stjones01

Ghost in the Shell (GITS) is an iconic and influential anime (adapted from the manga series). On the surface, it's a sci-fi action flick, but underneath this cool exterior lies a deeply complex storyline, rooted in philosophical ideas such as the relationship between man and machine, the insecurities of mankind, and the things that make humans human.

The storyline for GITS is fresh and original. In the year 2029, the world's craving for information is more ravenous than ever. The biggest crimes now take place within the interactive network, where hackers attempt to take control of individuals in the network. The main character, Major Kusanagi, (who bears a resemblance to a more voluptuous version of Luc Besson's "Nikita") and her partner, Batô (... Duke Nukem?) hunt the most dangerous hacker in cyber-crime: "The Puppet-master".

From the first frame to the last, the animation is fluid and stylish, and the artwork focuses on a dull blue color scheme, creating a moody and cold atmosphere that the cyber-punk genre is known for. Character designs are very articulate, particularly Kusanagi's. Half the time, her flawless body is drawn completely naked, or with her skin-tight therm-optic camouflage suit. A lot of thought went in to the creation of her character, and this is not solely concerning her physique. In other animes, characters are drawn blinking in order to humanize them, but throughout GITS Kusanagi will stare off, unblinking. Mamoru Oshii intended to portray her as a "doll", and the blank stare conveys that persona. Batô is her loyal sidekick in the story, and serves as a light-hearted character, who seems to be more of a human than a cyborg. To add to the relationship between these characters, they were given names that carry an interesting mythos. "Kusanagi" is the sword of the eight-headed beast, Orochi, and "Batô" is Mandarin for "eight-headed". This added fluff behind the character design gives insight to how seriously Mamoru takes his storytelling.

Mamoru is very tasteful in his utilization of intense action sequences. He realized that if he had bombarded the viewer with non-stop no-holds-barred combat and violence throughout the movie, he would have dug himself into a hole--a hole in which he would be incapable of providing an emotionally satisfying climax for the audience. He progresses GITS at a gorgeously slow pace, meticulously placing each intense action sequence in the film's sweet spots. GITS is definitely a thinking man's anime film, and not a mindless fast-paced slug- fest. It instead takes a less conventional approach to it's pacing--an anime of this sophistication demands a tasteful, slow ride up the plot ladder.

Music adds substantially to the atmosphere of the film. The mix of the synthetic sounds and the tribal drums help darken the mood. In particular, there is a recurring choral song that seems to haunt Kusanagi in her pursuit of the Puppet-master. This is the core song of the film, and has likely haunted audiences as well--it's gorgeously arranged and repetitive. The English voice-overs are fairly decent for an anime film. Some are appropriately stoic and cold, with the cyborg characters taken into consideration. There are some points when the delivery of some important dialogue ought to be a little more emphasized, but this is a minor complaint that will otherwise go unnoticed with the positives of this film in consideration.

While a little rough around the edges, this film is a landmark achievement in the anime world, being one of the first anime features to appeal to non-anime fans. Just like the lovely Kusanagi, GITS is a thing of beauty, from the outside in. 4.5/5

With the notion that this could quite possibly be the most difficult film to critique, it is important to know that rating 'Eraserhead' on a scale of 1 to 10 is pointless. So why did I do it then? I thought 8 was a reasonable number, because it is high enough to garner attention (which this film definitely deserves), but low enough to suggest that it is not one of the greatest film achievements of our time. With that in mind, I'll begin my exercise in futility.

Excluding all of the surreal events and scenes (which may or may not contain symbolic significance), the plot is fairly straightforward. Henry Spencer works at a printing press, and is on vacation. He is invited to his girlfriend's (Mary's) house to have dinner with her and her family (The Xs). Upon visiting, he's informed that Mary had given birth prematurely, and that he had an obligation to marry her. From that point forward, the film delves deeper and deeper into Henry's psyche, as he is bombarded with the consequences of his situation, psycho- sexual imagery, thoughts of suicide, and hellish fantasies. Those who have seen "Eraserhead" will testify that it is undoubtedly the most bizarre film ever created--they could very well be correct in saying so. It would be unjust for me to elaborate, because excessively describing any of the surreal scenes in the film would cheat any would-be viewers out of the surprises the film has to offer. David Lynch has referred to this film as "a dream of dark and troubling things", and the film is closer to that description than any other film before it. It is as if Lynch has analyzed every aspect of a nightmare and created a film from them. The black and white color scheme was a good choice, seeing that some dreams take on a colorless form. Other aspects of the cinematography contribute to the enigmatic, sinister vibe of a nightmarish vision. The beginning shot that sets this disturbing, abstract nightmare in motion is an extremely unsettling image; one that has stuck with me since the first viewing. When making a movie, it is important to establish a connection between the audience and the main character. Lynch has accomplished this with little to no character development whatsoever. There is no deep back-story provided for Henry. He never gives a gut-wrenching, insightful, Oscar-worthy monologue to win the audience over. Lynch instead uses the barren, bleak, and uninspired landscapes as his medium for characterization. The strange sense of isolation Lynch creates as Henry stumbles through his nightmare is an indirect way of personality-building. Henry is alone, helpless, and doomed, and the audience is right there with him every step of the way. The screenplay is staggered; sparse. Nightmares may contain this awkward pause-filled dialogue, but seeing these conversations play out in a movie comes across as a disturbing mess, because much of what little dialogue there is in this movie simply makes no sense at all. "Makes no sense at all"; this impulsive statement is unfortunately a good description for the bulk of the movie. The film has prompted many responses from audiences, including hand-to-mouth surprised expressions, as well as knee-slapping laughter (to name a few). When critiquing art, the comment that a piece "makes no sense" is an irrelevant and juvenile judgment. Art doesn't have to make sense--by that rationale, films don't have to make sense either. Reviewing this film is like critiquing the abstract pieces of Jackson Pollock, or Salvador Dali-- ultimately, there is nothing bad or good about this movie. What is certain, though, is that Lynch has created one of the most interesting films I've ever seen. 4/5

Shinichiro Watanabe, the creator of the acclaimed jazzy masterpiece Cowboy Bebop, has added another irresistible treat to his portfolio. Samurai Champloo is a fast-paced, groovy, and character-driven grindhouse of an anime--'grindhouse', in the sense that it doesn't take itself too seriously (and it's bloody as hell). It tells a story about an unlikely pair of ronin swordsmen, Mugen and Jin, brought together by a common debt they owe to the lovely young teahouse waitress Fuu. Animes all have a distinct art style. Champloo's animation is fluid, it's character design is innovative, it's choreography is spot-on realistic, and the landscapes are lush and gorgeous. Fight scenes are seamless and for the most part true to samurai styles, with the exception of Mugen's style, which establishes the overarching theme of the show... Mugen is essentially the link between the edo period and hip-hop culture in Champloo. Without his badass break dancing fighting style jiving to the soundtrack of the show, it would be a rather meaningless mixture. This is not to say that the other characters don't stand alone in their strengths and principles. Jin's devotion to the traditional style of swordplay shows in every single slash of his sword. While Mugen's style is wide open and reckless, Jin's style is rooted in the stoic, closed nature of the bushido style of swordsmanship, focusing more on finding an opening. Sidenote: It's important to know that this anime is not another "who's the strongest?" anime like Dragon Ball Z or Bleach. The significance of the edo-period setting is shown in Mugen and Jin's struggles as samurai. The rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate coincided with the fall of the Samurai's military status, and this setting is established extremely well--It really is Mugen and Jin against the world. Fuu is the leading lady, and convinces the rival warriors to accompany her on her quest to find 'the samurai who smells of sunflowers'. With her spunky attitude, strong will, girlish charm, and a dark past to boot, this fifteen-year old teahouse waitress is well beyond her years. Each character in the trio is so different than the last. That dynamic between the characters is an entertaining trademark of Watanabe's animes. Each misadventure of the 26-episode epic brings them closer together, revealing more interesting aspects of their personalities, and ultimately brings them closer to Fuu's mysterious samurai. There's a lot to be said about what the characters say, and how they say it. English voice- overs in anime often prove to be laughable and annoying, but in Samurai Champloo, the instances where voiceovers and dialogue grate on your nerves are few and far between. The dialogue plays a huge role in character and story development, and there are very few words used in excess. Anime fans will hear some familiar voices (Steve Blum, Kari Wahlgren, Kirk Thornton), and the fact that they have starred in many other animes is an afterthought. In Cowboy bebop, old-school Jazz was mixed with a futuristic outer space setting. This show is a 'champloo' of feudal japan and some pretty snappy hip-hop--yet another unlikely pair, but needless to say, it works. I guess I'm with Jin on this one--when it comes to Watanabe and his storytelling prowess, he clearly doesn't understand the meaning of 'restraint'. 5/5

In the midst of eighty-thousand screaming people, the ruthless screech of John Frusciante's guitar swoons through the air. In response, Chad Smith attacks the drums with unrivaled ferocity, and pauses. John repeats his feral outcry, and Chad returns, this time with the familiar funk of Flea's bass, and the concert begins. Towards the end of the jam, Antwon the Swan himself storms up to the front of the stage, and starts into their latest hit, 'By The Way'. For those who aren't savvy on the history of the band, suffice it to say that these guys have been through it all. All of the struggles of self-discovery, all of the past blunders, all of the pain of losing their beloved Hillel Slovak (their first guitar player)--these experiences show in each note they play and sing. There's something for everyone in this concert, because the peppers sound varies from album to album. Their versatility demands respect and appreciation--they'll play an angst-ridden ballad in one moment, and follow it up with an up-beat funk number the next, and not skip a beat. But it's not what they play, so much as HOW they play it. Flea's bass-playing is so beautifully complex, yet he makes it look so simple. Watching him jump around, kicking his legs out at the audience with his bass at ankle-level, all the while maintaining a ridiculous bass riff.. what can I say? It's bad-ass. Meanwhile, Chad Smith slams his drums with the fierceness of a beast, and all the sensibility of a jazz drummer. The two of them together are a formidable rhythm section in the Rock and Roll world. Anthony's vocals, while they lack the polish of some other singers, are the best they've ever been. An important thing to keep in mind is that he began the band with the intention of being a rapper, more or less. Seeing how far he's come is definitely goose- bump-inducing. All the while, John Frusciante acts as the icing on the funk-rockin' cake. His less-is-more approach to guitar- playing sets him apart from the other instrumentalists, and his gorgeous falsetto has great chemistry with Anthony's melodies. Due to his hard drug use in the past, the mere fact that he's on stage with them at all is nothing short of a miracle. For my fellow Chili Pepper fans, obviously this concert will be a religious experience for you. For those of you who aren't sold on my favorite funksters yet, well, just try and refrain from head-banging... I dare you.

The above quote is quite possibly the most uncomfortably awkward line in any movie I've seen, and just about sums up this film. Prince's musical ability and swagger is undeniable, but those who are unfamiliar with Prince's music and concert presence won't receive the purest essence of what the movie tries to accomplish.

The concert footage in the film is hindered in certain spots--you can tell that he's not completely in his element as he goes for certain poses while playing his songs. There are parts though, where his true form shines through his performances on stage, and that's when he ceases to be an actor--he's simply being Prince. As the storyline develops Prince stumbles along, muttering the atrocious dialogue provided for him in a monotonous low tone. His confidence is nowhere to be found, and that's one of his defining characteristics.

Without spoiling anything, the storyline has a lot to do with Prince's relationship with his dad (or lack thereof). However, this is where the movie struggles the most. The relationship they have is very one-dimensional, and never really goes anywhere. The lackluster screenplay and acting make it nearly impossible to care about his daddy problems, and half the time, the moments of the plot that are supposed to be really heavy just don't provoke any feelings at all. You might catch yourself laughing during a scene, and then say: "Oh, right. That was supposed to be sad".

I can't say I recommend this to anyone, not even Prince fans. If you're a Prince fan, then you'd be better off re-watching his half-time show at the Superbowl. If you're unfamiliar with Prince, this movie would just put a bad taste in your mouth, and that would be a damn shame. 2/5