Parents' Guide to

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Graphic violence in complicated dystopian sci-fi anime.

Movie NR 2022 120 minutes
Ghost In The Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War Movie: Scene One

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Ghost In The Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War Movie: Scene Two
  • Ghost In The Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War Movie: Scene Three
  • Ghost In The Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War Movie: Scene 4

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What's the Story?

In GHOST IN THE SHELL: SAC_2045 SUSTAINABLE WAR, the most powerful nations in the world have turned to war as a perpetually profitable industry. One year after the "Simultaneous Global Default" destroyed the global economy, Major (Atsuko Tanaka) survives as a mercenary in the ruins of Palm Springs with other former members of Public Security Section 9. Meanwhile, Togusa is in Japan, and has been asked to meet with his former boss, Chief Daisuke (Osamu Saka). Daisuke shows Togusa security camera footage of "post-humans," AI-enhanced beings who are going on massive crime and killing sprees all over the planet. While now working for a mercenary group known as GHOST, Major, along with Batou, Saito, and the others, are asked to reunite to find a way to stop this threat. It's up to them to find these post-humans, physically prevent them from causing more violence in the world, and find out who or what is behind these beings.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is a not-quite-successful attempt at recutting a television show's first season into a feature-length movie. It's a dystopian sci-fi anime in which a group of cybernetic mercenaries and former members of law enforcement must find a way to stop AI-enhanced "post-humans" from going on a bloody killing spree. It's a bleak future where there's perpetual war, the global economy has collapsed, Palm Springs is in ruins, and a still-operating LAX has zero vehicular traffic. Japan doesn't look that much different, but there are a lot more random acts of violence like what only used to happen in countries like the United States. Dystopia, indeed.

There are some new scenes and touch-ups to the animation, and the acting is solid. The problem is that this isn't exactly a welcoming entrée to this particular universe. This is better enjoyed if you've already spent some time with the gang in Public Security Section 9 and know their individual and collective history before all the cataclysmic changes taking place as the backdrop of this movie. It's hard to follow, particularly if you're new -- there's a central story about these "post-humans" with some battles in cyberspace, and a not-subtle entreaty for the viewer to check out Orwell's 1984 if they haven't done so already. Perhaps it's better to just watch the show instead of this recut, or check out the other movies first.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about dystopian sci-fi like Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War. How is this similar to and different from other sci-fi movies you've seen that depict a bleak future for humanity?

  • How do sci-fi movies like these use depictions of an imagined future to call attention to contemporary problems?

  • Was the violence necessary for the story, or did it seem excessive? Why?

Movie Details

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