Ghost in the Shell: Movie

This movie is set in the near future when the advent of cybernetics has allowed people to put themselves into artificial bodies.  While this is a huge step forward for science and medical technology, it introduces new elements to this radical new world.  A mysterious hacker, known only as "The Puppet Master," has been hacking into people's bodies and minds in order to manipulate their memories and have them do his bidding.  In the pursuit to catch the most talented and infamous hacker in history is Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team.  During this investigation they begin to uncover a dark conspiracy and start to question the very nature of what they are chasing after, and subsequently the nature of what defines us as human.  One of this movies major themes centers around making you ask yourself: "What does it mean to be human, or even to be alive, for that matter?"

I'm going to put it out there right there: this movie is adult. Why? Is there nudity? Well, yes a bit, but what makes me label this movie as truly adult is both the plot and the vocabulary.  This movie, as I previously said, challenges you to challenge your own existence in a way.  The plot continuously points out that with human beings having their bodies become cybernetic and having their brains installed with Wi-Fi it not only makes it possible to check your Facebook like there's a computer screen on your contact lenses.  It also means that, like the computer screen you often have clued to your eyes like a contact lens, you can be hacked into and manipulated.  Victims of the "Puppet Master" don't know they were hacked into, they simply have memories of a life that isn't their own.  These memories don't belong to another person, they are complete fabrications used to manipulate people into doing whatever the Puppet Master wants.  All of these bits of the story feel intended not only to draw you into the story, but to draw loose parallels between this futuristic world and our own.  Very few stories can make you think on this level.  It not only explores the classic "human vs. machine"  type of plot, but it actually goes into challenging many of the traditional notions that we are so far apart in terms of the nature of our existence.  The action is pretty good, feeling very grounded with great visuals but still able to demonstrate that this is an age when people have cybernetic bodies with abilities that make them appear superhuman at times.  This movie definitely has a little something for everybody: action, story, strong dialogue, and a compelling main character.

In summary,  "Ghost in the Shell" is an anime classic that should be on the shelf of any serious collector.  With extremely positive reviews from critics such as Siskel & Ebert (see cover photo below), this is a movie that shouldn't be taken seriously as just an anime feature, but as a contribution to movies as a whole.  However, this movie is undoubtedly aimed at challenging thoughtful viewers.  It should not be treated as simple viewing material.

The Good:

- Strong female protagonist that drives the narrative forward while challenging not only her own existence but what defines life in general.

- Sophisticated plot that feels well thought out and full of depth to draw you in.

- Just enough action to where it keeps you excited, but doesn't take away from the narrative overall.

The Bad:

- While this doesn't impact MY rating, it should be noted that there is some nudity (and a bit of blood and gore) and that unless you can keep up with the dialogue (specifically the vocabulary) you will have a hard time keeping up with the entire story.

Scully Rating: 10 out of 10

Watch "Ghost in the Shell" at: http://www.justdubs.net/article/Episodes/15677