The plot of the movie itself takes on the qualities of fairy tale story telling, with simplistic metaphors much like the red riding hood analogy. I do agree that the subtext in this is not as subtle as Ghost in the Shell, but you can't possibly say that this has very little redeeming value. If you can work past the sometimes obnoxious obviousness of the metaphors and analogies, there's good intrigue, relatively good action (as sparse as it is), and it presents an interesting contemporary analysis of humankind's bestial and intellectual duality.
Which is my second confusion with your post. You refer to a "one-sided argument," but what argument is that? I'm not sure that Oshii was arguing anything, and in his other films he isn't very quick to push a certain viewpoint. He has a mind for speculation, which tends to be neutral and has the air of a hypothesis. It seemed more like he was describing something about the tragic duality of human nature, and how it manifests in broad human developments, as well as individual human interactions. Oshii was also a known activist in his younger days, and there was a great deal of uncertainty and tension in the years after WWII. There were assassinations of left wing politicians and a lot of upheaval over Japan's changing political and economic development. This film gives a lot to think about, in spite of the cosmetic flaws of pacing and subtext. While you may not like the film, you can definitely learn something from it by watching it all the way through and attempting to appreciate the smallest details, which are always very deliberate and thoughtful with Oshii.
Moreover, as a Japanese film, it's very informative as to the different consciousness of the Japanese. If you watch closely enough, keeping the context in mind, you can gain some insight into the hopes and fears of another society with a drastically different developmental path than other developed nations. To use a physics analogy, nations are not state functions, and it does matter the path a nation takes to a certain state. Japan is developed and westernized, but it is not a western nation, and the effects of its rapid development are evident, like an animal raised on growth hormones.
You can have your opinion of this movie, but you can't say it has little redeeming value, or that it doesn't give the thoughtful and persistent viewer something to think about. Oshii is easily one of Japan's most distinct film-makers, with a consistent identity as a writer. It pays to try to understand his techniques and subject matter. Also realize that the film was not directed by Oshii, but Hiroyuki Okiura, so appreciate that the content may not match with the aesthetics or pacing. Take the good with the bad.
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