Rating: 
Summary: Not a lighthearted story...
Review: The ending is very, very heavy. I will remember this feature long after the others have vanished from my memories.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best out there
Review: There's so much to be said for this film that it's hard to know where to start. A political and human drama that has the feel of an historical epic, Jin Roh pushes the standards for artistic anime in almost every way.
To start, the artwork. Even those who dislike Jin Roh praise its animation. The world it portrays is dark and dreary, effectively setting the tone for the movie. The character designs are by far the most realistic I've ever seen, and that only enhances the historical feel that Jin Roh conveys. While this is not an action-oriented film, the scenes of violence and killing are particularly beautiful and disturbing.
In terms of plot, Jin Roh excels the most. The plot is not complex at first, but it soon completely engulfs the charaters in its oppressively dark situations, and the viewer along with them. The two leads, Kazuki Fuse and Kei are good characters if not great ones, but for most of the film it's the machinations of those higher up that seem to define them.
On a different note, much has been said, good and bad, about the use of Little Red Riding Hood as a narration (actually, a much more macabre version of the story than I've ever heard before). It might seem silly, but it's really not. It drives home a lot of the key themes in the movie without being at all intrusive. And then again, it helps define the dark feel of the movie.
At this point, it's hard to say much more. If you like artistic and dramatic anime, then it seems hard to go wrong here. A lot of people have commented on Akira and Ghost in the Shell in relation to this movie, and for the record, I disliked both films. Jin Roh isn't really like those in terms of pacing or action, so if you're a fan of robots and really big explosions you should stay away. But if you like good characters, an engrossing storyline that's enigmatic in places and stunning animation, make sure to pick this up.
Rating:
Summary: THIS MOVIE IS GREAT!!!
Review: Damn you losers for saying its boring!!! Damn you!!! This movie is really really good!! Ok, enough angst. Seriously, this movie is well made, but isn't for everyone. If you are buying it because you liked the non-stop violence of akira, you will be disappointed. The movie is truly filmmaking at its best. The cinematography is great, especially near the middle. The script combines many literary forms that we dont see in movies too much anymore (plus, its just beautifully written). And its only "slow" to develop the characters, damn it!
Rating: 
Summary: Diffrence in transfer from R2 to R1
Review: I own a region 2 version of this film ,I saw this special edition in Region 1 and picked it up for the extra features,and
boy was I in for a surprise,the colors on the r1 version are all
muddy and details are all fuzzy,it has a muddy unsaturated look all over ,I put the region2 disc and wham the movie just comes alive.I dont know how the director could have allowed a transfer which is like this.I viewed it on a progressive scan dvd player connected to a progressve scan 16:9 television.The film is a beauty though.I think to really have an idea of the superb production of Jin-Roh backgrounds and characters one needs to see the r2 version.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Out There...
Review: Jin-Roh The Wolf Brigade asks one question: Can humans be better than mere beasts? This movie is great. It has a true, but violent storyline which really gets you to think about the art of war. The animation is the best, from the same animator of Akira. The only MINOR drawback is that the story revolves slowly, but strongly. It is an anime masterpiece, overall. If you enjoyed Akira, Ghost In The Shell, or any good Drama/Action anime, you will love Jin-Roh. It truly makes you wonder, what would you do in a situation as such?
Rating: 
Summary: Staying out in the cold...
Review: The title of my review is a reference to a story which is very similar to Jin Roh,. That story is The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John LeCarre. Like that novel, Jin Roh is about the Cold War, and the way it soiled and destroyed so many things that it touched. In this case, the aspect of the Cold War that Oshii wants to expose is its effect on Japan in the Showa 30's (1955-1965). To do this Oshii uses two Fairy Tales. The first is the Brother's Gimm version of Little Red Riding Hood. The Second is the story of Japan in an alternate history where the Nazi's won WWII, and invaded, conquered and occupied Japan. The story takes place in post-occupation Japan, the Germans have left, but they left social chaos in their wake. To stop the rising tide of public revolt, the government creates a new police squad, the Capitol Police. Part of this is a death squad of "Panzer Cops," heavily armed and armored cops who can kill the determined revolutionaries. The story concerns the romance between a member of the Capitol Police, and a young revolutionary. This is the "feel bad" movie of the year. The world it depicts is bleak, hopeless, and unsentimental. It is hard for me to tell exactly where the creators of this film stand or what they want us to feel. It made me feel like I was in a maze with no exit. However, this movie is still powerful food for thought, like The Spy Who Came In From The Cold or George Orwell's 1984.
Rating:
Summary: Anime with a heart
Review: Jin-Roh is an amazing mix of beautiful animation, and a well-written story line that's very endearing. It was no question that I was going to be in line to see this film, coming from the creator of Ghost in the Shell, but I had no idea the effect that this film would have on me. The film easily draws you in and makes you a part of the story. I would suggest this film to anyone looking for an anime film with a real story.
Rating:
Summary: Certainly an anime of great depth
Review: This is a very sort of anime from either the romantic or mecha driven genres. While there is certainly a love story, of a sort, and no shortage of those anime staples hardware and gore, the experience is very much of a modern Japanese or Hong Kong movie transferred to animation. Absolutely worth buying, even (perhaps especially) if you generally don't care for anime. For those who seem a little confused about all the German equipment and organizations: watch the first 5 minutes again. The anime storyline represents an "alternate history" in which Germany occupied Japan during WW2. The strong German influence is neither accidental nor affected; it is very much central to the story.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Animation
Review: For a mature adult seeking to be truly moved by a film, Jin-Roh is the one. Jin-Roh is essentially the Little Red Riding Hood story told from the wolf's point of view. In a typical American film the virtuous hero has crisis and falls from grace. He battles back until the very end where he is give the choice to reclaim his true nature and become the man he was always intended to be. Jin-Roh asks, how would this story look from a "wolf's" point of view? A hero falls from grace by going against his nature - by being bad. But a wolf falls from grace by being good and showing compassion. Jin-Roh is the story of a man trained to be a killer whose personal crisis is showing compassion for a young girl. As the story progresses, he battles back and is given the chance to redeem his true nature - that of a wolf. The climax will keep you guessing and in awe for days after you see it. All the negative reviews are from people who thought this would be a candy-coated action film. It's not. No apologies, no concessions - this film will blow you away.
Rating:
Summary: Better and smarter than most live action films.
Review: Also the most intelligent and realistic film on the subject of terrorism to be released on American screens last year - even though its an animated fantasy.(I can't take credit for this observation, though.) Oshii has found something worthwhile to do with the, often irritating, overly complex plots and alienating (for non-sci-fi fans, anyway) emphasis on hardware that are characteristic of a lot of anime. His icy, intellectual Patlabor films really do reward multiple viewings. His plots are even more convoluted than usual - but full of powerful ideas that leave intriguinging questions lingering in the viewer's head. His detailed machines of destruction are matched by exquisitely rendered natural elements - easily trancending the pseudo-technology-porn that a lot of sci-fi amounts to. His characters, rather than being merely underdeveloped, are often deliberately remote. Director Okiura brings an emotional element to the mix - endowing the distant, socially crippled characters with a sense of tragedy that won't have its greatest impact on the first viewing. In fact, Jin-Roh plainly isn't designed to be seen once. (I actually found myself dozing off the first time around - not because I was bored, but because the pacing and atmosphere are of the slow and hypnotic variety.) Its full of details that can only register on the second or even third or fourth time around. And certain scenes, when viewed with a foreknowledge of what is to come, take on emotional dimensions that couldn't possibly be perceived in an initial viewing. Its an unusual design, and one that goes against the grain of the usual one-shot Hollywood story - which is generally not only simple-mindedly linear, but predictable as well. (Incidentally, anime champion James Cameron didn't really like this movie - which could be taken to indicate a certain level of quality.) Doubtless, a lot of people looking for action or entertainment won't connect with this film. Jin-Roh is a complex political thriller that is DEEPLY political for starters, haunting and sad ultimately. It hasn't been compared to Oshima for no reason. On the surface it looks like a very "masculine" sort of movie - with guns, explosions, storm-troopers, etc. Also with female characters in a marked minority. But, oddly enough, I have noticed that a lot of educated women of a mature age seem to respond very favorably to this film. At screenings I have heard many remark afterward on how deeply moved by it they were - while young twenty-something males often express disappointment. The English dub - while not as good as the Japanese track - is unusually good. This is mainly due to the genuine talent of the female lead - who carries the dialog track for long stretches. She can actually make you forget that you are watching a dub. The scenes of middle aged men debating (which also figure large in the film) more often fall flat - as the English voice actors slip into patently artificial radio-announcer tones. Thanks to the magic of DVD, we can get around that. (The Japanese voice actors are, as usual, real actors who know how to sound natural.) Finally, Jin-Roh has a beautiful, muted visual quality that sets it well apart. Many scenes take place in very low light. A scene shot in drizzling rain will probably really only register properly on a movie screen. The music is also very fine, and the special edition contains a bonus cd.
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