Rating: 
Summary: Forest Whitaker makes this movie
Review: Yes, it's a strange movie. But it's SUPPOSED to be strange. It goes very deep into the emotions of organized crime, loneliness, self-respect, and the life of a wannabe Samurai. Forest Whitaker is excellent, as usual, portraying "Ghost Dog", the code name for a mysterious self-training modern-day Samurai who lives with pigeons in a small shack on the roof of an apartment building and works as a contract hitman for a Mafioso. Just reading this, it looks a little too weird to be entertaining, but you'll have to watch the movie to understand it. It does make sense when you see it, and it's very easy to feel for and relate to the main character. I love the way it was filmed, adding to the mysterious nature of the main character and the organized crime lifestyle.
Rating: 
Summary: GHOST DOG - Tight Movie!!!
Review: Ghost Dog surprised the hell outta me! If you like gangsta movies, karate movies, hip-hop movies, or just a good movie, this is it! Forest Whitaker does a great job playing the lead role, and the recognizable Rza has some phat beats that compliment this movie perfectly. It's a serious movie, with some funny parts, like old italian gangtas talkin' bout rap music. Give it a chance cuz i did, and I don't like many movies! Peace...One love, Sacrificez
Rating:
Summary: Dark paths of a modern samurai
Review: Based off of "Hagakure" or the book of hidden leaves, this movie is a different kind of action flick. This one reminded me of violent version of "Kung Fu", as at certain parts in the movie, everything fades out and he quotes a passage from Hagakure. I found a lot of the soundtrack a little obnoxious, but if you're into rap, you'll like it (the main theme was pretty good though). As for the plot, it is based on the retainer/daimyo relationship of ancient Japan... a samurai's duty to protect his master, and do as commanded by one's lord. Ghost Dog himself is the most interesting character, as he moves the way of the samurai into the modern age. All in all, this movie is very cool.
Rating:
Summary: Simply incredible
Review: I have to say that I'm a fan of Jim Jarmusch, but I always approach his films with trepidation. I'm always pleasantly surprised. You can read about the plot in the reviews above. What impressed me was the superb cinematography and story of this film. Jarmusch is a master of characterization. Many directors will resort to certain tactics to keep the audience distant from the characters, but Jarmusch likes to hang on for a slightly uncomfortable amount of time, just to give you that little extra glimpse into their lives. Do not hesitate to see this film. It's classic Jarmusch, classic Whitaker, classic Bankole. And the sountrack is kicking.
Rating:
Summary: incredible!!!
Review: 'ghost dog' is definitely an excellent movie in my opinion. the story and characters are very original, and in some ways comical. ghost dog (forest whitaker) is full of incredible skills, (which are truly amazing to watch). this film's cinematography is truly beautiful from the opening credits. also the hip hop score really goes well with the movie, and progresses great! the plot of ghost dog isn't too too deep, and at some points seems to be an excuse to show some of the awesome techniques used by ghost dog, and the ways of the samurai, but this is a welcome change in my opinion. some of the things ghost dog knows, like how to wire a stereo and make a silencer are incredible and just fun to watch! jim jarmusch has really amazed me with this film. the combination of samurai warrior skills and lifestyle with western culture is really interesting. the hip hop music, the french best friend, the camera work, the pigeons, the ice cream, the hip hoppin' mobster, the old cartoons and everything else make this movie amazing!!! well, if you enjoy jim jarmusch, good independent film, or really cool mob/crime/thrillers then this movie is definitely recommended by me! i'm sure i missed many excellent points that make this movie great, but you get the idea!
Rating: 
Summary: original, pretentious, atmospheric, dull - take your pick
Review: **1/2 Jim Jarmusch's films have always been an acquired taste - and "Ghost Dog" is, assuredly, no exception. Not content to spin out straightforward narratives, nor to adhere to the standard strictures of any particular genre, Jarmusch at least deserves credit for his originality, iconoclasm and daring. But such an approach to filmmaking comes with some built-in pitfalls and risks, and, in Jarmusch's case, the quality of his films has often been much less than the sum of their impressive parts. Furthermore, a filmmaker who so deliberately taxes the patience of his audience may find more people leaving the theatre than coming in. In both plot and style, "Ghost Dog" is a bizarre hybrid - made up of equal parts samurai adventure tale (though there is no sword fighting), urban street crime drama and Italian mafia gangster film. Forrest Whitaker plays the mysterious Ghost Dog, a black man steeped in the ways of the ancient Samurai Code. Having been saved from death eight years earlier by an Italian mobster, Ghost Dog now dedicates himself, according to the samurai oath of loyalty, to fulfilling the needs and desires of his new "master." Thus, Ghost Dog spends his time gunning down "contracts" as per his leader's request. But with his latest "hit," Ghost Dog has struck too close to the mafia boss himself - and now the hunter has become the hunted. The plotting, which is convoluted and inscrutable much of the time, is obviously not the area in which Jarmusch's heart - as both writer and director - truly lies. Style has always been this filmmaker's main preoccupation, and "Ghost Dog" does manage to combine just enough "slightly off" elements effectively to create a world rich in mysticism and exoticism. The mere concept of an urban black gangster adhering to an ancient Japanese code - involved with a group of Italian gangsters adhering to their own similar ancient code - somehow lends itself to the exotic. Moreover, Jarmusch's methodical and deliberate pacing, his use of a slowly gliding camera, his reliance on a haunting urban soundtrack all contribute to establishing and effectively maintaining the air of surrealism found in the concept itself. Yet, for all its undeniable virtues, "Ghost Dog" is, ultimately, not a very compelling film. Part of the problem rests in the fact that, for all its originality of vision, the film emerges, finally, as a bit too pretentious, smug and self-satisfied. We are supposed to see Ghost Dog as somehow nobler than his mafia counterparts because he seems motivated by a higher cause - the ancient samurai code. Snippets of the code are read to us and flashed on the screen during scene fade-outs to make us appreciate the "beauty" and "wisdom" of this classic belief system. Yet any way you cut it or gussy it up, Ghost Dog is STILL nothing more than a cold-blooded killer - love pigeons, dogs, cutesy ice cream vendors and adorable little girls though he may. Just because the samurai code has the concept of "tradition" behind it doesn't make it necessarily worthy of respect or admiration. And just because Ghost Dog is so dedicated to the rule of "loyalty" that he will mow down dozens of men because his "master" asks him to doesn't make him any more heroic than the mafia leaders who - not being as poetic by nature I guess - have the sad misfortune of couching their oaths of loyalty in much less self-congratulatory terms. "Tradition," as Tevye was forced to learn, is not, in and of itself, inherently superior to more enlightened thinking simply because it has managed to survive many centuries or even millennia intact. The theme of the film then simply becomes offensive when it is obviously intended to be deep and meaningful. Given that situation, we find ourselves less inclined to go along with the director's patience-demanding glacial pacing. Thus, "Ghost Dog," unless you are a diehard Jarmusch devotee, will probably end for you long before the closing credits roll by.
Rating:
Summary: psycho-babble v samurai battle
Review: Ok, I'd heard great things about this film from my sister, and if a card-carrying gangster/martial-arts/inner-city genre-hater can love this, I had to give it a go. What ever else you read about it, GHOST DOG is a truly remarkable film. It combines, on one level, the ever-present philosophies of the connoted 'ancient Japan' (Hagakure was written early 18th century- not that ancient!), the hip-hop beats of the wu-tang clan, the comic sopranoesque characters of the rather embarrassingly old, fat and senile second-rate mafiosa and yet behind all this lies hidden depths. The question of the importance of language and communication within our society, with particular reference to Lacans theories of pschoanalysis, are questioned, the codes of times gone are queried and fondly remembered, the issue of sexual equality is cleverly integrated, and overall, the entirety of the film is one which appeals to all. Admittedly, it combines some of my favorite film genres, so I'm gonna be a bit biased. In fact, for me, the only thing that could have made this film more complete would have been a martial arts showdown with a shadowy ninja, using matrix-style special effects aboard an alienesque spacecruiser. But that would be silly. A wonderful film which all should watch
Rating:
Summary: Jamursch shows the inner city differently
Review: Jim Jamursch has long been known as a very interesting director who does things differently from the norm. And this is just another great movie from the mind of Jamursch. Forest Whitaker stars as the mob assassin Ghost Dog. He plays it perfectly with just the right amount of understatement, making him a very compelling character. Jamursch is great in the way he differs from the norm, he obviously tries to make the world ghost dog lives in a little different from the world we live in, but not so much that we feel a sense of detachment from it. The style in this movie is great, everything has a dream like quality, which doesn't detract from the characters or the story. The pace of the movie is slow, but never boring, ghost dog is just such a great character, that I never got tired of watching him. The action scenes in this movie are very different from typical fare, they are subdued, with no obscene wire work or ridiculous gun play. They fit the pace and style of the movie perfectly. Last, the soundtrack is flawless, RZA of the wu-tang clan composed it, and it is breathtaking. It adds to the atmosphere immeasurably. All of these elements combined in this project yield one of the most original and compelling movies of 2000.
Rating:
Summary: wow
Review: ok, now first off, i am young at the age of 14 and expected to see "fist of legend" meets "shogun" meets "rumble in the bronx" when i rented this movie. boy was i wrong. this movie was the exact opposite of what i expected. it was actually a art-comedy-action-drama-character study type of movie. don't check it out if your looking for a samurai movie, like i was. but, even though i hate the soundtrack, i think this was a great movie. infact, i'm willing to garuntee that 90% of the people who didn't like GD were cultuless, mtv feed, richie stuck up mother----s. but if you have a respect for any culture other than your own, you will probably find yourself liking it, like i. this is one of the most amazing and greatest movies i've seen. check it out if you can.
Rating: 
Summary: MST3K Bound
Review: Trying to find deep meaning and sybolism in this movie is about as meaningless as edible toilet paper. The 'mafia'in this movie would be better suite at taking insight and direction from porn movies. The acting, editing, story, plot, and mood of this movie has got to be some of the worst ever put on film. I'm not saying it takes a big budget and highly skilled acters to make a movie. Just some people that might have taken an acting class or even perhaps looked the word up in a dictionary. This movie is good for only two things. Having the boys over for some drinks and having an MST3K party, or for a how not to make a movie. There were to many times the director tried to convey a message to his audience. What that message was stopped with the director. And how can someones highly acclaimed film debut consist of a sentence? You would be better off renting this first and using the money you save to go and get plastered so you could forget this horrible, horrible film.
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