Kôkaku Kidôtai Araizu Bôdâ:1 Gôsuto Pein

Characters are completely destroyed for the purpose (I guess) to introduce this brand to "new generation" viewers and the plot line is recycled from previous GITS incarnations. Nope.

When I acquired my copy of Stand Alone Complex, I remember watching this at least a dozen times in a row, none of the episodes ever failing to entertain. I still relished every battle scene; admired every line of dialogue, and cried like a baby each time I witnessed the penultimate episode. Major Motoko Kusanagi to this day remains, quite possibly, my favorite anime character of all time, and what Mamoru Oshii accomplished during the films, and Kenji Kamiyama conceived during the series, was to create a character so beautiful, intelligent and mysterious, nobody could possibly look away from her. Although more respectful and mature than Shirow Masamune's depiction (who occasionally resembled Duenan from Appleseed), Motoko's unflinching authority and superior abilities remained. The youthful impression we have of the Major in Ghost Pain doesn't capture the voice that Masamune conceived, however, does paint a new image of her character that we have never been privy to.

For those who have viewed the 2ng Gig of Stand Alone complex, you may remember Kamiyama developed a back-story for the Major, in which, as a young girl, she was involved in a catastrophic crash. After her human body failed her, Motoko's mind was transferred to that of a cyborg. This entire back-story is forgotten in Ghost Pain, which instead describes something else. As Masamune never actually wrote about how the Major came to be heavily cyborg, this allows plenty of leg room for a multitude of perceptions. The fact this feature doesn't reflect what has been previously developed may cause the audience to wonder which interpretation is most plausibly accurate During Ghost Pain, the Major is a seemingly short young woman with florescent blue hair and turquoise eyes. Although the actress voicing her is talented, the fact her vocal range never touches upon previous depictions of Motoko's character, makes adapting to this new design a little difficult. The colors used in Ghost Pain are very well developed, and Motoko's red outfit is further evidence of this. However, if the creators had retained a similar hair color to the previous series and comics, and gone for a blue suit (fans who have read Ghost in the Shell Phantom Fund might know what I mean), I think this would have done the character greater justice.

Although Aramaki, Batou, Togusa and Raz make appearances, these often feel like underdeveloped cameos, with Motoko commanding the screen, and though there is nothing particularly wrong with this, one cannot hope fans will want to join the Major on another adventure if she is nothing like they once remember. Rather than feeling like the traditional cyberpunk, although these elements distinctly remain, Ghost Pain is more film noir than anything else, and is a classic case of trying to figure out who the lead antagonist is. Despite been a different interpretation, the way this is written works really well, the developers making the viewer believe one particular idea, before pulling the rug out from beneath their feet and having them believe something else entirely. It is not until the case is concluded that we have all of the answers.

I would never go so far as to say the story is creepy, or even retains the same level of darkness as Ghost in the Shell 2 Innocence, but the writers do take advantage of the storyline. As some characters find their memories and eyes hacked, they are forced to witness and believe things that are untrue, and their frustrating battle to uncover what is real, alongside the fear they are losing control, is really well conveyed. Moreover, rather than having all of the answers, Motoko is seen to be a character with vulnerability, and her humanity is heightened in the actions that she takes. Although 'show don't tell' works great in literature, I have always had preference for Motoko's philosophical discussions, none of which make an appearance in this adaptation.

The action we have come to appreciate from Ghost in the Shell certainly does make a resurgence, the acrobatic movements of the cyborgs being a flurry of color, the sound of one cyborg smashing violently into another heightening these scenes. Despite a number of robotic bodies been irreparably damaged in some instances, it is perhaps contradictory the same level of destruction is never applied to the human combatants who are attacked. Furthermore, the music, which sounds very retro and digital, really helps immerse the viewer in the action scenes, though the opening and concluding themes are certainly no where near the caliber of Kenji Kawai or Yoko Kano.

If you are a massive fan of the Ghost in the Shell universe, you will probably do yourself a disservice by not watching this new reincarnation of the franchise. Don't be surprised however if it fails to live up to expectations, although by the end, if you're anything like me, you'll still want to marry Motoko Kusanagi and have a bunch of cyber babies with her. Despite Ghost Pain been no where near the most exemplary addition to the Ghost in the Shell universe, there are certainly a number of twists and entertaining scenes to captivate your interest. Just don't expect the same story or character quality exhibited from previous titles, both of which could have been equally fleshed out.

I live and breathe Ghost in the Shell. Cliché expression I know, but I've no other way to explain my fascination with both the Manga and the Anime adaptations. So naturally, at the mention of a new franchise,a prequel no less, I leaped at the opportunity to see it, only to reel backwards at the result.

Now, don't get me wrong. For a TV series, the animation is beyond fantastic, and the colors especially are very well detailed. The use of darkness, alongside the foreboding shadowy atmosphere works really well at developing an alternate flavor to the preexisting franchise. The action scenes are very entertaining, and the accompanying musical score really helps to set the mood, settling you into a time of adept digital technology.

The vulnerability we witness in heroine, Major Motoko Kusangi, is something we have not encountered before, and really helps in not only sympathizing with her character, but in realizing that she is a younger, less powerful individual than we have previously encountered. Despite this, she continues to display the same level of determination, authority and compassion we have previously had the pleasure of viewing.

Although I questioned why Motoko was not of a lesser rank during this feature (in Shirow Masamune's original manga, Ghost in the Shell, it was mentioned she was once a Lieutenant), this question was made irrelevant by the sheer lengths Motoko was willing to go to find the truth about what happened to her superior, Lieutenant Colonel Mamuro, which brilliantly convinces us how much this man meant to her.

The inclusion of the Logicoma (the younger version of the Tachikoma) is additionally fun to watch, although our four legged friend perhaps deserved some further screen time, which is certainly made up for during the sequel, Ghost Whispers.

Furthermore, the story is filled with a great depth of intrigue that is fabulously built up, in which the creators feed us only slips of information as we attempt to solve the puzzle, having to wait until the final moments to successfully unravel the truth.

There is perhaps more of the story that could have been fleshed out, and additional background provided to characters, with Motoko been the primary focus of this episode, however this is not the reason behind why I felt disappointment with this feature. Despite the addendum that Motoko looks nothing like she has formerly, with a completely different hairdo, physique, outfit and voice, this I was willing to overlook in order to simply enjoy the episode.

Ghost Pain explores the back-story of not only Section 9, and how it began to be formed, but how the Major came to become fully cyborg. This endeavor is quite ambitious, and would have worked perfectly, if the feature had not decided to reinvent everything.

During Masamune's manga, Ghost in the Shell 2 Man-Machine Interface, Motoko reveals she underwent the procedure to become completely cyborg when she was just a child. In the first season of Stand Alone Complex (SAC), Kenji Kamiyama reveals the Major was 6 years of age when she experienced the surgery that transformed her into a cyborg, which is further detailed in SAC 2nd Gig, where the audience discovers Motoko suffered a massive ordeal, her human body been irreparably damaged, therefore requiring her mind to be transferred to that of a cyborg replacement. Moreover, the back-story regarding how Paz joined Section 9 (which was explored during SAC 2nd Gig) is also changed. Long story short, none of these are taken into account, this prequel subsequently telling a completely different and contradictory storyline, that long time fans of the series might have difficulty digesting.

If this is not enough, during the special features, located on the Ghost Whispers disc (the sequel to Ghost Pain), the director of both episodes notes how he has forgotten if Motoko's back-story was developed during SAC. If the man directing the project apparently hasn't done his research, and the same can probably be said for the writers, hence the lacking connection between this series and the previous, how are we, the audience, supposed to trust these developers with the continuation of a much loved franchise?

As a stand alone feature, Ghost Pain is an interesting edition to the series. When in contrast with what has come before, I personally think the creators should have done their homework. In watching the feature, it is obvious one of the driving influences was to reveal Motoko's humanity, a factor that could have been equally attempted if the writers had taken the time to view what had come before. If those at the helm of the project are willing to create a show that changes all that we have learned about Motoko's background, should we be willing to participate?

This was some bull crap. This movie was almost nothing like the original ghost in the shell. For what ever reason there is an unexplained conflict between two characters that is in no way explained what so ever.this was so bland that I found my self falling asleep. The entire plot is freaking confusing. I don't even why some of the stuff in the film is happening. There is so many freaking cliff hanger that I lost count. This was a very poor attempt to revive ghost in the shell. Watch this crap if your curious. The animation was new but the constant cameos of Microsoft tablets were annoying considering this is a Prequel and that the original ghost in the shell did not have smartphones or tablets because during that era, they did not exist

Now If I am honest I went into this movie a bit sceptically due to the looks of the trailers. But upon pressing play I found the new visual design to be of little consequence and very soon I settled down to what I hoped would be an enjoyable watch. So where did it all go wrong! Well not graphically! I can tell you, graphic quality is not an issue in this production. In fact this is very much a spectacle rich movie in line with western blockbusters as far as that goes, but just like western blockbusters the brains have left the building! It's all flash and no bang, the plot is both boring and stupid, the pacing of the non action moments are so poor you find yourself drifting and thinking about shopping lists and laundry! The things that made GITS so special above its setting its look and even its main characters, was it depth and intelligence! You will find little of either in this film. It is not bad, it is just no where near a 7 out of 10. It is a mediocre 5, watch it and forget it.