Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell
In the near future, Major Mira Killian is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world's most dangerous criminals.
RichyE reviewedOctober 5, 2025
The live-action film may shine in 4K, but my original DVD still holds the soul of the story.
The 2017 adaptation is sleek, polished, and visually stunning. Watching it feels like stepping into a neon drenched future.
The action is tight, the pacing brisk and the production design undeniably impressive.
It borrows iconic scenes from the anime, the rooftop dive, the water fight,but reinterprets them with Hollywood flair.
But the original 1995 anime?
That’s where the philosophy lives.
I remember the first time I watched it on DVD and all the sequels.
The 2017 film simplifies much of that. It focuses more on Major’s past than her existential future, turning introspection into backstory.
It’s more accessible, yes, but less mysterious and less poetic.
So while the live action version dazzles, my DVD copy of the 1995 anime still feels like the real ghost in the shell.
It’s the one I return to when I want to think and not just watch.