'Ghost' is visually stunning - July 6, 2007
New from Japan: "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex -- Solid State Society" (Ban-dai/Manga Entertainment, $19.98/$39.98 limited edition, 13 and older) -- The top-notch production team is back, including one of the best ensemble dub casts ever, but this standalone movie doesn't live up to its predecessor TV series. The plot, which involves child kidnappings, attempted assassination, a killer nanomachine virus, government wrongdoing and a computer nursing network for sen-ior citizens, links its pieces together too tenuously, and the big reveal at the end seems without proper motivation. The visuals, though, continue to raise the bar, and Yoko Kanno's music is up to the task. (A soundtrack CD is part of the limited edition set.) The story may ultimately fall short, but it's still great to see these characters in action. GRADE: B-
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