Doesn't otaku essentially mean someone with obsessive interests at the expense of social life and financial stability? As far as I know, Ebert had a wide range of interests and spent a lot of time with other people. I think where you're getting confused is that Ebert took his job as critic very seriously, he had a journalistic mind and so he went out and researched these things so that he could report on it accurately.
Why is that a surprise? These guys genuinely loved movies. It's not like today with crap like Cinema Sins where movies aren't valuable on their own, but are wood to be ground up into the wood chipper for views and clicks.
I prefer to think that the nudity was more of a visual representation of Makoto's humanity and she was shown that way in such a souless fashion to symbolize how her humanity has now been produced and used by others for their own means making it rather machine like. Something organic existing and viewed as an object to be used by it's owners or rather those who benefit from it. More of a Perfect Blue type thing. In all fairness, it was still probably also there to please lonely otaku.
I miss when anime was an underground cult. It may just be nostalgia, but I loved being rewarded by having to wait 'til 2AM to catch shows the censors were too lazy for or hunting through hole-in-the-wall video stores for bootlegs. It felt like our little secret. It's on its way back to cult status, but after spending so long in the sun in the late 2000's, it'll never be the same. It's just too poppy now. This is a weird complains, but I miss bad 90's voice acting too. It added to the appeal.
The nudity bothered me at first, but when I think of the concepts that the movie tackles, and the context in which she is nude, and how she is treated by her peers when she is...I don't know. I don't mind it. It doesn't seem sexual. Maybe I'm just making excuses for the movie because I want to like it, but meh.
All of the nudity could have been avoided if the people who have made it wanted to. In many countries, where sex is considered a taboo and nudity without god's permission is a sin, things like these are avoided, because people will probably burn those people alive who would create such sinful things yet the people who would want to burn these people alive would masturbate at night fantasizing those nude scenes. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make with my terrible language skills is that sex sells and japanese anime industry relies heavily on it.
From the social point of view I think it's jealousy that other men also can see her beautiful body parts, he is nothing special to her, other men can also fantasize about her, it's not just him. In religions the urge to have sex is shunned because it encourages evil thoughts, envy, agony. Always wanting something because your instinct is to reproduce but not getting it can cause a lot of trouble mentally and socially. It brings out the cave men inside us who can not distinguish between right and wrong and only wants what he wants and doesn't care how he gets it. Since nudity gives us boners it is considered bad. You might ask, we get the pussy and ass part but why do we consider boobies sexy. Well, according to Sigmund Freud we were sexually attracted to our mothers when we were very very young and our libido was centered in the mouth. That's why a baby gets much satisfaction from putting all sorts of things in its mouth to satisfy the libido. And that's what it's instinct wants in order to survive. Therefore unconsciously, boobies remind us of our mothers. Yep, that's Sigmund Freud for you. :D Masticina Akicta
Technically the movie has zero human nudity. Even then, it's not made to be sexy, it's just bodies without clothing For example, in the Hollywood movie there's a quick shot of Batou "checking out" Scarjo getting out of her wetsuit. There's none of that in the anime, the nudity is serious and clinical and not portrayed as sexy
the Ghost in the Shell manga on which this (awesome) movie is based is considerably more light hearted, almost whimsical ... it's tonally very different
@@gc3k Not S&E, it was Gene Siskel in his Chicago Tribune column review of the film "Friday the 13th". He mentioned the town in which Betsy Palmer lived at the time (to the best of his knowledge) and asked people to go to Paramount executives and Betsy Palmer to complain, in case they hated the picture as much as he did. It's probably inappropriate (even in those days), but I wouldn't call it doxxing by today's standard. Betsy Palmer in some later interview said that the town was just an old address, and she wasn't staying at that place by that point anyway. You can read the column article itself here: www.fridaythe13thfranchise.com/2012/06/gene-siskels-original-friday-13th-mini.html Incidentally, granting that it was inappropriate behavior, it is hardly "cancel culture" or anything to do with feminism (or anti-feminism). They have always been comically harsh on films they dislike, and the whole theatrics of telling people to complain to filmmakers were part of that schtick. You could call it "brigading" by today's definition, or even "harassment". S&E never had any legit platform to do any canceling - they were hired to give strong opinions, and they delivered plenty. It was simply their day job.
@@zxbc1 Maybe it was just Siskel, maybe there were complicated circumstances. It was still broadcasting someone's address to the mob over a disagreement. The plain language definition of doxing
Siskel missed the point. Motoko looks at her body like a tool. Why she doesn't care about being naked, and why Batou will cover her up. She is having an identity crisis which is kinda solved at the end. They probably only saw it once, and probably takes a few viewings to completely understand.
the american dub changes a lot dialogues, watching it subbed gives a better understanding of the film theme's. for example: in the opening scene, Batou tells the Major that he's surprised she can hear anything because there's so much static in her brain, to which she responds that it must be a loose wire. The Japanese says nothing of the sort, Batou simply states that there's static in her brain, to which the Major jokes "生理なんだ" "It's because I'm on my period."
@@Disterror Which doesn't make sense because the Major never had an aged biological body in which to have a period, nor would it make sense for a military combat body to have periods. Actual combat soldiers do away with their periods with medication, no sense to reintroduce that into mechanized combat soldiers.
Motoko is a character written by a dude, or dudes. There is a purpose for Motoko being written so that she is conventionally beautiful, and frequently gets naked. It's obviously a sexual reason. It's not uncomplicated of course; if you immerse yourself unquestioningly in the film's world, then that world's reason is a fine and interesting and empowering one. But this world's reason is problematic.
@@Edax_Royeaux Of course. It's a joke. She clearly wouldn't have her period, so saying that it's her period is pointing to her complicated relationship with her feminine mechanized body.
@@keithklassen5320 problematic? Lol shove it your ass sjw. Nobody with any sense would give your sensitive ass the time of day. Explain to me why men arent taken seriously, but have to shoulder all the responsibility? Your generation is just a bunch of long cons for not being offended or insulted. "Dont call someone a pussy, therefore everyone hasto have a 1984 inspired speech and thought crime."
And the related series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, is likewise also completely different in tone, although (in my humble opinion) just as good in, as stated, a completely different way.
Hasn't anyone ever ran the angle that the Major's body is fully prosthetic and that she has to maintain it regularly and switch out parts whenever it's needed? You know what that sounds like? Clothes. She's basically wearing her body so it doesn't mean much whether she's "naked" or not.
The only problem with the first run of GitS (and probably the one they saw) was the Major's first english voice actor. Once Mary McGlynn took over the role the planets aligned in her honor.
I read that there is also an Ebert review of Akira, do you have this maybe? It doesnt seem to be on youtube nor anywhere on the internet in written form.
Also, lets not forget that japanese see nudity differently. its kinda ethnocentric to think that every culture see nudity the same. nudity in japan is seen as purity. this is why so many animes have nude scene when the character is lets say dying or something. in west, especially in america, nudity is seen as naughty and something that is done to "please the man". when we see a man staring at naked woman, we see that woman as vanurable. reverse, and we see that man as invasive.
@barbedheart Ebert's a huge fan of animation, in general. He's reviewed a lot of anime movies over the years. Also, you should read his review of the Last Airbender movie, where he tears Shyamalan a new one for not doing respect to one of his favorite shows of recent years.
I disagree, but it was very important and also awesome. I'll always treasure Spirited Away and Akira. But, as I've said, that is your opinion. And I respect that.
same here i respect ur opinion as well but the reason why i said was because this film is so unique and beautifully realistic and the unlike any anime i have seen in my entire life
@@MasterBeeF649 My local newspaper critic straight-up admitted that he completely lost track of the plot and in the end couldn't tell you what the plot was, and yet he gave it a positive review.
I disagree with Siskel's assertion that the nudity in the film was sexualized, in fact t seemed they purposefully made the scenes as non sexual as possible. Although the main character was the only one shown nude, she was also the only one with a completely cybernetic body.
The movie is more character driven than plot tbh. so even if you get spoiled, it still doesn't matter. since you need to watch the movie to understand it's characters mannerisms and it's philosophical aspects anyway
Yeesh... Their comments about the protagonist being seen as a sex object and Japan's fear of becoming like robots doesn't really have much basis from the film. They somehow missed the major philosophical questions the movie asks such as: What makes us human if all our biological parts are replaced by cybernetics? How does a conscious being maintain their individuality as well as their overall identity? Is there a drawback to maintaining your own identity that might inhibit your ability to grow?
The Internet: "Ghost in the Shell is a philosophical movie animated in a Baroque style with great attention to detail. The plot deals with issues like what constitutes life, how excessive bureaucracy often trumps reason and justice, and most importantly, what is the essence of what makes us truly human." Ebert: "Well, there's this beautiful robot-chick, she can become invisible to shoot people, and is also a hacker who fights and shit."
People back then weren't so concerned with spoilers people in the 90s had more balls than everyone who gets butthurt over every little fucking thing like now lol.
I also prefer the SAC interpretation. It had a great team and one that knew the lore of GITS so perfectly that they made daring moves in expanding it (all of its plots were original and they even dared writing whole episodes based on one line hints given in the manga). They were also extremelly skilled and at the vanguard of anime cinematography, being able to translate realistic bodily movements and police procedures to the animation (the characters don't do cool poses, they hold guns properly and take precautions when entering a terrorist safehouse) and they had a lot of very interesting shots which included POV with augmented reality vision. It wasn't as surprising as the movie, it wasn't as romantic and it suffered the stigma of being a product for tv and fans who would buy the dvds. TV shows don't get as much attention in general. In my opinion SAC is the strongest version, the movies and the manga compete for the second place and Arise is by far the weakest version, although it still has its own merits and quality.
I *loved* the 1995 film, and ebjoy the heck out of SAC. I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed all of Arise. I dont think I can say that i like SAC better than the original GitS, but I can respect that. I cant wait till the new seasons in 2020 thats for sure
@berserkley there are some people, myself included, who like the english dubbing. if you don't like it that's fine but keep in mind that there are some people out there who don't like subs. The dubbing of the godzilla movies on the other hand is where I perfer the subs
@InterRage Then watch "Batman: The Animated Series." You'll be blown away by the voice acting in that. It's stupendous. Everything about the show, is stupendous.
@berserkley I've never seen this movie so I don't know how good or bad the dub is. I only saw its tv anime spinoff and I don't know how good it is compared to the movie, but I liked the dubbing
@HalfBlindSkull that's true. I remember seeing this inuyasha movie 4 sub where there was this female character who's name was clearly asagi and yet the sub said her name was kagome which happens to be the name of the heroine. I personaly like almost all dubs except for 4kids (of course) and the godzilla dubs
This movie is good and they make a good point about the sex object ideal. Most anime of the 80s had this trope and it still lasts today, though japan has gotten more PC lately :/
My point is that some might criticise the movie for being "sexist", if it shows it's woman protagonist nude. But movies can also show their male characters nude, and they are not criticised for this. There two different norms working here (which I can understand, but still). Also, the puppet master is shown with "her" tits, but does that make "her" a sex object? And the movie doens't show her nude constantly. It's just few scenes here and there.
I respect how Hayao portrays his female characters as well (with the lone exception of Sophie in Howl's Moving Castle), but I'd nitpick that there's a difference between female characters being sexual on-screen and being portrayed as sex OBJECTS. Desexualizing female characters isn't much more progressive than objectifying them, IMO.
@Arthus850 You are correct; I probably could have worded it a little better. My point was not that it was dubbed, but that it was dubbed horribly (IMHO.) Lame translation and bad voice acting just sunk it for me. I should say that I love the dubbing on the Miyazaki animes.; some of my favorites. But generally, I prefer the subs.
I wish more anime got into major US theaters, although there aren't a ton of great anime movie. Too many movies are just based on the TV series and usually suck.
"They haven't gotten politically correct yet".... frankly, I hope japanese filmakers never become politically correct. Their refusal to bow to the bitching of self proclaimed "moral supevisers" is what makes japanese films so unique.
@InsideTheMirror Y'know, If you had been completely been abandoned by your father and then 10 years later told to pilot a giant robot which you constantly almost die in, I think you'd bitch and moan and cry too. If he's such a selfish coward, why did he jump in after Asuka in episode 10 with no orders knowing full well his cable could break and he could die with her? That doesn't sound very cowardly to me.
I love this film, but I have to say...Matoko is definitely a sexual character. The opening credits sequence is continuous Matako nudity. The scene immediately afterwards, in which she wakes up in bed, shows her nipples erect through her shirt. Whereas other characters can become invisible with baggy hoodies, she needs a skin-tight flesh-toned suit that might as well not even be there. So, again, I think this is a great film, but denying that Matako is sexual (hyper-sexual, even) is wrong.
No, it was definitely an influence though there's some references to ghost in the shell in the film and the directers showed ghost in the shell footage when they were pitching the matrix to producers
There are some scenes in Ghost that were recreated in Matrix, some of them shot-for-shot. But it comes across as more homage than anything else, and the two stories are very different from one another. I'd say the biggest similarity is how most people in Ghost are able to "jack in" to the worldwide computer networks, but it's because they are either cyborgs or androids. It never feels like it's "the Matrix" and "the real world," but rather a futuristic take on the internet.
Hezekiah Ramirez Nonsense, inspiration implies that they watched Ghost and the Shell and then said hey let's make the Matrix influence implies it was one of the many things going around in their heads when they were making the film
YOYOdaMOOSE Dude, they say that it was an inspiration in the Ultimate Matrix Collection DVDs. If you look at both movies side by side, they both look very similar, they use similar tones, and even question just how well integrated into our society machines actually are in their universes.
@ndalum75 Irrationality and stupidity doesn't account towards courageousness. He knew of his importance and risked it by doing something stupid. These days divorce and abandonment are the norm and you don't see everyone flipping the fuck out (I'm certainly not the one to talk about compassion with). Everyone in Eva is either bland and lifeless or overreacting and mentally unstable. Only masochists and anime fanboys actually legitimately believe Eva to be any good.
Making women both sex-object and protagonist is how you appeal to both men and women. That's why we're seeing so much more of it in Western films as well.
Ebert was a closet otaku
I wouldn't be surprised. Most movie fans happen to be anime fans, and Ebert was the ultimate movie fan.
This is a great comment. Thank you, sir
Doesn't otaku essentially mean someone with obsessive interests at the expense of social life and financial stability? As far as I know, Ebert had a wide range of interests and spent a lot of time with other people. I think where you're getting confused is that Ebert took his job as critic very seriously, he had a journalistic mind and so he went out and researched these things so that he could report on it accurately.
he has always said that the grave of the fireflies is not only the best animated war movie but the best all time war movie
Closeted my ass.
Roger Ebert was the first man of culture.
😂
I didn't think Siskel & Ebert made a review about Ghost in the Shell, it really pleasantly surprised me.
Why is that a surprise? These guys genuinely loved movies. It's not like today with crap like Cinema Sins where movies aren't valuable on their own, but are wood to be ground up into the wood chipper for views and clicks.
I remember they selected Akira for their video pick of the week
@ThracianSenpai yes they did.
Check it on Rotten Tomatoes.
They both give it a positive review (3 stars/two thumbs up) 1996 English dub version
"Japanese animation, or 'Anna-May'"
Anna May is a nice lady!
Eat the cake
"Japanese animation, or CAROL-ANNE, CAROL-ANNE!"
Calling to the stage, Anna May!!
lol
The legacy this film left behind still echoes even to this day.
Yep... Just look at all the Anime sissies there are now.
What a load of crap!
The major is beautiful isn't she roger?
*eats noodles*
I prefer to think that the nudity was more of a visual representation of Makoto's humanity and she was shown that way in such a souless fashion to symbolize how her humanity has now been produced and used by others for their own means making it rather machine like. Something organic existing and viewed as an object to be used by it's owners or rather those who benefit from it. More of a Perfect Blue type thing. In all fairness, it was still probably also there to please lonely otaku.
It's both, it's always both. And the way these two interpretations play with each other is beautiful, isn't it.
"Nah I just wanted to see titties." - Thomas Manga, Original Creator
@@riveteye93 there’s also the 3rd where in Asian cultures nudity can often represents purity and being close to nature.
@@jacobb5484 lol stop
Thumbs way up for me!
It's one of my top 6 favorite movies of all time. It's up there with Brazil and 2001 as one of my favorite sci-fi movies.
What about Blade Runner or Akira?
I miss when anime was an underground cult. It may just be nostalgia, but I loved being rewarded by having to wait 'til 2AM to catch shows the censors were too lazy for or hunting through hole-in-the-wall video stores for bootlegs. It felt like our little secret. It's on its way back to cult status, but after spending so long in the sun in the late 2000's, it'll never be the same. It's just too poppy now. This is a weird complains, but I miss bad 90's voice acting too. It added to the appeal.
The nudity bothered me at first, but when I think of the concepts that the movie tackles, and the context in which she is nude, and how she is treated by her peers when she is...I don't know. I don't mind it. It doesn't seem sexual. Maybe I'm just making excuses for the movie because I want to like it, but meh.
All of the nudity could have been avoided if the people who have made it wanted to. In many countries, where sex is considered a taboo and nudity without god's permission is a sin, things like these are avoided, because people will probably burn those people alive who would create such sinful things yet the people who would want to burn these people alive would masturbate at night fantasizing those nude scenes. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make with my terrible language skills is that sex sells and japanese anime industry relies heavily on it.
+Undercover Lemon
But why?
Why do humans fear nudity? That is the question you ought to ask!
From the social point of view I think it's jealousy that other men also can see her beautiful body parts, he is nothing special to her, other men can also fantasize about her, it's not just him. In religions the urge to have sex is shunned because it encourages evil thoughts, envy, agony. Always wanting something because your instinct is to reproduce but not getting it can cause a lot of trouble mentally and socially. It brings out the cave men inside us who can not distinguish between right and wrong and only wants what he wants and doesn't care how he gets it. Since nudity gives us boners it is considered bad. You might ask, we get the pussy and ass part but why do we consider boobies sexy. Well, according to Sigmund Freud we were sexually attracted to our mothers when we were very very young and our libido was centered in the mouth. That's why a baby gets much satisfaction from putting all sorts of things in its mouth to satisfy the libido. And that's what it's instinct wants in order to survive. Therefore unconsciously, boobies remind us of our mothers. Yep, that's Sigmund Freud for you. :D Masticina Akicta
+ben afrin wait why does it bother you? what is wrong with nudity (male or female)? The human body is beautiful.
Technically the movie has zero human nudity. Even then, it's not made to be sexy, it's just bodies without clothing
For example, in the Hollywood movie there's a quick shot of Batou "checking out" Scarjo getting out of her wetsuit. There's none of that in the anime, the nudity is serious and clinical and not portrayed as sexy
the Ghost in the Shell manga on which this (awesome) movie is based is considerably more light hearted, almost whimsical ... it's tonally very different
Sadly the live action seems to do away with a lot of the unique thought provoking themes of anime.
That's because thought-provoking stories don't sell as well as mindless cashgrabs that appeal to the lowest common denominator.
I think this film is pretentious
Siskel and Ebert: Arguing about feminism before Tumblr made it cool.
But...they agreed
It's always been cool
S&E doxed Betsy Palmer for wrongthink decades before cancel culture
@@gc3k Not S&E, it was Gene Siskel in his Chicago Tribune column review of the film "Friday the 13th". He mentioned the town in which Betsy Palmer lived at the time (to the best of his knowledge) and asked people to go to Paramount executives and Betsy Palmer to complain, in case they hated the picture as much as he did. It's probably inappropriate (even in those days), but I wouldn't call it doxxing by today's standard. Betsy Palmer in some later interview said that the town was just an old address, and she wasn't staying at that place by that point anyway. You can read the column article itself here: www.fridaythe13thfranchise.com/2012/06/gene-siskels-original-friday-13th-mini.html
Incidentally, granting that it was inappropriate behavior, it is hardly "cancel culture" or anything to do with feminism (or anti-feminism). They have always been comically harsh on films they dislike, and the whole theatrics of telling people to complain to filmmakers were part of that schtick. You could call it "brigading" by today's definition, or even "harassment". S&E never had any legit platform to do any canceling - they were hired to give strong opinions, and they delivered plenty. It was simply their day job.
@@zxbc1 Maybe it was just Siskel, maybe there were complicated circumstances. It was still broadcasting someone's address to the mob over a disagreement. The plain language definition of doxing
Siskel missed the point. Motoko looks at her body like a tool. Why she doesn't care about being naked, and why Batou will cover her up. She is having an identity crisis which is kinda solved at the end. They probably only saw it once, and probably takes a few viewings to completely understand.
the american dub changes a lot dialogues, watching it subbed gives a better understanding of the film theme's. for example:
in the opening scene, Batou tells the Major that he's surprised she can hear anything because there's so much static in her brain, to which she responds that it must be a loose wire. The Japanese says nothing of the sort, Batou simply states that there's static in her brain, to which the Major jokes "生理なんだ" "It's because I'm on my period."
@@Disterror Which doesn't make sense because the Major never had an aged biological body in which to have a period, nor would it make sense for a military combat body to have periods. Actual combat soldiers do away with their periods with medication, no sense to reintroduce that into mechanized combat soldiers.
Motoko is a character written by a dude, or dudes. There is a purpose for Motoko being written so that she is conventionally beautiful, and frequently gets naked. It's obviously a sexual reason. It's not uncomplicated of course; if you immerse yourself unquestioningly in the film's world, then that world's reason is a fine and interesting and empowering one. But this world's reason is problematic.
@@Edax_Royeaux Of course. It's a joke. She clearly wouldn't have her period, so saying that it's her period is pointing to her complicated relationship with her feminine mechanized body.
@@keithklassen5320 problematic? Lol shove it your ass sjw. Nobody with any sense would give your sensitive ass the time of day.
Explain to me why men arent taken seriously, but have to shoulder all the responsibility? Your generation is just a bunch of long cons for not being offended or insulted. "Dont call someone a pussy, therefore everyone hasto have a 1984 inspired speech and thought crime."
And the related series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, is likewise also completely different in tone, although (in my humble opinion) just as good in, as stated, a completely different way.
Hasn't anyone ever ran the angle that the Major's body is fully prosthetic and that she has to maintain it regularly and switch out parts whenever it's needed? You know what that sounds like? Clothes. She's basically wearing her body so it doesn't mean much whether she's "naked" or not.
The same goes for the Hollywood movie and the "whitewash" thing. Her robot body is equipment, not her identity
They both liked it. How about that.
The only problem with the first run of GitS (and probably the one they saw) was the Major's first english voice actor.
Once Mary McGlynn took over the role the planets aligned in her honor.
aaaaaaaaand Ebert just said the biggest fuckmind spoiler ever in this review
I read that there is also an Ebert review of Akira, do you have this maybe? It doesnt seem to be on youtube nor anywhere on the internet in written form.
Also, lets not forget that japanese see nudity differently. its kinda ethnocentric to think that every culture see nudity the same. nudity in japan is seen as purity. this is why so many animes have nude scene when the character is lets say dying or something. in west, especially in america, nudity is seen as naughty and something that is done to "please the man". when we see a man staring at naked woman, we see that woman as vanurable. reverse, and we see that man as invasive.
"unusually intelligent and challenging science fiction"
I don't care how many thumbs or stars this movie got, that line from Ebert is enough.
a classic movie and one of the best films of the ninties
It would be interesting to hear their response on the live action remake if they were still here.
Akira the best Anime movie , this one is definitely up there as well.
@barbedheart Ebert's a huge fan of animation, in general. He's reviewed a lot of anime movies over the years. Also, you should read his review of the Last Airbender movie, where he tears Shyamalan a new one for not doing respect to one of his favorite shows of recent years.
Good thing he was not alive to see the live action version of cowboy bebop
@@anthonymusto3537 Or what Netflix did to Ghost in the Shell. . .or the live action Ghost movie. . .
whoa! had no idea s&e ever reviewed Ghost in the Shell. feels a little odd, like a rarity.
Ghost in the shell will always be the greatest anime movie of all time
I disagree, but it was very important and also awesome. I'll always treasure Spirited Away and Akira.
But, as I've said, that is your opinion.
And I respect that.
same here i respect ur opinion as well but the reason why i said was because this film is so unique and beautifully realistic and the unlike any anime i have seen in my entire life
The Demehin Jonathan Harvey Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Paprika, FLCL
GITS, Akira, and Grave of the Fireflies tie for my fav anime film. 5 Centimeters per Second is an honorable mention.
My Neighbor Totoro.
Tarentino used the company who animated GITS for Kill Bill Vol. 1
Ebert wants The Major as his Waifu and Siskel was #MadeToThink.. about things...
this man just spoiled the whole movie
Ghost in the Shell is a vibe movie. One can tell you the entire plot point by point and it wouldn’t make a difference in your watching it.
@@MasterBeeF649 My local newspaper critic straight-up admitted that he completely lost track of the plot and in the end couldn't tell you what the plot was, and yet he gave it a positive review.
Siskel and Every didn't hate one of my favorite movies!
Excellent film. One of the best anime.
this is somewhat surreal
Very cool.
I disagree with Siskel's assertion that the nudity in the film was sexualized, in fact t seemed they purposefully made the scenes as non sexual as possible. Although the main character was the only one shown nude, she was also the only one with a completely cybernetic body.
Why would he spoil the entire movie?
Have you read Roger's reviews?
+damianopodobny he kinda what he did
The movie really isn't a mystery. In fact the plot is actually really thin in the movie and not that important because of it.
The movie is more character driven than plot tbh. so even if you get spoiled, it still doesn't matter. since you need to watch the movie to understand it's characters mannerisms and it's philosophical aspects anyway
Because i have no plans on watching it haha
Yeesh... Their comments about the protagonist being seen as a sex object and Japan's fear of becoming like robots doesn't really have much basis from the film. They somehow missed the major philosophical questions the movie asks such as:
What makes us human if all our biological parts are replaced by cybernetics?
How does a conscious being maintain their individuality as well as their overall identity?
Is there a drawback to maintaining your own identity that might inhibit your ability to grow?
One of the films that heavily inspired the Matrix
Love that movie!
The Internet: "Ghost in the Shell is a philosophical movie animated in a Baroque style with great attention to detail. The plot deals with issues like what constitutes life, how excessive bureaucracy often trumps reason and justice, and most importantly, what is the essence of what makes us truly human."
Ebert: "Well, there's this beautiful robot-chick, she can become invisible to shoot people, and is also a hacker who fights and shit."
The first is the subtext, the second is the plot. And we all know which one you really watch the movie for
Proof of how far video technology has gone
Thanks, had this on vhs as well. saved me the trouble of encoding and upping it.
@Arthus850 No kidding. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Crispin Freeman are especially awesome in that dub.
Don't really understand what Siskel was talking about 'moving the shadows'. Isn't that something that's done in every animation?
I couldn't help but laugh at the first 15 seconds of this considering the date in which I just watched it and the recent ghost in the Shell movie.
@anime1973 I agree just because women are shown nude doesn't mean they are "sex objects".
interesting review of classic Japanese animated movies and review by siskel and Ebert
The very best of Anime
20 years later were about to get a Live action movie. Can't wait
Interesting review, need to see this film.
Bored Now I'd also recommend the series Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex, which is streaming free and legally on viewster.
spoliers dude, you gave away the whole plot.
I'd like to see their take on Ninja Scroll. I don't know if they ever reviewed it. I can't find anything online.
The same thing I had to explain to my friends after recommending it to them.
So much spoilers!
People back then weren't so concerned with spoilers people in the 90s had more balls than everyone who gets butthurt over every little fucking thing like now lol.
call me crazy but i prefer stand alone complex to the gits movies
I also prefer the SAC interpretation. It had a great team and one that knew the lore of GITS so perfectly that they made daring moves in expanding it (all of its plots were original and they even dared writing whole episodes based on one line hints given in the manga). They were also extremelly skilled and at the vanguard of anime cinematography, being able to translate realistic bodily movements and police procedures to the animation (the characters don't do cool poses, they hold guns properly and take precautions when entering a terrorist safehouse) and they had a lot of very interesting shots which included POV with augmented reality vision. It wasn't as surprising as the movie, it wasn't as romantic and it suffered the stigma of being a product for tv and fans who would buy the dvds. TV shows don't get as much attention in general. In my opinion SAC is the strongest version, the movies and the manga compete for the second place and Arise is by far the weakest version, although it still has its own merits and quality.
David Curry well call me crazy but I prefer the remake with ScarJo to the Stand Alone Complex
Whaaa? You enjoyed that husk of a movie?
George Ehret Seek help immediately
(it wasn't terrible but the story was just a Robocop remake)
I *loved* the 1995 film, and ebjoy the heck out of SAC. I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed all of Arise. I dont think I can say that i like SAC better than the original GitS, but I can respect that. I cant wait till the new seasons in 2020 thats for sure
Ghost in the Shell anime series ever. I so wish they would bring it back.
barbiquearea they did, GitS Arise. Sadly it was way worse than the films and Standalone Complex.
He wasn't up or down. He was confused.
Best soundtrack
Good reviews but they forgot to ask each other one thing..........Did you like it??????????
@berserkley there are some people, myself included, who like the english dubbing. if you don't like it that's fine but keep in mind that there are some people out there who don't like subs. The dubbing of the godzilla movies on the other hand is where I perfer the subs
Ghost in the Shell has never been a series that seemed like it'd appeal to me. I prefer my anime to be light-hearted most of the time.
@Lomito I think they reviewed Akira at all.
I wonder what these two would think of the live-action movie.
Way to spoil the entire fucking movie, Ebert.
Now if only they reviewed End of Evangelion :[
@InterRage Then watch "Batman: The Animated Series." You'll be blown away by the voice acting in that. It's stupendous. Everything about the show, is stupendous.
Batman TAS is excellent
@berserkley I've never seen this movie so I don't know how good or bad the dub is. I only saw its tv anime spinoff and I don't know how good it is compared to the movie, but I liked the dubbing
@HalfBlindSkull that's true. I remember seeing this inuyasha movie 4 sub where there was this female character who's name was clearly asagi and yet the sub said her name was kagome which happens to be the name of the heroine. I personaly like almost all dubs except for 4kids (of course) and the godzilla dubs
You hate the Pokémon and Yugioh dub
This movie is good and they make a good point about the sex object ideal. Most anime of the 80s had this trope and it still lasts today, though japan has gotten more PC lately :/
@lovetownsend gaijin otaku tend to think everything about Japan is perfect, it becomes a hobby for our society now, can't help it
My point is that some might criticise the movie for being "sexist", if it shows it's woman protagonist nude. But movies can also show their male characters nude, and they are not criticised for this. There two different norms working here (which I can understand, but still). Also, the puppet master is shown with "her" tits, but does that make "her" a sex object? And the movie doens't show her nude constantly. It's just few scenes here and there.
WTF? She is not part human part Cyborg, she IS a cyborg.
I respect how Hayao portrays his female characters as well (with the lone exception of Sophie in Howl's Moving Castle), but I'd nitpick that there's a difference between female characters being sexual on-screen and being portrayed as sex OBJECTS. Desexualizing female characters isn't much more progressive than objectifying them, IMO.
I'm stunned about how enormous glasses americans had.. even in the late 90's.
I don't know. Ghost did not look good during this review
@sammycut1 They both gave it a thumbs up.
@Arthus850 You are correct; I probably could have worded it a little better. My point was not that it was dubbed, but that it was dubbed horribly (IMHO.) Lame translation and bad voice acting just sunk it for me. I should say that I love the dubbing on the Miyazaki animes.; some of my favorites. But generally, I prefer the subs.
Anyone else getting a Terminator vibe from this?
@VeeloxPhader agreed
i will always love ghost in the shell until.........well we all know.
I have an inkling of hope about the movie if thats what u are referring to
I wish more anime got into major US theaters, although there aren't a ton of great anime movie. Too many movies are just based on the TV series and usually suck.
Was Siskel up or down?
Well Hayao's leads are almost entirely female, and definately not sexual. It would defeat the purpose of his beliefs, and I respect that.
Oh Siskel.
If only you could see what political correctness has done to entertainment.
@InsideTheMirror I'm an anime fanboy, but I guess I'm also a masochist.
so little time to talk ?
How does me noting Miyazaki's non-sexual feminism in a discussion about women as leads in anime have anything to do with Motoko's sexuality?
@InsideTheMirror How?
Why is woman a sex object if her boobs are shown in the movie? How about twilight with it's oiled, six-packed werewolfs? Or 300?
Subs, NOT dubs!
Agreed, I can't stand the voice of the Major in the English dub.
Ebert* phone autocorrect
"They haven't gotten politically correct yet".... frankly, I hope japanese filmakers never become politically correct. Their refusal to bow to the bitching of self proclaimed "moral supevisers" is what makes japanese films so unique.
@Emandudeguyperson Same here, actually. Absolutely do not get the hype.
@InsideTheMirror Y'know, If you had been completely been abandoned by your father and then 10 years later told to pilot a giant robot which you constantly almost die in, I think you'd bitch and moan and cry too. If he's such a selfish coward, why did he jump in after Asuka in episode 10 with no orders knowing full well his cable could break and he could die with her? That doesn't sound very cowardly to me.
God, the english dub is horrifying.
At least it wasn’t dubbed by 4kids.
I love this film, but I have to say...Matoko is definitely a sexual character. The opening credits sequence is continuous Matako nudity. The scene immediately afterwards, in which she wakes up in bed, shows her nipples erect through her shirt. Whereas other characters can become invisible with baggy hoodies, she needs a skin-tight flesh-toned suit that might as well not even be there. So, again, I think this is a great film, but denying that Matako is sexual (hyper-sexual, even) is wrong.
Ebert hates 4kids
Is it true that this film was an inspiration of the Matrix?
No, it was definitely an influence though there's some references to ghost in the shell in the film and the directers showed ghost in the shell footage when they were pitching the matrix to producers
There are some scenes in Ghost that were recreated in Matrix, some of them shot-for-shot. But it comes across as more homage than anything else, and the two stories are very different from one another.
I'd say the biggest similarity is how most people in Ghost are able to "jack in" to the worldwide computer networks, but it's because they are either cyborgs or androids. It never feels like it's "the Matrix" and "the real world," but rather a futuristic take on the internet.
YOYOdaMOOSE Inspiration and influence are synonyms.
Hezekiah Ramirez
Nonsense, inspiration implies that they watched Ghost and the Shell and then said hey let's make the Matrix influence implies it was one of the many things going around in their heads when they were making the film
YOYOdaMOOSE
Dude, they say that it was an inspiration in the Ultimate Matrix Collection DVDs. If you look at both movies side by side, they both look very similar, they use similar tones, and even question just how well integrated into our society machines actually are in their universes.
@ndalum75 Irrationality and stupidity doesn't account towards courageousness. He knew of his importance and risked it by doing something stupid. These days divorce and abandonment are the norm and you don't see everyone flipping the fuck out (I'm certainly not the one to talk about compassion with). Everyone in Eva is either bland and lifeless or overreacting and mentally unstable. Only masochists and anime fanboys actually legitimately believe Eva to be any good.
Making women both sex-object and protagonist is how you appeal to both men and women. That's why we're seeing so much more of it in Western films as well.