Don't believe me? Watch it yourself. Do it. Today.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
