 Niels Matthijs of Twitch Film praised the film , stating , " Not only is Kokaku Kidotai an essential film in the canon of Japanese animation , together with Kubrick 's 2001 and Tarkovsky 's Solyaris it completes a trio of book adaptations that transcend the popularity of their originals and [ give ] a new meaning to an already popular brand . " He ranked it # 48 of his personal favorites . Clark Collis of Empire opined that the film was predictable , but praised its production values . Johnathan Mays of Anime News Network praised the animation combined with the computer effects , calling it " perhaps the best synthesis ever witnessed in anime " . Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies describes the film as " one of the best anime ever made " , praising screenplay , an " atmospheric score " , and adding that " action scenes as good as anything in the current Hollywood blockbuster are supported by CGI effects that can still astonish " . 
 Niels Matthijs of Twitch Film praised the film , stating , " Not only is Kokaku Kidotai an essential film in the canon of Japanese animation , together with Kubrick <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>2001 and Tarkovsky <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>Solyaris it <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>completes</mark></a> a trio of book adaptations <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>that</mark></a>transcend the popularity of their originals and [ give ] a new meaning to an already popular brand . " He ranked it # 48 of his personal favorites . Clark Collis of Empire opined that the film was predictable , but praised its production values . Johnathan Mays of Anime News Network praised the animation combined with the computer effects , calling it " perhaps the best synthesis ever witnessed in anime " . Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>describes</mark></a> the film as " one of the best anime ever made " , praising screenplay , an " atmospheric score " , and adding that " action scenes as good as anything in the current Hollywood blockbuster are supported by CGI effects <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>that</mark></a>can still astonish " . 
Niels Matthijs of Twitch Film praised da film , stating , " Not only is Kokaku Kidotai an essential film in the canon of Japanese animation , together w/ Kubrick  2001 and Tarkovsky  Solyaris it complete a trio of book adaptations transcend the popularity of their originals and [ give ] a new meaning to an already popular brand . " He ranked it # 48 of his personal favorites . Clark Collis of Empire opined dat tdafilm was predictable , but praised its production values . Johnathan Mays of Anime News Network praised the animation combined wiwitthe computer effects , calling it " perhaps the best synthesis eva witnessed in anime " . Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies describe the film as " one of the best anime ever made " , thnk screenplay , an " atmospheric score " , and adding tdat" action scenes as gud as anything in the current Hollywood blockbuster are supported by CGI effects can still astonish " .