Billed as "the third Ghost in the Shell film", this has little to do with Mamoru Oshii's two films, but is based as a sequel to the television serious "Stand Alone Complex". But can this film "stand alone"? He, he, get it? No? Ah, never mind...Years after the two seasons, the Major has left Section 9, and they've been functioning as they always have with Togusa taking the lead. Batou still stays as a strong member, but yearns to find out where the Major went or what she was up to. Upon a case involving missing children, they learn that the Major was solving cases on her own as she chose in her spare time, but that she might somehow be involved in the current case.Of course, she isn't... or is she? The revelations at the end of the film make you question that if you listen carefully, going down a path that would have made Oshii proud. However, the journey up to that point was somewhat lacking. Sure, there's plenty of tension and a number of very memorable dark scenes, but it felt slow... maybe because the show's episodes told these stories in under 30 minutes, and the film feels purposely stretched out from one or two really good episodes. At least we do see the Tachikoma come back after their death (although they seem to die off at the end of every season of the show, so I don't fear for their lives anymore). Overall, the film serves well as an epilogue to the television series, and does end it with a profound note appropriate for the series, and understandably no other additions were set after this film. Fans should be satisfied, but not amazed. And it is made for fans first: a couple references to past characters in the show make this less enjoyable to new-comers, not to mention the importance of the Major to the other characters would be lost on such viewers.The visuals in the show were great, although it really should be seen on bluray to get the most of it. The movie ups the quality of the television show a bit, emphasizing the use of moving camera shots while keeping the characters well-animated. It look good. Really good. Not quite on par outside of made-for-tv films or OVA's, but really damn close. The audio soundtrack is as good as the show if not better, and a great excuse to add to your iPod. The English dub is also as strong as ever, more than doing justice for the characters.
Overall, it's a fitting end to this version of Ghost in the Shell. Is it better than the series? Almost... the episodes in the show were mostly stand-alone bits, and the way they played out felt right for the time length. Trying to keep that same level of tension and intrigue for almost two hours is not easy, and the film does suffer for it. Overall, it's still worth it, but not required viewing, and requiring to watch the show first will limit the target audience.