Ghost In The Shell - 1995 - Japan

Ghost In The Shell - 1995 - 8/10
AKA - 攻殻機動隊

 
Spellbinding anime, awash in style and unforgettable imagery.
Major Kusanagi and partner Batou are assigned to locate and stop the Puppet Master.
Kusanagi’s team is a mix of cyborg and human.
The Puppet Master seems to be spearheading traitorous activity.
Corruption exists between defense contractors and officials.
Don’t want to say too much, other than to say this was groundbreaking on many levels.
Far ahead of its time, more relevant today as we grapple with what defines being human.

Predator: Killer Of Killers - 2025 - USA

Predator: Killer Of Killers - 2025 - 5/10

 
Our quarry include a Viking warrior queen, a samurai / ninja duo, hotshot WWII teenager.
The Japanese section is fairly wordless and hews close to chambara.
Contrast this with our heroic teen, who suffers diarrhea of the mouth.
Truly, he is an annoying jabber jaw.
Action and style is straight up anime, energetic but nothing new.  Perhaps a bit retro.
Throughout there are homages / fan-service / plagiarism of dozens of films.
A decent way to waste an hour, although one wishes producers possessed a wider imagination.

Starship Troopers: Invasion - 2012 - Japan

Starship Troopers: Invasion - 2012 - 6/10

 
The rescue on asteroid base Fort Casey turns out to be an ambush, with an onslaught of Klendathu bugs.
Suddenly, their ship powers away, stranding the combat teams.
Once sorted, aboard a smaller vessel, they are contacted by General Rico.
Something has gone terribly wrong with the ship that abandoned them.
Their new mission?  You got it.  
Half decent script here, and this is canon, so perhaps worth a watch to fans of this franchise.
Dated CGI, yet ought to be fine for those who tolerate retro.

Call Me Tonight - 1986 - Japan

Call Me Tonight - 1986 - 5/10
AKA - Kōru Mī Tunaito //トゥナイト

 
Ryo has a bit of a problem.
Anytime he gets “aroused” he turns into a destructive monster.
Teeth, claws, bloodlust.
So, does Ryo contact a doctor?  Priest?  Scientist?
Nope, he phones the local escort service.
Soon, he and his date are trailed by street toughs.
Watered down hentai, poor anime that simply resembles manga panels.
As a parody of the genre, however, not bad.

Page Miss Glory - 1936 - USA

Page Miss Glory - 1936 - 6/10

 
Celebrity Miss Glory visits small town Hicksville, a one-cow burg.
Waiting and waiting and waiting, bellhop Abner snoozes and dreams of being in the gleaming metropolis.
Glorious Art-Deco design, packed with sight gags.
Fantastic Merrie Melodies cartoon from Tex Avery makes perfect prelude or after-dinner mint to 1935 film.

Ghost In The Shell: The Movie - 2015 - Japan

Ghost In The Shell: The Movie - 2015 - 6/10

 
Bit misleading title, “the movie” which the unwary might see as the ScarJo vehicle.
This falls after the “Arise” series and leads into the 1995 classic.
Major Kusanagi, Batou, most the of the squad embroiled with terror plots, assassinations, cyber-virus.
Always with this series, a fair amount of talking and philosophizing about the collective datastream.
Visuals are great, if now perhaps a little familiar.
The plot bounds along, often shifting scenes and gears abruptly.
Enjoyable, though choppy.
Not the best entry for newcomers.  Best to start with the '95 original.

Agatha - 2022 - USA

Agatha - 2022 - 6/10

 
While this bears the look and feel of a short, the hour run time indicates a nominal feature.
An unnamed man (we find out in the credits, he is The Professor) wanders a junkyard.
A bum warns him to get out now.  Now!  Before it –– it’s too late.
The junkyard is a borderland between a city, or memory of a city, and a ruined landscape.
Our character attempts to bargain for his health.
That’s about as far as I’m willing to guess.
This mixes live action with animation with image jiggering, leaving the narrative vague.
For a three-person creative team, this is impressive and worth a watch if you have an hour.
English subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/agatha-2022/english/2920259

Ghost In The Shell Arise: Border 4 - Ghost Stands Alone - 2014 - Japan

Ghost In The Shell Arise: Border 4 - Ghost Stands Alone - 2014 - 5/10

 
Stumbling, repetitive conclusion to groundbreaking franchise.
Finale prequel to the original finds the unit mostly assembled.
Kusanagi, Batou, et al, just before joining Section 9.
Usual themes of identity, cyber consciousness, terrorism, intelligence hacking.
Some visuals quite beautiful, other scenes are static.  Characters sitting in a bare room, talking.
Action is minimal, the plot is borrowed bits and pieces from earlier shows.
Not essential, even for GITS fans.

Kaydara - 2011 - France

Kaydara - 2011 - 5/10

An independently filmed chapter of the Matrix oeuvre.
Six minutes of clay-mation followed by fifty minutes of live action / CGI.
Some impressive special effects for a film made for $5.00, but slender in the way of narration.
Battles and fights, but thankfully, no Zion nonsense.
Still up on YouTube in 720p.