Ghost in the Shell actually ended up being an okay movie. It's definitely not great, but it does enough things right to keep it afloat. First off, the problems I had with it: too much overexplanation, weak and predictable story, some of the issues the movie touches on just don't get enough screen time. I doubt anyone is really surprised by that, it's still ultimately a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster. But the design of the world is sooo good, one of the most fantastic looking future cities since Blade Runner. Whoever was responsible for that deserves a pat on the back. Cinematography was pretty great for the most part, too, with a lot of really great shots and well-done action scenes [very little shakey came from what I remember]. Clint Mansell's soundtrack is stellar, lots of dark and moody synth throughout [no dubstep at all, and the original GitS theme plays over the end credits]. Solid cast, I thought, nobody really gunning for an Oscar but everybody did what they needed to [Beat Takeshi being exceedingly cool, as always]. Another minor thing: outside of The Major, Batou, and Chief Aramaki, most of Section 9 never really got a chance to stand out. With everything the movie tries to pack in, they just didn't have enough time to give them any more.
+Visually stunning, great soundtrack, decent cast, well-shot action scenes
-Predictable story, lots of overplanation, tries to fit too much into its runtime
I will say this, despite not really being good, I'm already hoping for a sequel.