Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence
by Mamoru Oshii
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Actor: Akio Ohtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Kôichi Yamadera, Tamio Ôki, Yutaka NakanoDirector: Mamoru Oshii
Brand: Paramount
Cinematographer: Miki Sakuma
Writer: Mamoru Oshii
Producer: Maki Terashima-Furuta
Producer: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa
Producer: Ryuji Mitsumoto
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Writer: Masamune Shirow
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Japanese (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Japanese (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
Published: 2004-12-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-12-28
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Dreamworks Video
DVD Reviews of Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence
DVD Review: Hard-Hitting Action Anime Fused with Existential Philosophy
Summary: 4 Stars
The filmmaker Mamoru Oshii creates a futuristic society that takes place in 2032 Japan where three different man-like creations exist--humans, cyborgs and robots. Human's have found a way to improve evolution through cyborgs, a cyber genetic organism, which consists partially of the original human organism and partially of technological improvements to the human. The main character Batô (Akio Ôtsuka) is such a creature, half-human and half-machine, that sets out on an investigation as he works for an anti-terrorist organization. The investigation leads Batô into the world of robotics as Oshii tells a story about the innocence of robots and dolls.
Oshii's sequel to Ghost in the Shell (1995), which had influence on films such as Matrix (1999), reinstates the cyberpunk atmosphere where computers are an integral part of people as every person has a downlink connection in the back of their neck. The futuristic Tokyo also has similar infrastructure as Blade Runner (1982), which darkens the perspective on society. In the midst of this dark and desolate society people still prey upon each other for the same common purposes as people have done for centuries.
The story begins after a series of macabre killings where an android seems to have killed it's owner and two police officers. Batô arrives to the crimes scene and he enters the area where the murderer is seeking shelter much like Dirty Harry. The police try to warn him, but it does not affect Batô who only answers to himself as he is on a mission to find the cold-blooded killer. Methodically Batô enters the alley where he discovers headless corpses as he scans for survivors while proceeding in defense mode seeking for threatening movement in the dark shadows. At the end of the alley Batô finds a young suicidal woman, probably no older than 18, that suddenly attacks him through self-detonation. It is evident that this young girl is the murderous robot and further investigation reveals that the primary function of the robot was to provide sexual satisfaction to it's owners.
Batô is paired up with the young and inexperienced Togusa (Kôichi Yamadera) to continue the investigation of the murderous pleasure robot as it appears that there has been similar incidents. The repeated incidents suggest that there was a sabotage, or premeditated assault on certain people, which indicates that this is a case for the anti-terrorist organization. The investigation leads Batô into his past as he recalls the painful loss of his former partner Major (Atsuko Tanaka) who was more machine than human as the only human part was her soul within the shell of a cyber genetic organism created by man. However, Major's ghost seems to have survived within the mainframe to which everyone is downlinked and she finds ways of communicating to Batô during his investigation as the villain tries to hack into his mind to distort their perspective of reality. This becomes a real threat as most people and cyborgs communicate through the supercomputer as Batô does with his partner Togusa. The philosophical predicament that the film brings to the surface through this notion is monumental, because if someone could alter the truth then what is the truth. Could truth be an experience, a program, or personal choice that create an experience?
The film depicts virtual realities created within the story as Batô and Togusa seek the villain, which offers several interesting ideas to contemplate upon. The animations used in the film lend support to the notion of what is real versus imaginary as the 3-D background provides a depiction of the truth while the characters are depicted in a 2-D state, which could be either real or imaginary. The 2-D versus the 3-D state of the characters and background enhance the visual experience of what is real and imaginary as Batô points out by stating that Togusa's happy family life might only be a program that creates an internal wish for him. On the flipside, a table will remain a table whether it is in reality, or in an imaginary location.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence brings the audience an anime experience that offers hard-hitting action and a substantial portion of reality and existential science fiction philosophy where empirical reasoning might not be enough to ponder the predicaments of the story. The story highlights the notion of existence through the massive use of dolls and robots as they are mere visual images of humans and they do not exist by their own rights since they do not have personal choice. The robots only act upon programming and dolls are moved by human hands, which indicates that the robots and the dolls are innocent to their actions as they were man-made. The many different ideas that Oshii leaves to the audience to ponder are nothing but amazing as the film will offer a solid cinematic experience for most viewers.
[Sidenote: Subtitles]
The subtitles, as mentioned before, are difficult to follow, as they remain on the screen too briefly in order to recognize the words if a visual experience are desired. It also annoying with the extra subtitling for who and surrounding sounds, the company should redo these immediately as it hurts the cinematic experience.
Description of Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/01/2007 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: Pg13Bestsellers in DVD
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