Summary: In the future the world has been gripped by an advanced information age. Police and security agents are often heavily cybernetically enhanced. These modified peace keepers can tap into the Net in a way akin to telepathy. Artificial Intelligence is commonplace. In this world of cyborgs and androids, the only thing that separates man from machine is the vague intangible force of human consciousness, your Ghost.

Major Matoko Kusanagi is a security agent for section 9. She has been so completely modified and enhanced that she has little left of her original body save here Ghost. She and her fellow agents, the cyborg Bateau and the mostly human Togusa, are on the trail of a master hacker known only as the Puppet Master. A terrorist and assassin who possesses a skill level so advanced that he can hack into the very Ghosts of his victims, committing his acts of violence through them. As the search wears on, it becomes apparent that the Puppet Master is only part of a larger international conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of their society.

Review: Many people, both professional critics and amateur fans, regard Ghost in the Shell to be one of the finest anime features ever made. I found it to be breathtaking and compelling from the first minute to the very last. In the tradition of all great science fiction, it examines the question "What is it that really makes us human?" As Major Kusanagi searches for the Puppet Master, she also searches for her soul within her cybernetically modified body and computer enhanced mind. Only the vague, intangible force of her Ghost keeps her from being nothing more than an android, and she needs that now more than ever.

The animation is wonderfully full of symbolism and beautifully done. Ghost in the Shell remains one of my personal favorite anime films ever. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Ratings: Characterization: 7 Plot: 9 Animation: 7

Things to note: Ghost in the Shell is fairly violent in the way of gunplay and fighting. There is some nudity, but the context is completely nonsexual. Mostly cyborgs and androids go through maintainence checks. If considering it for a younger audience, treat it as any other sci-fi action flick, like Terminator or Blade Runner. Basically, use your own judgement and consider the individual's personal threshold for such things.

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