Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (DVD, 2007, Limited Edition)

THIS BANDAI MASTERPIECE IS SIMPLY INCREDIBLE ! The animation is super-fine. SOLID STATE SOCIETY is a MASTER THRILLER. Music [OST:original sound track] is INCLUDED in the case.
For GHOST-IN-THE-SHELL fans, for anime thriller fans, this is a total MUST HAVE PRODUCT. I have seen all the previous productions. This is HUGE in content and value. If you LOVE past GHOST-IN-THE-SHELL Stand Alone shows, then do not miss this thriller triple disk presentation.
From previous productions ,in animation, came a 'taste of the visuals' that are now fully refined for enjoyment. The whole presentation creates a fantastic world, which flows fluidly within the superior storyline.
Characters of the past productions move on into broader roles in this complex thriller.
Bandai Entertainment also adds an OST CD plus an extras-DVD to provide a both wonderful to own and a wonderful to gift product package.
The product comes with English dubbed or Japanese dubbed [with English subtitles if so desired] language tracks.
Sound is via 5.1 & DTS Audio so Home Theater can make for a major home showing.

Considering the huge numbers of GHOST-IN-THE-SHELL USA fans, getting this product ordered is warmly suggested.

Lots of action as well as the intelligence that is expected from anything Ghost in the shell. Great music, and the special case and soundtrack were great. A definite must for any collector.

[Note: has the regular English dub vocal cast unlike the Laughing Man and Individual Elven collections]

Another fine installment of Shirow Masamune's epic Ghost In The Shell (GitS) anime, Solid State Society takes place two years after the events in Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG. This go-round finds many of the familiar characters in new roles, which seem a natural progression from events in previous movies & series. Nice touch.

Solid State Society is mainly a story about a "Puppeteer" who can hack in to other people's cyberbrains and largely control their actions. Part of what this is used for is to kidnap children from abusive homes and wipe out their memories, parents' memories and records of their having been there. Ultimately, for the purpose of recycling "ghosts" - a term oft used from the inception of the franchise to ostensibly define a soul or a person's self-awareness, the essence of who we are. The unfolding of the story is rife with red herrings, keeping you guessing who exactly is the Puppeteer, and at times, maybe a wee bit confused.

The pros: Incredible animation, probably some of the best in the series (maybe a second to GitS 2: Innocence), and beautiful scoring / soundtrack provided by Yoko Kanno. On a home theater, this is an A+ experience for the eyes & ears. The story has a lot more action than I remember there being in many of the other parts of the franchise, and, thankfully, a bit less technobabble than usual for anime. Backgrounds, incidental scenery / equipment have high attention to detail. Sky scenes and cityscapes have lush, vivid colors that convey a sense of near-reality. Vehicles seem to have gotten exceptional realism, in part because of a partnership with Nissan to include use of a concept car (also a con for me - read on). One more thing I liked: the metal case of the limited edition. I tend to like things like that...
The third disk, a soundtrack CD is nice. I have a preference for original soundtracks that have music that was specifically made for the movie, not those that sound like someone crammed a bunch of popular songs into a movie to sell CDs. Uh, back on track.. this has the kind I like... the music that helped set the mood or helped move the story along, and it's a pleasure to listen to after the movie's over.

The cons: Let's start with that mention of product placement. I don't recall specifically noticing a Nissan logo in the film, but one of the "special features" on the second disk of the 3-disk limited edition felt like a Nissan infomercial. And while on the subject of the second disk, the only things I found interesting on it was the World Work File (basically a "Making of...") and the "Making of a Tachikoma Robot" feature. The rest of the stuff just felt too much like filler junk. But that's a personal observation. One very small minor gripe/observation: I noticed at least one song in the movie that was recycled from the GitS: S.A.C. 2 soundtrack. I like the song, and don't care that they used it over again. And, fortunately, they did not also retread it on the soundtrack disk included in the limited edition pack. It just seemed odd to re-use something like that. Like I said, maybe a bit picky.

As a standalone, compared to other movies I've seen recently, I'd give it a 4+ out of 5. As an anime movie, 5 out of 5. As a GitS installment, 4.5 out of 5. Recommended, especially if you like the other GitS offerings. And it's best, but not essential, if you've seen the others beforehand - to make the most sense of who these characters are and what it is that's going on.

I am not one to buy original dvds and such and would typically, just burn such media. But Ghost in the Shell is my favorite series and my daughter having taking a love to the main character Motoko Kusanagi, I had to buy the entire series, 1st and second gig, plus Solid State Society on dvd master discs. Motoko Kusanagi portrays a female of strength, not often found in female heroines such as often portrayed in Disney films like Snow White, Cinderella, blah, blah blah, where the female main character often is just waiting around for some prince fool to show up and bang her out. This series is so good, that it makes me want to partake in learning Japanese again, to which I had studied in Japan and College some ten years ago. Please parents, don't let the gore and sexual themes distract you. These movies are great for younger female children as they reveal truth in corrupt societies/politicians and a kick ass girl any parent would be proud having raised. FIVE Platinum STARS!!!!

Ghost in the Shell was one of the most intelligent sci-fi series I have ever watched. It made me want more. I am sad this anime series only made two seasons of episodes, but it now continues with the TV movie Solid State Society. The movie is long enough for about five episodes of the series which isn't a problem since the series had stories that ran for several episodes. Fantastic English dubbing (and there is an option where Japanese onscreen text is subtitled) and a great script make this movie as thrilling as the series.

After the success of the two TV seasons of the Stand Alone Complex series, it's little surprise that the franchise hit up a movie form. Originally planned as a couple of OVAs but then reconfigured to be a feature length direct to video movie, it takes the style and design of the TV series and makes it bigger and somewhat flashier. Unlike the theatrical movies, this one doesn't have the same kind of ostentatious feel in terms of the animation and CG mix that dominated it, particularly the second one.

Ghost in the Shell tackles a few issues that are present today and will have even more of an impact in the future in any country. Cyberterrorism is a real threat and so is the increasing population of retired people (how will that impact society and will it be taken advantage of). A potential government conspiracy pops up in Solid State Society as it is two years since Major Motoko Kusanagi resigned from Public Security Section 9. Togusa is left in charge of investigations by default and Batou only does cases that interest him. The Major is the enigma here as Batou wonders if she could be the Puppeteer, a dangerous hacker who has been causing people to commit suicide. Soon it all leads to an advanced retired people facility and kids who have been abducted.

I love the series and I found the Solid State Society a great blind buy. I wasn't disappointed. I want more Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex films. I miss the series and I missed olid State Society when it aired on SCI-FI Channel. Now all GITS: SAC fans can now enjoy it on DVD.

The 3 disc edition has an extra DVD disc of extras (more featurettes) and a soundtrack CD (I love the score to Solid State Society).

On the one disc is a UCHIKOMATIC DAYS animated short (which is dumb) and an ENGLISH PRODUCTION INTERVIEW (with the ADR Director and the English voice actors for Motoko and Batou) that has some interesting insights into the difficulties of an English dub (and the voice actors talking about the characters). Also included are the English and Japanese trailers for Solid State Society in addition to trailers for other releases (HIGHLANDER anime and DEAD LEAVES among them).

Solid State Society is a fantastic entry in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series. I hope they make more films. Buy the one disc if you just want the film or the three disc (if you want the CD and more extras).

In the end, after watching this in the dark with the sound cranked up nicely, Solid State Society does deliver. The action is quick and brutal, the plot is convoluted but engaging and the characters dominate across every spectrum. This is a cast of characters in a setting that I've loved for quite some time and seeing them in a new storyline that has brought some growth and change to all of them makes it all worthwhile. Though there are certainly flaws to be found in the film, the end result is one that has left me very pleased and eager for more.