If you have not seen the original Ghost in the Shell, and can read between the lines, this review will contain spoilers for the original. I apologize, but it is essentially impossible to set up several aspect of the plot of GITS2 without revealing aspects of the ending to GITS. Go see Ghost in the Shell if you haven't already (it's that good) then come back to read this.

Batou has a new partner. He also, as he occasionally remarks, has a guardian angel.

High end gynoids--the writers very correctly distinguish between androids (male seeming personlike robots) and gynoids (female seeming ones)--made by an off-shore company have begun malfunctioning, killing their owners and self-destructing, and Batou and his partner are assigned to the investigation by Section 9.

The model is pulled from the market, and an official of the company which makes them murdered.

The chase leads in the end to the factory-ship which produces the gynoids, and to a very disturbing discovery about the nature of the malfunction and the reason for the model's popularity. Major Kusanagi saves the day in the final fight, but I won't say how, since it's bad enough including spoilers on the original.

The excellent production values of the original are maintained.

More concerns for parents on this one than on the original: plenty of violence, the discussion of the gynoids as sophisticated sex toys, and the disturbing discovery.

Ratings (out of 5, 1 being worst, 5 being best)