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Nick Hogg

 

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

I don’t think I can describe the anticipa-
tion I’ve had for this film. I was a huge fan
of the original, and I’ve watched the
newly released series Ghost in the Shell
Stand Alone, but this film surpassed my

H

expectations. This is the type of film that
not only proves that an animated feature
can carry a deep meaning; it also shines a
positive light on the entire anime scene.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence masterfully
blends traditional-styled 2D animation
with the most visually stunning 3D anima-
tion I’ve the
animation alone, this film is worth seeing,

ever seen. Based on
but there is also a plotline so deep that it
would take several viewings just to get all
the subtle nuances. Ghost in the Shell 2:
Innocence is an action-packed, detective
film noir. It’s a lot to digest in just one
movie, but there wasn’t a single moment
that I wasn’t thoroughly enjoying myself.
As a direct continuation of the first
Ghost in the Shell film, Ghost in the Shell 2
takes place in 2032. This time though, the
story is centred on the tough, cyborg-cop,
Batou, instead of Major Kusanagi, who is
still MIA. The film starts off with Batou
being called in to take care of this gynoid
(a female android) on a little killing spree.

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The first walk
through the eyes of Batou looks real, and

down

a dank alleyway

when this gynoid doesn’t want to come
peacefully we have our initial taste of the
action that is so wonderfully animated.
Laced throughout the movie there are
several brilliantly done, over-the-top
action scenes. Batou’s attitude in these
scenes will bring a smirk to your face—he
gets to utter lines of dialogue most action
stars would kill for. As for the depth of
the plot, the whole thing plays on the dif-
ference between dolls’ and humans, and
explores what really makes us human. The
first movie made us think about souls, and
what qualifies something to have a soul.
The sequel takes a similar approach, but
concentrates on the aforementioned rela-
tionship between humans and dolls. This
is a very cerebral film underneath the
pretty presentation and high-violence
action scenes.
It’s one of those

films that

shouldn’t be missed. Sure, it’s very intro-
spective, but that doesn’t mean you won’t
enjoy it—even if you don’t get all of the
interlaced references to philosophers and
sutrealists. This film has layers upon lay-
ers, and regardless of which layer you take
in—whether it’s the visuals and action
scenes, the detective film-noir plotline, or
the surrealist plot of humans-versus-
dolls—this film is absolutely stunning, I
have to urge all of the anime fans as well
as any science-fiction fans, and basically
any movie lover out there, to go see it.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence proves that
we can get an animated film that has a
serious, thought-provoking plot, and still
have it look visually
stunning. We get
the best of
everything,

   
 
 
 
    

OUnErPPeSs

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