What makes it different from others?

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

I don't know if this was intended to be the third season / Gig in the Stand Alone Complex series. I say this as it could very well have been stretched out into the twenty-six episodes the series runs. However, the one and three-quarter hour film manages to get the point across admirably, while still getting the audience to think of what may be ahead for the human population.Togusa is now in charge of Section 9 after Major Kusanagi retired two years previous. While on a mission, he and his team stumble upon a lead to an Ultra-Wizard Class Hacker the "Puppet Master". This, in turn, leads them to other conundrums and secrets, including the children that are going missing in the city which nobody knows about. Not only do Section 9 have to investigate and solve these mysteries but they also have to resolve issues within the team, due to the major's retirement.Even with the complexities of the story and all the twists and turns within it, the screenwriters Shotaro Suga, Yoshiki Sakurai, and Kenji Kamiyama (who also directed) do a great job to tie it all together in a comprehensible and intelligent way.For me, this is the best of the three story lines in the Stand Alone Complex series as it holds some viewpoints that are relative today. We already have puppet masters in today's society and our elderly population is living longer, it's not too far of a stretch to imagine the film's visions becoming future truth, should we start to wonder down the techno-path. People are already talking about populace explosion... These are issues to fire up the brain cells.The animation is on par with the series, which is to say, of a high caliber, though still not up to the beauty of the 1995 original, and this can be said for the direction and soundtrack also.You do not need to watch the Stand Alone Complex series to enjoy this film as it is a stand alone in its own right. I would recommend that you at least watch the original Ghost In The Shell before checking this out, though it's not necessary. You do need to set time aside to watch the movie, any interruptions may affect your overall enjoyment and understanding of the story. It's also a film NOT to watch with people who don't get the concepts of Cyber Punk Science Fiction...

My first impression was that there was a huge budget cut on this one. The animation is far below the classics we are used to. It is nowhere near movies like, Ghost in the shell, Ninja scroll, Akira etc.It is all talk. And thanks to the budget, its just images with mouths moving. The plot is dull and outdone.I sat through 1/3 of this movie.I'll recommend those i remember that you should see rather than this: The three i listed above, Patlabor, Cyber city odeo, a lot of studio Ghibli's movies, Battle angel Anita & Appleseed.

I assume most people will have seen both series of GitS: Stand Alone Complex so will be familiar with the characters. If you haven't seen them yet I'd strongly recommend watching them before watching this follow-on film.Set two years after the second series Section Nine is on the trail of a hacker known as The Puppeteer. Don't worry, this isn't a rehash of the Puppet Master story from the original GitS film though. The team, led by Togusa since the Major left them, learns of the Puppeteer while investigating a sting of Suicides. While investigating a brake in at a lab Batou sees a familiar face; Major Motoko Kusanagi. She warns him to keep away from the Solid State Society. At first Batou doesn't mention that he saw her but as he starts to believe that she may be the Puppeteer he is forced to tell Togusa about his fears.As one would expect the animation looks fantastic without being distracting... unlike in GitS: Innocence where I often found myself admiring an animated object at the expense of following the story. Once again the music went well with the action and the voice actors all sounded good, although I had to read the subtitles as I can't speak Japanese.If you liked the "Tachikomatic Days" shorts at the end of each episode be sure to watch "Uchikoma Days" on the second DVD which features the little blue tanks as well as the new green ones and the Jameson Unit.I strongly recommend this film to anybody who enjoyed the series, while it isn't essential to watch them first I'm sure it will be a better experience if you have as you'll know and care about the characters more.

The third Ghost In The Shell feature length film, deviates as a continuation of the Stand Alone Complex series. While in the same universe as the original feature length motion picture which sparked the franchise into world wide recognition, Solid State Society is quite obviously a follow on from the lengthy complex series (hence the name residing in the title). In continuing the story they have created some interesting side points for those who have followed the series thus far, with development of characters while being brave enough to introduce a number of subsidiary characters to enhance the feel of the universe, to show that it itself has progressed and that it's not merely tied down to just four characters.Ironically while Ghost In The Shell has progressed in the continuation of the story, Togusa for example making the pleasing and logical step up to 'team leader' the story never progresses much from that of "Innocence". Major Kusanagi is still absent from the 'Section 9' set up as she continues her vigilante exploits through the net, solving crimes when and where she can, where like in the second film she is mentioned more often than not and pined over. The plot set up is still identical, a virtual hacker who has capabilities that are often above and beyond the major and section 9 and how they bring down their opposition, who often has a more aversive and political agenda than is first thought. In essence this is very much a follow on from the Stand Alone Complex, because the plot line feels almost like a compressed first season into the confines of one hundred minutes. Having established Solid State Society as a undeniable continuation of the Stand Alone Complex universe it must also be noted that in this particular installment there is a notable absence of philosophy. Where the original was crammed with the nature of what it means to be human and "Innocence" tackled the nature of reality there is a discernible lack of here. Personally while appreciating the intelligence of the films I often felt they crammed dialogue unnecessarily throwing philosophers names around like frisbees at the beach purely for referential sake, and often the point itself was lost even when understood. Solid State however all but ditches that mantra, much in a similar fashion to the series, yes there are moments of philosophical debate, but it focuses much more on an intelligently constructed cyber-crime thriller plot line which by chance of it being a Ghost In The Shell film carries the characters we have come to be attached to. The cyber-crime in itself while possibly mirroring "The Laughing Man" from "Gig One" provides a fresh twist and a new way for the writers to show off their skills at constructing new virtual dramas. Aramaki takes much of a backseat focusing a lot more of the attention on the newly cyberised Togusa and how that has affected him. One minor complaint is, most likely through the anglicised dub, but perhaps not, is the garbled mess of plot development within the first twenty minutes as it establishes the who's what's and why's of the newly emerging case.Ghost In The Shell continues to deliver entertaining, thought out and thoughtful films and stories to add to its ever increasing world, and do not take the mark and criticism i've levelled at this as a sleight, because I did enjoy it. It's merely that I know they are capable of more than a recycling of noble criminals with the "will she stay, won't she stay" of the majors attachment to section 9, and the "will they, won't they" with herself and Batou. The trouble is they seem unable to fuse philosophy with a cracking crime thriller peppered with action to a stable and progressive dialogue. That having been said, for those accustomed to the franchise it highlights why it is so successful, with interesting characters, a future world not entirely removed from ours and an thought out philosophically tinged action packed story line, which has had a huge impact on the cinematic landscape. While Solid State, however, may not have a similar impact as its initial predecessor for those that know the characters and know the world it is a worthwhile addition, and for those that don't, they need to log on and expand their own ghost.