Disclaimer: Minor spoilers for Season 1 and 2 of "Psycho-Pass." Since "Psycho-Pass" was one of the most successful new franchises Production I.G. had on their plate in the 2010's, a feature film was inevitable. This came to pass in 2015, with the simple title "Psycho-Pass - The Movie." The title seemed to suggest there wasn't any intention to continue the franchise further, and the plot has the same dynamic, offering a coda on where certain characters went, without any major changes on how things conclude. Nonetheless, fans were probably supportive because both Production I.G. and writer Gen Urobuchi came back after leaving from a divisive Season 2. Like the rest of the franchise, Inspector Akane is the central lead, fullfilling her duty to serve justice in a world run by the Sibyl System, an A.I. that can read a person's mental state and personality for their likelihood to commit a crime, allowing police to act before the crime occurs. The movie takes place after Season 2, and watching Season 1 beforehand is strongly recommended, although interestingly, Season 2 could be skipped as most of those new characters are minor here.To appease fans, the plot involves what became of prior Enforcer Shinya Kogami after he escapes Japan. After a thrilling opening sequence to stop terrorists, Akane is informed that the individuals' scanned memories pictured Kogami leading guerilla fighters in another country in Southeast Asia. Coincidently, the Sibyl System, previously only in use in Japan while the rest of the world experienced war and turmoil, was being given a test-run for use in the country, the early steps of worldwide dominance. Akane insists for a permit to travel abroad to investigate the terrorists' motives and arrest Kogami, and is granted approval with little fuss. The change in setting was a smart move for a standalone movie that a limited effect on the story of the franchise. Of course, Kogami was a popular lead character in Season 1, so it's satisfying, if perhaps unnecessary, to see him return. Akane's mixed emotions towards him, from originally being her co-worker and psuedo-mentor to a quiet love interest and obsession that grounds her in the job, gets its chance to play out on screen. The movie focuses primarily on these two characters, but the other side characters get their moment to join the action in the final act. This type of fanservice can be a mixed bag however, for while it gives extended character development for fans that have followed the franchise up to this point, it strictly grounds the movie as a "franchise" film, and you're never tricked into thinking its more than that. A shame, since parts of its structure are similar to "Cowboy Bebop - The Movie," which would be much easier to recommend to someone who never saw the original anime. Naturally, there's a much bigger plot at play for the setting, an artificial floating island with a different government, culture and rules. The Sibyl System is only partially in place, and large jail or rehabilitation centers aren't available, so potential criminals are given neck chokers that permanently track them, subduing or killing them if their crime coeffient rises for just an instant. That visible marker makes them easy to distinguish and discrimigate against - in an early tour, Akane sees the homeless and unemployed with chokers, unable to find work. The local police rule with an iron fist and without remorse. Hoards of immigrants are desprate to enter the new peaceful island, but are left to stand waiting for days and weeks. On the other hand, many on the island do live peacefully and prosperously, and even those discriminated against agree it's far better than living with no safety at all just years prior. 
It's all an interesting metaphor for a different ecosystem that extreme surveillance (a la "1984") can look like. While online sources suggest the foreign country is Cambodia, its eerie to see direct comparisons to countries like modern-day Indonesia, the Phillipines, or specifically China, who has documented problems with racism and segregation, and has since deployed real A.I. systems to track all citizens and apply a "social-credit" system to limit them if bad behaviour is found. The "Psycho-Pass" franchise is banned in China, primarily for its violence, but one could imagine its themes are a bigger factor, directly using words like "Dictatorship" when referencing the fictional countrry's "chairman" and their methods. While still entertaining, the movie can sometimes feel like an explicit warning with greater political relevance than the original series. As expected, there is a plot twist to what's really going on, namely around Japan's Sybil System overreaching to maintain control. While the movie tries to milk as much as it can over the philosophy of right and wrong and individuality over order (with smartly written dialogue and internal monologues in Akane's head), there's less meat overall this time than what would fit in the television arcs. Some elements feel clumsy, such as how the terrorists coming to Japan turned out to be an accident to kickstart the plot instead of having anything to do with it. There are some fun and engaging action moments here however, with a big shoutout to a new cast of mercenaries secretly working for the regime; well-read but well-trained, it feels like a "Black Lagoon" crossover I never knew I wanted. Visually, "Psycho-Pass - The Movie" improves on its animation yet again, and the visuals are sharp enough for this to be appropriate for the theater experience, while not being too drastic a change. Strong direction and shot composition have a big part in the appeal of the visuals, but design and colour is never quite as inspired as the best of Season 1. Even so, this is how the franchise should have looked when it first aired, overcoming some of the weaknesses in Season 1's animation. Music and sound design is still great, and Funimation's English dub was still solid. For the most part, "Psycho-Pass - The Movie" checls all the boxes it had to. The story isn't strong, but is solid enough, to make the movie a satisfying outing for fans of the franchise.