Reception
Ghost in the Shell received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 94% approval rating on the review aggregator web site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 31 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "A stunning feat of modern animation, Ghost in the Shell offers a thoughtful, complex treat for anime fans, as well as a perfect introduction for viewers new to the genre." Raphael See of T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews gave it four stars, praising the art and visuals stating, " The animation is smooth, fluid, and lightning fast, and the art is moody and sharp." However, See criticized the ending as predictable. Clark Collis of Empire Magazine also stated that the film was predictable. Collis also praised its production values. Chris Beveridge of Mania gave it a mix review stating, "It's a good story, but has a few falters along the way." The Nihon Review praised the film's production value and story however also criticized for it being predictable and for certain scenes being useless Johnathan Mays of Anime News Network praised the animation combined with the computer effects stating, " perhaps the best synthesis ever witnessed in anime." Niels Matthijs of Twitch Film praised the film stating, " Not only is Kokaku Kidotai an essential film in the canon of Japanese animation, together with Kubrick's 2001 and Tarkovsky's Solyaris it completes a trio of book adaptations that transcend the popularity of their originals and gave a new meaning to an already popular brand." Matthijs also ranked it #48 of his personal favorites.
Ghost in the Shell made an impression on a number of filmmakers. Lana and Andy Wachowski, the creators of The Matrix and its sequels, showed it to producer Joel Silver, saying "we wanna do that for real." Director James Cameron has called it "the first truly adult animation film to reach a level of literary and visual excellence." The film was the first anime video to reach Billboard's #1 video slot at the time of its release. The film ranked 35 on Total Film's top 50 Animated Films list. The film ranked 8th Top selling Anime DVD Movies on January 31, 2006.
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