Review of Ghost in the Shell

HdE

Comic Book Guy
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/2010-11-05GITS cover.jpg">

<b>Review of Ghost in the Shell by HdE</b>

In New Port city everything, it seems, is connected. Information, like consumer technology, is everywhere. Almost everybody enjoys a certain level of cybernetic enhancement. Citizens sport prosthetic limbs and bodies and converse via electronic brain-to-brain communication. Machines and computers have become an integral part of the fabric of society, and everyone from the highest paid dignitary to the lowly dust-cart worker enjoys the benefits these advances have brought to the modern world.<br>
This is the picture painted by Masamune Shirow in his ground-breaking manga series &lsquo;Ghost In The Shell&rsquo;, and brought to life in Mamoru Oshii&rsquo;s much-talked-about 1995 animated feature - a movie that belatedly followed the success of Akira in the West, and made the second biggest splash on the anime scene of the 1990s outside Japan.<br>
The film chronicles the efforts of Public Security Section 9, a specialist team assembled to counter cyber-crime. Overseen by section head Aramaki, this team comprises a number of specialist personnel, spearheaded by the charismatic Major Motoko Kusanagi and Batou, both of whom are cybernetically enhanced. As the story begins, the members of Section 9 are embroiled in their pursuit of the infamous &lsquo;Puppet Master&rsquo; - a cyber criminal of some notoriety. This unseen agitator is capable of hacking into the cyber-brains of the citizenry, causing them to act in accordance with its own agendas - agendas which are as much a mystery as this super-hacker&rsquo;s own identity. A tough nut for Section 9 to crack, to be sure - but Motoko, Batou and the team are nothing if not determined. The investigation will lead them in some unexpected directions, and, for Kusanagi, particularly, the findings could be life-changing&hellip;<br>
Let&rsquo;s establish one thing clearly from the outset: This is a review of the original 1995 version of the movie, and not the comparatively recent &lsquo;Ghost In The Shell 2.0&rsquo; edition. That&rsquo;s a different beast altogether, and one to be tackled by a critic with slightly more enthusiasm for it than I can muster.&nbsp; What&rsquo;s up for consideration this time around is an adaptation of Masamune Shirow&rsquo;s manga, directed by Mamoru Oshii with a screenplay by Kazunori Ito and animated by the powerhouse talents of Production IG. In many respects, it&rsquo;s a faithful retelling of Shirow&rsquo;s unique, genre-defining story.&nbsp; In other areas, it deviates, but more on that later.<br>
A standout aspect of this movie, and one that will doubtless make a strong impression from the outset on first time viewers, is the musical score, directed by the ever-reliable Kenji Kawai. Where a good number of movies would employ obvious (if not overblown) orchestral backing, or up-tempo cues for action scenes, Kawai has delivered something far more subtle and effective. Using a mixture of authentic Japanese instruments and synthesizers, the resulting effect is a mesmerising score which unloads a massive payload of atmosphere into the movie from its very beginning. At times, the movie is infused with a feeling of unease and uncertainty, and it sets the mood for the whole shebang with great aplomb.<br>
Visually, as you&rsquo;d expect from Production IG, &lsquo;Ghost In The Shell&rsquo; is a real treat to behold. Much is made on the DVD extras of the fact that the feature was created using cutting edge advances in animation technology. Admittedly, we&rsquo;re talking &lsquo;cutting edge circa 1995&rsquo; here, but let&rsquo;s be honest - hand drawn cells have a certain charm and integrity that modern digital animation is hard pushed to achieve. When it&rsquo;s at its best, for my money, hand drawn animation cannot be beaten. &lsquo;Ghost In The Shell&rsquo; really excels in this department. It&rsquo;s a smooth, fluid looking film, with a very strong design ethic lifted straight from the manga&rsquo;s pages.<br>
The daunting urban sprawls that Shirow so carefully rendered are recreated here in faithful fashion, along with the mechanical designs, here supervised by Shoji Kawamori. A respectful approach is taken to referencing Shirow&rsquo;s original works of design, meaning that everything on the screen reflects the creator&rsquo;s original vision to a staggering degree. While it&rsquo;s possibly a shame that there&rsquo;s little of Kawamori&rsquo;s particular visual style on show as a by-product of this, it&rsquo;s truly amazing how well the environment and technology of the books is brought to life.<br>
Unfortunately, this line of visual consistency between what&rsquo;s in print and what&rsquo;s on screen isn&rsquo;t without a few blips. For example, character designs have been tweaked across the board. This works to give the film a more &lsquo;serious&rsquo; look than Shirow&rsquo;s printed work. While it fits with the tone of the movie, it&rsquo;s slightly jarring in a few instances. For example, character Aramaki&rsquo;s appearance is noticeably less ape-like compared to the way Shirow draws him, and Motoko bears little to no immediate resemblance to her comic book counterpart, either. This was apparently a conscious creative decision with the aim of making her character appear more mature. While these aspects of the film are bearable, it&rsquo;s likely that they&rsquo;ll be more of a problem for long-time fans. This reviewer falling into the latter category, and as somebody who has a special love for the original character designs as they appear on the printed page, I&rsquo;d have to admit it bugs me quite a bit. Still these bugbears aside, the movie looks superb.<br>
But what about the all-important content of the movie itself? Is the hype surrounding the title justified?<br>
Thankfully, there&rsquo;s a certain balance about the storyline and plot development that isn&rsquo;t commonplace in anime - or indeed, many mainstream movies - today. While the film isn&rsquo;t without its action sequences, it&rsquo;s very dialogue heavy in places - so much so that a casual viewer lured by the promise of action-packed sci-fi might find it off-putting. So it pays to go into this movie expecting something a little more measured than the average sci-fi anime. However, there&rsquo;s no denying that this is a well put together, maturely written slice of animation.<br>
While it certainly has Mamoru Oshii&rsquo;s stamp on it, it&rsquo;s pleasing to note that in this instance he keeps his storytelling direct and focused, with some of his more grating excesses kept firmly in check. He develops the story in such a way as requires its audience to pay attention and follow along carefully - arguably a lost art in today&rsquo;s cinema offerings. While it takes some time for the plot proper to kick in, the opening third of the film does a fine job of providing exposition and building the story environment. The futuristic setting is established well, with early scenes doing much to create a credible setting, and affording plenty of opportunities for spot-on characterisation of Section 9&rsquo;s colourful members. Amid all of this, there&rsquo;s enough chatter both political and technological to add a layer of complexity and depth that doesn&rsquo;t feel too contrived.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s very easy to get drawn into the world that&rsquo;s portrayed here - the urban setting feels relatable, with the sci-fi and drama elements making it immersive, complex and involving.<br>
Yet perhaps surprisingly, the story of &lsquo;Ghost In The Shell&rsquo; is really quite simple once the wordy techno babble and political intrigue is peeled away to get to the bare bones of it. Motoko and Batou make for engaging leads and feel like three-dimensional, sympathetic characters. Their scenes together establish them as effective foils for each other, and cement viewer interest.<br>
Special mention must go to the inventive action sequences. These have something unique about them which is hard to describe - Motoko and Batou&rsquo;s pursuit of a terrorist leads to an impressive sequence involving &rsquo;optical camouflage&rsquo; which looks no less impressive for its age, while Motoko&rsquo;s face off with a giant mecha immediately prior to the finale is, frankly, the stuff of anime legend. These sequences play out in a manner that is at once understated and yet still grabs the attention - no mean feat. I wish more movies were made this way!<br>
Once we&rsquo;ve learned the true identity of the Puppet Master, things speed to a conclusion that could be accused of being derivative, but is nonetheless quite gripping. It&rsquo;s well played and feels like a good fit within the context of what&rsquo;s gone before. Some folks will undoubtedly get on with while others might feel frustrated, but speaking as a long-time fan of the original manga, I enjoyed how it referenced events from that and tied things up. Personally, I feel it&rsquo;s a solid conclusion - and one that ensured I&rsquo;d remain curious enough about the franchise to explore it further. Your mileage may vary.<br>
It&rsquo;s worth commenting on the idiosyncrasies of the English dub at this point.&nbsp; Keep in mind that this was a product of the mid &lsquo;90s, when anime was still famous in the west for some occasionally atrocious dubs. This is a more polished job, however, featuring some mainstay talents from the American VA scene. Richard Epcar (here credited as Richard George) is present and correct as Batou, as is William Knight (credited as William Frederick) as Aramaki, who would both later go on to reprise their roles in the direct sequel, &lsquo;Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence&rsquo;, as well as the &lsquo;Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex&rsquo; TV series and the &lsquo;Solid State Society&rsquo; movie. Sadly, I have some misgivings about Mimi Woods, the VA cast to play Motoko - the combination of her voice and Kusanagi&rsquo;s tweaked design seem to put a spin on her that I initially found quite difficult to take. It&rsquo;s a matter of personal taste, though, to be sure, and hardly an unassailable one.<br>
Ultimately, GITS is a movie that has managed to increase in its own legend somewhat since it first arrived, and deservedly so. While comparisons to other well-known sci-fi features always seem to be inevitable, in truth &lsquo;Ghost In The Shell&rsquo; defies that. It presents its own unique brand of storytelling, creates a world stuffed with its own technology, jargon and concepts, populated with characters that feel like they belong there. Credit for that must go to Masamune Shirow for the work he poured into his original story and vision. But Oshii and Ito deserve equal credit for translating that into a compelling and satisfying viewing experience.<br>
If, like me, you&rsquo;ve also read the graphic novel, you&rsquo;ll notice some inevitable discrepancies. Ito and Oshii&rsquo;s efforts render the manga&rsquo;s content down to a simplified telling of its central arc, omitting subplots and a lot of action. Inarguably, the humour of the book is, save for the most deadpan quip, completely absent. For example, the Fuchikoma units from the manga are absent, and, with them, any sense of light comic relief. But given how this material is played admirably straight, it&rsquo;s an omission that seems sensible. If they were here, they&rsquo;d most likely feel forced-in and out-of place.<br>
In fact, in terms of feel and tone, the mark&rsquo;s been hit dead centre. This ensures that Oshii&rsquo;s movie stands apart as its own entity.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s that rare thing: a movie adapted from a comic book that not only stands - for the most part - as a respectful and faithful re-telling, but also as a damned fine movie experience for the uninitiated. Recommended viewing.<br>
<b>Final score: 9 out of 10</b>

<b>Additional screencaps</b>

<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-11-05pic 1.jpg">

<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-11-05pic 2.jpg">

<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2010-11-05pic 3.jpg">
 
I was writing a decent reply, but after half an hour or so it had tuned into a massively diverting character study of Kusanagi (movie version). Perhaps it will appear on my blog if it ever comes off life support, or maybe it will just stay in "New Text Document (4)" on my desktop until I tidy it away. Either way, it doesn't belong here any more.

I will say that it makes a change to read a review of Ghost in the Shell by a Western fan who has read the manga first. Some interesting thoughts on that topic HdE. I for one prefer this film to any other incarnation of GitS, mainly due to depth and realism of the (perhaps ironically) very human character of Kusanagi, and the emotional response it elicits from me as a viewer.

And now I need to watch it again, in all it's poorly interlaced DVD glory. Where's our unmolested HD release of one of the most popular anime films of all time, Manga?
 
I know the blu ray has the regular version as well as the 2.0.

But I can't confirm if its a straight transfer or if it has remastered picture/sound. If anyone else knows I'd be happy for confirmation.

One thing the films definitely have over the series, no talking Tachikoma.
 
Omaru_SD said:
I know the blu ray has the regular version as well as the 2.0.

But I can't confirm if its a straight transfer or if it has remastered picture/sound. If anyone else knows I'd be happy for confirmation.
I can confirm It's absolutely craptacular. I'd go so far as to say that the original version presented on the UK BD is worse than the DVD (it almost looks like VHS) and is certainly not in any kind of high definition.
 
I would like to read whatever you wrote, ayase! PM it to me if you don't want to post it and aren't actually likely to finish it up and post it somewhere else any time soon.
 
ayase said:
I will say that it makes a change to read a review of Ghost in the Shell by a Western fan who has read the manga first. Some interesting thoughts on that topic HdE. I for one prefer this film to any other incarnation of GitS, mainly due to depth and realism of the (perhaps ironically) very human character of Kusanagi, and the emotional response it elicits from me as a viewer.

I'm pleased that somebody picked up on that detail!

I'm a gigantic Shirow nut. Love the guy's work. I just wish he did MORE of it!

I've always been taken with the way Ghost In The Shell has developed beyond the confines of Masamune Shirow's original manga. That aspect of the franchise has kept it alive, I think.

It was a fun experience going back and watching this movie again - for me, Stand Alone Complex is where it's at. That series really picks up a lot of the characters' potential, expands on some aspects nicely, and references the manga in its own fashion. For the sheer breadth of material, fantastic dub (Mary McGlynn... wOoOaAhH!) and great premise, that's my fave. But this movie is just timeless. Absolutely great stuff.
 
I have to agree HdE, SAC in my humble opinion is the best iteration of GITS.

I'm also a massive Shirow fan, I'd love to see a proper anime version of appleseed too. The original anime, and new CG versions are not the same IMO..
 
Hokum said:
I have to agree HdE, SAC in my humble opinion is the best iteration of GITS.

It's powerhouse anime, no two ways about it. It's probably the only lengthy series that I wish would be resurrected for a third run. It looks gorgeous, references the manga in its own idiosyncratic way, and it damn well had me on the edge of my seat the first time I saw it.

I'm a fan of Appleseed too - I think every incarnation of it so far has some merit. The original OVA didn't do great things for me, but it was fun enough. The more recent CG movies, I think, are really superb. Not exactly 100% true to the spirit and execution of the manga, but fun action movies nonetheless.

What I REALLY want to see, though, is an animated version of Ghost that uses Shirow's character design for Motoko. She's just never looked quite 'right' to me in anime. SAC's version of her is very good, and certainly feels the part. But Shirow's character designs have always been where it's at for me.
 
HdE said:
What I REALLY want to see, though, is an animated version of Ghost that uses Shirow's character design for Motoko. She's just never looked quite 'right' to me in anime. SAC's version of her is very good, and certainly feels the part. But Shirow's character designs have always been where it's at for me.
Mmm, tighter, oilier asses. Smaller, perkier breasts.
 
HdE said:
What I REALLY want to see, though, is an animated version of Ghost that uses Shirow's character design for Motoko. She's just never looked quite 'right' to me in anime. SAC's version of her is very good, and certainly feels the part. But Shirow's character designs have always been where it's at for me.

Hmm I prefer then SAC Motoko, the manga version looks too similar to Leona Ozaki from New Dominion Tank Police...
 
Hokum said:
Hmm I prefer then SAC Motoko, the manga version looks too similar to Leona Ozaki from New Dominion Tank Police...

Yup. Shirow's leading ladies all have a certain similarity to their appearance. Given that his character design skills (as demonstrated in Dominion) are pretty astonishing, I do believe that's most likely intentional.

I personally feel that each incarnation of the character across each bit of the franchise has its own charm. The Motoko in the first movie is a little hard to take coming off the back of the manga. But SAC's Motoko does a good job of suggesting the character's maturity and single-mindedness.

I'd just love to see one of Shirow's heroines realised on-screen the way he draws them. Deunan in the 1988 Appleseed OVA is probably the closest I've seen. Stylistically, I've always loved that look.

But hey - that's just me being INCREDIBLY picky. ;)
 
Back
Top