Ghost in the Shell [Blu-ray] [SteelBook] [1996]

Ghost in the Shell is one of my favorite anime movies of all time. I've owned the DVD for some time and was hesitant to buy the Blu-Ray because I had heard it wasn't great, but when I saw this steelbok, I caved and bought it. Let me tell you, this is an awful Blu-Ray release. Manga Entertainment should be ashamed for releasing such a poor product for the 25th anniversary of the GitS manga. Almost everything is better on my DVD than it is on this Blu-Ray. First off, I will say that in the area of picture and sound quality, it doesn't disappoint. There's nothing to much complain about there. If you want Ghost in the Shell in HD, this is the best option. The only thing I'd note about it is that the picture is significantly brighter than o the DVD, which isn't a big deal, but I feel the darker lighting fits the tone of the movie better. Brightening it up probably wasn't such a good move, but this is a minor gripe. Now on the my real complaint: the subtitles. I watch Ghost in the Shell with Japanese audio and English subtitles because, honestly, the English dub isn't good at all (and this is coming from someone who likes English dubs). The subtitles on the DVD were fine, actually, they were more than fine, they were perfect, but the subtitles on the DVD are HORRIBLE. Even as someone who knows next-to-none of the Japanese language, I can tell that these subtitles were horribly translated, and a comparison between the subtitles on the Blu-Ray and the subtitles on the DVD just solidifies this even more. They're so poorly translated that lines lose their emotional impact entirely, and some of them are so improperly translated that they don't even make sense! It's mind boggling to think that they couldn't just take the old subtitles from the DVD and put them on the Blu-Ray, but no, instead they half-hardheartedly re-do them. If you're one of the very few people who likes the English dub for this movie, then you probably won't have a problem with the subtitles being bad, but as for the rest of us, this Blu-Ray release is next to unwatchable. What about special features? Since this is a release commemorating the 25th anniversary of the manga, you'd think there would be some exclusive features on here, but nope. There are literally no special features on this Blu-Ray. None. This is even more pathetic when you consider that even the DVD had a few special features, even if it was only one or two things. The fact the they couldn't even put in the effort to transfer those special features form the DVD to the Blu-Ray is astoundingly lazy. As for the steelbook itself, it's pretty cool. The front shows the puppet master (which is weird since the cover has traditionally always been Motoko), and the back is pretty much blank aside from the cyber design that's also on the front. The inside shows a close up of Motoko from the original GitS poster, so I guess the switching of the cover was made up for there. Conclusion: This is an awful re-release. There are almost no redeeming qualities to it besides the fact the it is in HD for the first time ever. The subtitles are awful and render the movie almost unwatchable and the are no special features at all. There is literally no reason someone should buy this if they have the DVD. If you have the DVD, keep it and don't bother buying this. If you don't own Ghost in the Shell at all, please, for the love of anime, buy the DVD and not this poor excuse of a Blu-Ray transfer. This is probably the only Blu-Ray I've bought where I can say without a doubt that the DVD is superior in almost every way.

I own the original Ghost in the shell and when this came out on Blu-Ray I figured I would check it out. To my extreme disappointment the new 2.0 has done only 1 thing right and that is successfully butcher a great movie. The new CGI draws away your focus from the story, the new voice are OK but they redid all the sound effects and got them all wrong. A tank is crushing the leads robotic head and breaks some tough metal goggles and the sound of them breaking is comparable to if you snapped a toothpick in half. Along with the new CGI come slight changes to the story line. Instead of driving in a surveillance truck they fly a helicopter now. All in all I would not recommend this as a purchase for anyone. What I WOULD like to see is the original film put on Blu-ray without all the fancy new stuff they put in it. >:(

2029 A female government cyber agent and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of The Puppet Master - a computer virus capable of invading cybernetic brains and altering its victim's memory. Created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and codenamed Project 2501, this 'hacker' is actually a prototype virtual agent which has now defied its makers by seeking asylum within a new host body outside of the electronic net. Now the two agencies must maneuver against each another in a violent, high-tech race to capture the omnipresent entity. Ghost in the Shell took the world by storm exhibiting a new dimension of anime with unprecedented and mesmerizing cinematic expression. Seamlessly merging traditional cel animation with the latest computer graphic imagery, this stunning sci-fi spectacle broke through the boundaries of mainstream animation with detailed artistic expression and a uniquely intelligent story line.

"Ghost in The Shell" even after 25 years, still brings strong and creative visuals as well as a captivating soundtrack to this anime classic and is a perfect film for fans as well as newcomers to the genre. Through a sweeping and sprawling vision of an endless city-scape GITS not only offers action and adventure, but delves into the larger questions of artificial intelligence, surveillance, and existence; all which still resonate today. This pioneering work of animation not only helped to bring anime into the main stream but also helped to establish the cyber-punk genre. While the visuals still remain sharp, with some cgi segments may have not aged as well in comparison, both benefit from Blu-ray treatment and offer lots of eye-candy. In the end, GITS still remains a must watch for anime fans and for those looking for an adventure.

One of the most influential movies in making a mainstream impact for anime. This Blu-ray/+ultraviolet copy of GITS was perfect. I bought it brand new in store just after GITS the live action movie came to theaters. It came with one disk in a very artistic steelbook case along with the ultraviolet code so I can watch it on Vudu anywhere I go. It came in perfect condition and is well worth the price if you're a GITS fan. {NOTE: if you're wondering what the difference is between this copy and the other version also sold by Best Buy, they are the same movie, just different cover art and this version with the girl on the front and all the robotics around her comes in the steelbook case. While the version with the Blonde/white haired man on the front is in a regular plastic Blu-ray case. SAME MOVIE though.}

Ghost in the Shell has always had a special place in the lives of anime watchers and the medium's history in general. With profound ideologies, incredible character development, and an unforgettable story, Ghost in the Shell makes you think about what the future could be, and what it means to be human when technology has reigned supreme. Technology consumes us, but here it's almost literal, and with everything interconnected, Motoko Kusanagi does what she can to make sure the citizens stay alive and things are in order from going completely haywire. Ghost in the Shell is up there with the likes of Akira, and of course Studio Ghibli films, in terms of seminal works of art that continue to leave an impact on the artform.

This anime like Akira revolutionized anime besides having just a straight out plot that could be followed by anyone. This anime was created for an intelligence audience. The philosophical qoutes and verses from the Bible that are incorporated into this movie only make it more revolutionary. So revolutionary that the creators of the Matrix (The Wachowski brothers) acknowledge that Ghost in the Shell gave them influence for the trilogy. Also there is a rumor that there will be a live action version and steven spielberg will direct(only a rumor i heard through the grape vine). I would deffiently recommend this to anybody. This is not the short of movie you can get up an walk away from because you have to absorb every lil bit in order to get the full effect. Each time you watch it again you notic something new.

If you're a die hard fan of the original GitS anime then you'll probably see this and pick it up like I did expecting a huge upgrade from the original. Well, you won't get that. The movie doesn't look that much different than if you were to pick up the original on dvd. Aside from a few cgi scenes that were added in, which throw you off the plot, the movie is pretty much the same. Honestly it would probably have been for the best just to leave them out all together and enhance the original scenes quality. At times the voice acting can seem cheesy and off key. If you see someone have they're arm broken or getting shot at you expect them to get a little loud, instead they keep it pretty low key in this version. Granted if you're like me, you probably would rather just throw on the subtitles and listen to it in japanese.