This is a story about a futuristic society in Japan that is just at the end of a devastating war. With the society being so advanced, people now have a choice of prolonging their lives and to avoid suffering and pain using advanced technology called cybernetics. This technology leads to massive problems because everyone is connected together, and when a dangerous virus that is capable of hijacking individual’s bodies and memories, it is up to a team of specially trained cyborgs (and one human) to save humanity!
Although most will argue the actual plot does not start until later in the movie, the beginning of the film starts with a completely silent scene that depicts the main protagonist’s childhood in an orphanage. This scene does two very important things. First, it shows the main protagonist’s backstory, and second it introduces her relationship with a woman who will eventually become her very close friend and boss.
The plot then actually begins to develop when the main protagonist and her team, now adults, attempting to solve a hostage situation. It shows just how well-trained, skilled, and simply incredible these cyborgs are, being essentially indestructible. Things quickly get out of hand, however, when an extremely dangerous virus called Fire Starter is introduced that is capable of taking over individual’s bodies and minds. Once a place called Sector 9 is occupied by a group of villains, the protagonist’s best friend from the orphanage and the Prime Minister of Japan is killed by a bomb’s explosion. The rest of the movie follows the main protagonist and her team as they attempt to discover who is behind this massive assassination.
The movie contains a lot of action that is brilliantly put together. The visual is extremely impressive; only positive things can be said about the visual effects of this movie. This might be the movie’s best quality. Every action was excellent from beginning to end, especially the movie’s final fight scene, which excelled in quality.
What might be most surprising about the film is how emotionally attached the audience can get to the story and characters. Even with animated characters and an extremely exaggerated plot, the audience can still find themselves relating in some aspect to some of the characters in the movie.
All in all, this is a good movie that can make for a solid addition of a film that has lasted for roughly twenty five years. The film gives a murder-mystery-like feel to it, as well as an emotional story that the audience can attach to. Even with a series that has lasted so long, the movie allows each character to develop just a little more and give a great story about the main protagonist’s life.
Enough about the movie, it’s time to look at the special features!
Special features:
Inside The World of Ghost in the Shell: Part 2
Specia: “Arise explained in 25 minutes” (Extended director’s cut)
Special: “25 years reviewed in 25 minutes” (Extended director’s cut)
Promo video
Theatrical trailer
Teaser
U.S. trailer
There is a lot of extremely interesting information that can be discovered about not only this movie, but the entire series in the special features. This movie does a great job of giving the audience an inside look at how the movie was made. The special features allow the audience to gaze into things like artists drawing the characters, how certain decisions were made about each character and the plot, and much more. One of the things fans of this series will appreciate the most, however, is the twenty five years reviewed in twenty five minutes. This will allow the hardcore fans who have watched all of this series to re-live all the amazing memories that this series has produced. It’s no secret that the special features are directed more towards pleasing the loyal, hardcore fans of this series, and these fans will definitely find the special features of this movie to be a special treat.
