The 2001 CGI is so far ahead of its time that it still looks better than most anime movies today. The real problem is that the story exists only to showcase those visuals, and the characters feel like they're reading exposition rather than living through it. If you watch this for the animation alone, you'll understand why it changed what was possible on screen. If you're looking for a reason to care about any of these people, you won't find it.

Earth lies under siege by an otherworldly force: spectral creatures called Phantoms whose touch alone is lethal. Humanity survives in cities shielded by force-field barriers. Populations dwindle. Humanity's survival hangs by a thread. In 2065, Dr. Aki Ross and her mentor Dr. Sid search for a lasting answer in a spiritual Gaia energy that could purge the Phantoms. Aki's stake is personal, because alien particles have infected her own body. She joins forces with the Deep Eyes military squad, led by her old friend Grey Edwards. Not everyone shares her faith in this plan. General Hein schemes to wipe out the aliens in a single destructive strike, even at the risk of destroying the Earth. Aki and her allies must face enemies both alien and human.