Genre: Sci-fi

Creator/Studio: Masamune Shirow/Production I.G.

Company: Manga Entertainment

DVD Info: 1 hour, 22 minutes

Summary: Motoko Kusanagi joins Section 9 and gets her first assignment: bring down the Puppet Master, a hacker who can take over people and make them do as he wishes.

The Good: Despite its age, this production still looks great. Like the series that spun off from it, this movie can get quite philosophical. There's lots of action and intrigue.

The Bad: The disturbing imagery makes it difficult to comprehend. I also wish the songs were at least subtitled.

Offensive Material: Lots of nudity, violence, and language, as well as disturbing imagery. Peope talk an awful lot about their "ghosts" (souls or spirits).

Overall: If you've only watched the series, you must watch this too. The disturbing nature makes it difficult, but it's worth it. Ghost in the Shell is a true classic. If you like thought-provoking, well-written stories, this is for you!

My Review: 4.0 Category: D (Danger. Adults only)

Note: This is based on the Ghost in the Shell manga published by Dark Horse. Dreamworks distributes the sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocense. Dark Horse also publishes a manga sequel, Ghost in the Shell: Man-Machine Complex. Bandai and Manga also distribute the TV series inspired by this movie, Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex. Masamune Shirow also created Dominion Tank Police and Appleseed. Mamoru Oshii directed the anime versions of the titles mentioned above and the anime version of Rumiko Takahashi's Urusei Yatsura. Production I.G.'s credits also include Love Hina, IGPX, and Dead Leaves.