Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

GITS Innocence is very much spiritual successor to the original GITS film, at least in terms of presentation of storyline and interspersion of philosophy. Innocence is a film that will appeal to some people, but others will either find the story too lacking or smothered with philosophical guff. To be perfectly honest I found the story to be extremely simplistic and shallow, there really isn't much depth here unless if you look to the quotation of classics or philosophy as depth. Almost all of the dialogue in the film is devoted to quotation, it becomes quite tedious after a while - not least becausethere isn't much necessary framing for those quotations. The supposed point this endless quoting is to question artificial concepts that have no real bearing on our world, so it ultimately feels rather pointless. Visually the film is... inconsistent. The 2D artwork is beautiful and fluidly animated, yet it is constantly at odds with ugly 3DCG artwork. Normally I wouldn't be quite so bothered about this, my complaint here is that excessive screen time given to ugly 3DCG panoramas and sweeping shots of things-which-aren't-very-interesting. Long story short, Innocence is not as visually impressive as the first GITS film. It's a shame that this is such a disappointing film, but if you really want to try something deep try reading the many works cited in this film.

Although a slighty confusing and very philosophical story, it flows very well and comes together seamlessly in the end. The animation was beautiful, fluid and lifelike. The CG blended well and made each frame stand out. An awesome soundtrack that set the mood very well. There was gradual character development but it just seemed to fill in where the first movie left off. Overall a very good anime but not a very accessible one. The story was very cryptic at times with a very serious undertone that require concentration. Not as much action but what it lacks makes up in atmosphere and detail. Watch ifyou feel up for a strongly scripted movie which may leave you pondering the many issues it brings up.

When Oshii directed the first Ghost in the Shell he didn't just adapted the original manga, but rather made from it something of its own. Whit the second movie, rather than to give something more accessible to the viewer, he made it into something even more personal. Story: It’s more of a standard story than that of the previous movie or the arc of the SAC series, it’s basically just a detective story that deals whit the exploitation of technology for sex. So, while a step back in this regard, it’s good that the animated franchise tries to deal whit cyber-punk themes from different perspectives. Thefirst information we get makes the story start as a mystery and the conclusion is also unexpected taking what seems like a very simple premise, thus the story has a great start and conclusion. The problem tough, it’s in the middle, because while in the original movie there was a feeling of intrigue overall and some food for thought regarding the development of the events, here this is suspended whit the main characters simply knowing where to go. Fortunately, there is a big mind-screw put in there for compensation. Whit all the stories faults, I think that Oshii also did a very good job of developing one manga chapter into an entire movie. Action: Now, people who appreciate the previous movie for what it was, know that they aren’t coming here for an action movie but for a movie whit action among other things, but damn good action when it comes to it. Here, every action scene is memorable.As an inconvenience of sorts tough, the cooler the scene is the shorter it is also. The action isn't distributed equally on the length of the movie as it is a signature of Oshii to make you wait on and on for the big battle. Graphics and animation: There are people who recommend this movie for the animation and graphics alone, so there’s not much for me to praise here, rather I will just agree whit them and make a comparison between this and the original. I would say that I actually prefer the original –I prefer the original to any anime in this regard tough- because it had just the best combination of realism and style and was ahead of its time, but this may be the anime that comes right after it. While this has a SF aesthetic, it’s quite far from the cyber-punk school popularized by works like Blade Runne. It's a more spectacular future but one that it's just as possible. While not flowing as smoothly like in the first movie, the animation is also very accomplished. 50s inspired cars, ,shattered glass, zoomorphic vehicles, a dog, etc., are all treated whit the highest respect by the graphic and animation department. That the parade scene is a high-point of the movie on these grounds alone couldn’t be more clear. Music: The songs “Follow Me” and “Crystal River” are both beautiful and touching pieces that express what the main character won't express in his own words. One need not worry, the traditional chants are also present. Characters: Through the controversial decision to remove Motoko from most of the movie, Oshii made her to be one of those characters that have an almost mythical aspect to it. The relationship between the main characters is shaped by her lack of presence and when she appears again it’s all hooray. Batou and Togusa aren’t one of a kind like her but they play their respective parts pretty damn well. Batou is one big cliché but a very convincing one, while Togusa is someone for the average man to relate to. I felt that the depiction of Batou’s loneliness was very convincing. Philosophy and symbolism: The quotations over-load is justified to a degree whit the technology of net-implants but I would have liked to hear the characters talk more whit their own words. What makes this movie special is that it explores the human fascination whit AI outside AI itself, managing to link SF themes whit the past and even nature. The religious parade is probably the scene where all the symbolism is best concentrated. Words are sometimes superfluous, other times necessary, and here there is proof for both.There is a point where the uncanny valley is discussed but this comes off as unnecessary since this was done just fine through imagery, but some well-tough reasoning concerning its main themes it's also contained in this movie. Atmosphere: When all the elements of this movie are added together, they may not make for the strongest story, but they sure make for a great atmosphere such as one can find only in truly great movies. I think this movie is best seen not as a sequel to the first Ghost in the Shell, but rather a great work that is complementary to the classic.

The Palme d'Or is one of the most prestigious awards in the world of film, coming from the highly respected Cannes Film Festival. For a film to get nominated for the prize is in and of itself a great merit that deserves praise. Within the few of several animated films that bring about a huge influential force within the industry and art itself, there's only been one Japanese animated film that was ever nominated for the said award. Regarded as even more dense and rich in philosophical detail than its predecessor, Mamoru Oshii's follow-up to the widely successful Ghost in the Shell, Innocence, is a visualfeast of intricate design and narrative. With a nine-year difference between the two films, it could be said that Innocence was a highly anticipated sequel. Yet with as much consensual praise it garners from film critics, on top of it a coveted Palme d'Or nomination, what exactly makes this film any different from your above-average anime? In the same ways, it delivers like the first film, with Oshii's slow but methodical approach in setting scenes to build up suspense and evoking a rising curiosity to the viewers. Ghost in the Shell 1995 exemplifies scenes like the long, calming pause before the conflict arises, or the climactic chase scene with the Puppetmaster to emphasize the Major's internal existential crisis. This way, the slow-burner aspect of the film is justified as it allows the viewers to immerse into Kusanagi's thoughts as a human-slash-cyborg. This film delivers none of those. The snail pace of Innocence isn't really something that is as appealing as the first film's, and as a matter of fact it hinders the possibility of giving the film progress. Imagery...and long, establishing shots that take 30 seconds onwards without giving proper character conflict makes this time for the viewers to ponder completely baseless. The film does not allow us to relate or get into Batou's mindset, nor does the meandering moments help. It's something that makes the visuals and the narrative so out-of-sync it becomes flat-out boring. The first half fails to captivate the audience with the "suspense" it should contain, and I couldn't really immerse myself into the film when all I see is Batou feeding his dog. The plot itself isn't bad—a string of murders by sex robots occur, but a particular one leaves a message that falls under Section 9's prying eyes. But if this two-hour film was a mini-series divided into two episodes, most would have dropped it after watching the first one. It drags on needlessly and unnecessarily, and only a few interesting moments happen. Not to mention the innumerable quotations from other forms of literature that makes me wonder if Oshii was writing a script or a reference list. The story only really starts to kick in by the second half of the film, where we get into a convoluted but intriguing hacking sequence and from then onwards becomes a thrilling action-packed final act balanced with excitement and the same feeling that made the '95 film so interesting. Whereas the story failed in execution but had enough steam to keep it going, the character aspect of the story had less appeal but were delivered well enough. Batou comes across as a ruthless character that the viewers would have a hard time relating to while Togusa sets a foil, becoming his voice of reason. We also see how these characters react as the intensity of the plot builds up, but it honestly doesn't have the approach GitS (1995) nailed with Kusanagi's unique characterization. More or less, Kenji Kawai's helm in Innocence's soundtrack remains the same, although it becomes much less as a topic of discussion, just like the first film. It doesn't overpower, but it doesn't do anything to stand out as well. On the other hand, the sound effects and the voice acting remain one of Ghost in the Shell's strong assets. CG animation, for the most part, does not blend well with anime—especially in a time like 2004. However, Innocence makes it all look natural, and its aesthetic (yet baseless) sequences help complement the otherworldly feeling the film's story and theme addresses. Whether it compares to the first film or not is up for debate, but in my opinion the animation utilized for Innocence and GitS 1995 are apples and oranges. The Ghost in the Shell film series remains an overrated part of anime, both inside and outside the community. Don't get me wrong, I'm not stripping them of its merits—what GitS has done remains a groundbreaking move for anime cyberpunk. However, it is not without its flaws, and is nowhere near perfect. What is considered as a thought-provoking, introspective and philosophical form of visual art lauded by many is surprisingly straightforward, and doesn't really have that many meta-narrative interpretations that can be attached to it. Does it deserve the Palme d'Or nomination? Maybe so, but I'd like to think Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence just happened to be there, and if I was given the chance to pick another animated film that best represents the medium in terms of style and substance, I would.