Still one of the best animes ever...but make sure you check out the subtitled version; the dub is kinda weak.

I thought it was entertaining but some things made me think.

1. I got the wide screen director's edition with subtitles, One would think they would have the complete movie there, but I found out later on the internet about 30 minutes of footage was still cut out, All I have to ask is why? I doubt that someone watching wide screen director's edition with subtitles would care if there were longer breaks in the action.

2. Wow! So this is where Matrix got all of those cool shots... Is an homage or ripping off?

3. The story reminded me a little too much of Neuromancer, I just finished reading it before seeing this movie and at the end my jaw dropped because it was so similar.

Yes, the subtitled version is great, especially on the DVD.

Just remember: "ni-go-zero-ichi"

Um... what does "two-five-zero-one" have to do with anything?

Project 2501. I don't know, whenever it's spoken by a character, they speak in monotone. It's funny!

Yes, that's lame, I know.

My nits.

When Togusa checks the entrance of Nakimura and Willis's entrance, he checks in infrared, and still gets nothing. He was looking for guys in thermoptic camoflauge. If people in Thermoptics cannot be detected in Infrared, then why did he bother to check it?

Also, Sec. 9 is a pretty heavy organization. Shouldn't they have sensors to detect the guys in thermoptics? Seems like pretty shoddy security.

Finally, when Batau and Kusanagi finally find the body of Project 2501, she immediately dives in. Are they that dumb? Sec. 6 knows where they are. I would move to a more secure location, before attempting a dive in.

I don't know why I didn't post this before, but...

The movie is set in Hong Kong, so why do all the characters have Japanese names and speak Japanese (at least in the original version...)?

A few anti-nits.

When Togusa checks the entrance of Nakimura and Willis's entrance, he checks in infrared, and still gets nothing. He was looking for guys in thermoptic camoflauge. If people in Thermoptics cannot be detected in Infrared, then why did he bother to check it?
My guess is that some forms of thermoptics don't protect against IR. A cheap version might show up.

The exploding watermellons was extremely simmilarn to the exploding watermellon scene in The Matrix. Also, when the tank was vaporising Kusanagi's pillar, it was very similar to when the troopers were vaporising Neo's pillar in The Matrix.

Yep, The Matrix was clearly "influenced" by GitS's visual style.

The director of this film was hired to work on one of the Animatrix short animated films comming some time this year.

When Kusanagi fights the ghost-hacked thug in the shallow water wearing Thermoptics making her invisible, she casts a shadow. Does anybody else have a problem with this?

A manager where I work (who's the goofiest guy I've ever met) mentioned today that there's a new DVD release of it--better dubbing (I chided him for watching the dub), and the subtitles now make more sense.

Suprised that no one mentioned this yet. Why does the Major have to yank her clothes off every time she wants to use the thermoptic camo, when every other character in the film can remain clothed? (Obviously, the real answer is all the other characters who use the thermoptics are male, but we don't deal in reality do we?)

Re:last comment
It may be, given that she's a "Full-Conversion" body cyborg, that the thermoptic camoflauge is "built into" her skin,(as an option ?), while the rest, who are not "full body" conversions, have to wear "Thermoptic camo" body suits to get the same effect...