I prepared myself for this film by watching the 1995 version and some episodes of Stand Alone Complex, anticipating that the sharp dialogue between Major Kusanagi and her team would carry over to the cinematic presentation. The movie does manage to capture the atmosphere and environment effectively; it’s a grainy, low-tech world full of neon lights and people who seem almost artificially enhanced. Unfortunately, the writing isn't very good. Kusanagi is renamed Major Mira Killian—the reason for which becomes clear later on—and Scarlett Johansson, usually a reliable performer, feels miscast in this role. The characters aren’t explored much, neither she nor her fellow team members. There are few of those amusing and distinctive moments that you find in the animated adaptations. To make matters worse, many of the intriguing elements from the promotional materials simply don't appear, leaving one feeling shortchanged. Ultimately, it's an acceptable distraction but doesn’t reach the level of quality established by the series and provides the cast with little to do. It’s worth watching if you have nothing better planned on a dull day. 3.5/5

Source on TMDB