List Price: $19.97You Pay Only: $14.99 You Save: $4.98 (25%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9786304493687
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 6304493681
Label: Palm Pictures
Manufacturer: Palm Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Publisher: Palm Pictures
Region Code: 1
Release Date: March 31, 1998
Running Time: 82 minutes
Sales Rank: 8469
Studio: Palm Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: March 29, 1996
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video:
The skillful blending of drawn animation and computer-generated imagery excited anime fans when this science fiction mystery was released in 1995: many enthusiasts believe Ghost suggests what the future of anime will be, at least in the short term. The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or 'enhanced' humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is The Major, Motoko Kusanagi, who resembles a cross between The Terminator and a Playboy centerfold. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as 'The Puppet Master.'
Mamoru Oshii directs with a staccato rhythm, alternating sequences of rapid-fire action (car chases, gun battles, explosions) with static dialogue scenes that allow the characters to sort out the vaguely mystical and rather convoluted plot. Kusanagi's final quote from I Corinthians suggests that electronic evolution may compliment and eventually supplant organic evolution. The minor nudity, profanity, and considerable violence would earn Ghost in the Shell at least a PG rating. --Charles Solomon
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Incredible Manga
This is visionary stuff, with a fine sense of cinematography. The storyline and the action play out very well and I'd have to say I was gripped by this.
Very very good indeed.
Rating:  - An inspiration for future sci-fi
For an epic like this, I can't recap it as well as others, and I'll probably bring nothing new. With that said, there are an incredible amount of parallels to Hollywood sci-fi throughout, and here's the brief synopsis:
In a hollow, grungy urban future (Blade Runner) with overt government control and covert corruption (Nineteen Eighty-Four), cybernetic police (Robocop), with augmented minds and cyborg bodies (The Terminator & Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 42: Q Who?), are assigned to Section 9 of a police force that uses technology to arrest criminals (Minority Report). One pair, Maj. Motoko Kisangani and Batou, are tracking down an infamous, anonymous cybercriminal, alias "The Puppetmaster". He's a cyberterrorist on the international most wanted list, sometimes viewed as a virus within the mainframe (The Matrix), and he's feared the world wide. His specialty is "ghost hacking", which is essentially breaking into the brains and souls of other cybernetic beings wired into the system, controlling their movements (Saw?). He's been tapping into major political figures, and using humans as his lackeys by inserting false memories and lives, a simultaneous reality and fantasy (Total Recall). During the rundown, Kisangani taps into the mainframe via ports in the back of her neck (Matrix) to trace the last known hacks. The Puppet Master is shown to be creatively conniving villain, with an arsenal of powerful weapons and thermoptic camouflage (Predator) at his disposal. His ... Read More
Rating: - 4 ½+ Stars: Incredibly Clever and Challenging Science Fiction AIMED at an Experienced Audience
One of the best animated films I have ever seen is a Japanese anime called KOKAKU KIDOTAI, otherwise known as "GHOST IN THE SHELL" (1995) Honestly, for those very unfamiliar with anime, its storyline can be quite difficult to follow; the maturity of its script and its psychological depth is far-reaching. Based on Masamune Shirow's manga (Japanese comic) with screenplay by Kazunoki Ito and directed by Mamoru Oshii, the film attained an award-winning worldwide acclaim not just because it revolutionized current animation standards but also because of its enormous plotline. The film heritage can be traced back to Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" and the Japanese anime "Akira"; but it went on to inspire blockbuster Hollywood films such as "The Fifth Element", "Dark City" and even the Wachowski Bros'. "The Matrix". It is also the winner of the 1997 WORLD ANIMATION Celebration Awards. (Best Theatrical Film and Best Director)
2029 A.D., a time and place in an undetermined future where the fusion of humans and machines, the network and human comprehension has been attained. People have been enhanced by cybernetic implants that makes them stronger, faster, smarter. Section 9, a group of cyborg cops led by Maj. Motoko Kisangani (voiced by Atsuko Tanaka) and Batou (Akio Atsuka) are caught in political intrigue as they search for answers to a mysterious "Puppet Master" or as it would like to call himself; Project 2501. Their investigations have led them to believe that this "ghost" hacker is the one responsible ... Read More
Rating: - Thought provoking and visually stunning
I am reviewing the DVD version.
The story is light, but metaphysically deep. Its about cosmology and what defines "self." The animation is top notch and blends seamlessly with CG.
The surround sound audio mix is is one of the best you'll ever hear because it is totally immersive.
Rating: - Awesome anime.
I saw this for the first time a few days ago when I bought it. I'm new into the world of anime and after buying all the Studio Ghibli stuff, this was recommended to me when I stated I wabted to branch out more. I like the animation style, and the fact that there's gore where the second movie didn't have much.
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