Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Vol. 3 (Episodes 9-12) DVD, NEW

As the broadcast series based on Mamoru Oshii's landmark feature Ghost in the Shell continues, questions concerning the case of the mysterious Laughing Man surface once again. In "Portraitz," a possible lead takes Togusa into an institution for children suffering from "Cyberbrain Closed Shell Syndrome," a sort of computerized autism. Nothing is resolved, and the audience, like the case, is left hanging. The Laughing Man is also the subject of "Chat! Chat! Chat!"--a cheat of an episode that consists of little more than footage of chat-room denizens wrangling over the character's true identity. "Jungle Cruise" provides some rare clues to Batou's past. But after the grisly images of a war criminal from the "American Empire" who skins his victims alive, the high-pitched voices and cute characters in "Escape From" feel incongruous at best. Overall, the series seems to be losing its momentum. The extras include interviews with sound director Kazuhiro Wakabayashi and Akio Otsuka, the Japanese voice of Batou. Otsuka's velvety bass-baritone makes Batou a more compelling vocal presence than Richard Epcar's rougher tones in the English dub. There's also a two-disc deluxe edition that comes with a T-shirt and DTS 5.1 soundtracks in English and Japanese. (Rated 13 and older: considerable violence, grotesque imagery, nudity, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon