Movie Review: Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, is Mamoru Oshii's follow up to his 1995 cult classic "Ghost in the Shell".

The story takes place in the year 2032 with the line between humans and machines having been blurred to almost beyond distinction. Humans have forgotten that they are human and those that are left coexist with cyborgs (human spirits inhabiting entirely mechanized bodies) and dolls (robots with no human elements at all).  Batou (a cyborg), along with his partner (a detective for the government's covert anti-terrorist unit, Public Security Section 9), are investigating the case of a gynoid – a hyper-real female robot created specifically for sexual companionship – who malfunctions and slaughters her owner, as well as a few police officers. As they begin to investigate the company that manufactures these dolls, they encounter an array of characters and situations that call into question "the humanity, or lack thereof, of a world in which the distinction between human and machine has been blurred."

Going into this movie, I will have to say that I have not yet seen the original or any of the "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" episodes. That is now about to change. Even though I have not seen any of the previous installments of Ghost in the Shell, I am somewhat familiar with Mamoru Oshii’s filmmaking style, with having seen his beautifully made, sci-fi film "Avalon".

GITS: Innocence is a visual feast (to say the least), the blending of 2D and 3D animation is seamless. At times your jaw will drop and you might even catch yourself watching too much of what is on the screen, instead of reading the subtitles. It’s like watching a masterpiece come to life, with each stroke of the brush adding to the story.  Interwoven, is a deep, and multi-layered story, which is at times laced with quotes from Milton to Confucius, as well as long clips of philosophically heavy dialogue. I can easily see how GITS: Innocence can easily bore some people, but instead of driving me away, I was brought more into the film.

For those who may be looking for an action packed anime movie – stay away, you will be disappointed. Even though GITS: Innocence does have its moments of action, it’s not the main focus of the movie. But if you are wanting something a little different, a sci-fi film that is not only beautifully created, but one that has deep and rich story - then this is your film.

Rating 5/5

Movie Reviewer: deadmanwalkin