Post by LadyWinterWolf on Sept 18, 2004 1:02:07 GMT -5
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
Bill Muller
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 17, 2004
In Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence , the year is 2032 and technology has run amok, leading to the proliferation of murderous robots.
'Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence'
* * * * 1/2
DIRECTOR: Mamoru Oshii.
CAST: Voices of Akio Ohtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Koichi Yamadera.
RATING: PG-13, for violence, disturbing images and brief profanity.
NOTE: Subtitled. At the Harkins Centerpoint and Arrowhead Fountains theaters.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
There is a violent crime scene and references to a corpse being dismembered. The movie features several shootouts with numerous victims, though some are robots. There is an autopsy sequence, and the movie includes female robots designed for sex, though there are no sex scenes.
As a true science-fiction film, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is a revelation, a challenging yet enlightening journey into the depths of creativity and imagination.
Given that Hollywood's idea of science fiction usually involves inane star vehicles such as I, Robot, it's refreshing to see a film that delves into weighty futuristic concepts - "posthumanism," the loss of self, and the meaning of existence - without degenerating into a philosophy lesson.
Director Mamoru Oshii pushes the limits of animation in all directions, from his hyperdetailed re-creation of a grimy back alley to a splendidly ornate mansion brimming with wondrous objects of art and video-game-style clues.
While Oshii allows his movie to soar artistically, he keeps his feet firmly planted in a hardboiled detective story, as his hero, the cyborg Batou (voiced by Akio Ohtsuka), tries to solve several murders linked to robots.
In a way, Batou is Dirty Harry with a heart, a fearless avenger who has no qualms about dispatching a roomful of Yakuza gangsters, but always stops on his way home to buy food for his beloved basset hound. Batou's relationship with the dog keeps him in touch with his human side, however many mechanical parts he has. This is writer/director Oshii telling us that Batou is straining to retain his humanity, a central theme of Ghost in the Shell 2, which is based on the Shirow Masamune comic.
Set in 2032, the film is built around Oshii's insistent question: How long will it take for technology to wipe away our humanity?
Batou barely has any traces of his biological self left, and his former partner (the Major from the original Ghost in the Shell) has since melted into the world of machines, her consciousness floating through the vast communication web to occasionally offer help to her former colleague.
Batou teams with the human detective Tagusa (Koichi Yamadera), and the pair are ordered to investigate a malfunctioning "gynoid" - a female robot designed for sex - who killed her owner. The case leads them to a clever computer hacker who invades their brains and programs them into a series of diversionary alternate realities.
This part of Ghost in the Shell 2 is particularly well handled, challenging our perceptions of reality vs. computer-generated fantasy. Given that context, you can see why Oshii's first Ghost in the Shell (1995) is often cited as a major influence on The Matrix.
This isn't the beginner's course in science fiction. Along with moving at a fast pace, Oshii sprinkles divergent philosophy throughout the film, quoting sources such as Confucius, Descartes and the Bible. He leaves it to the audience to figure out what all this means.
As Batou and Tagusa move closer to the source of the trouble, the movie builds toward a powerful climax. The final sequence includes several surprises, as the determined Batou infiltrates a well-guarded mother ship, fighting both robot guards and the vessel's extensive anti-virus protections.
While non-fans might look at Ghost in the Shell 2 as a pure flight of fantasy, glance around and see how many people have cellphones pressed to their ears, Palm Pilots in their hands and iPods on their belts.
According to Oshii's viewpoint, humans are already attached to technology. Whether we'll be eclipsed by it remains to be seen.
Bill Muller
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 17, 2004
In Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence , the year is 2032 and technology has run amok, leading to the proliferation of murderous robots.
'Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence'
* * * * 1/2
DIRECTOR: Mamoru Oshii.
CAST: Voices of Akio Ohtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Koichi Yamadera.
RATING: PG-13, for violence, disturbing images and brief profanity.
NOTE: Subtitled. At the Harkins Centerpoint and Arrowhead Fountains theaters.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
There is a violent crime scene and references to a corpse being dismembered. The movie features several shootouts with numerous victims, though some are robots. There is an autopsy sequence, and the movie includes female robots designed for sex, though there are no sex scenes.
As a true science-fiction film, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is a revelation, a challenging yet enlightening journey into the depths of creativity and imagination.
Given that Hollywood's idea of science fiction usually involves inane star vehicles such as I, Robot, it's refreshing to see a film that delves into weighty futuristic concepts - "posthumanism," the loss of self, and the meaning of existence - without degenerating into a philosophy lesson.
Director Mamoru Oshii pushes the limits of animation in all directions, from his hyperdetailed re-creation of a grimy back alley to a splendidly ornate mansion brimming with wondrous objects of art and video-game-style clues.
While Oshii allows his movie to soar artistically, he keeps his feet firmly planted in a hardboiled detective story, as his hero, the cyborg Batou (voiced by Akio Ohtsuka), tries to solve several murders linked to robots.
In a way, Batou is Dirty Harry with a heart, a fearless avenger who has no qualms about dispatching a roomful of Yakuza gangsters, but always stops on his way home to buy food for his beloved basset hound. Batou's relationship with the dog keeps him in touch with his human side, however many mechanical parts he has. This is writer/director Oshii telling us that Batou is straining to retain his humanity, a central theme of Ghost in the Shell 2, which is based on the Shirow Masamune comic.
Set in 2032, the film is built around Oshii's insistent question: How long will it take for technology to wipe away our humanity?
Batou barely has any traces of his biological self left, and his former partner (the Major from the original Ghost in the Shell) has since melted into the world of machines, her consciousness floating through the vast communication web to occasionally offer help to her former colleague.
Batou teams with the human detective Tagusa (Koichi Yamadera), and the pair are ordered to investigate a malfunctioning "gynoid" - a female robot designed for sex - who killed her owner. The case leads them to a clever computer hacker who invades their brains and programs them into a series of diversionary alternate realities.
This part of Ghost in the Shell 2 is particularly well handled, challenging our perceptions of reality vs. computer-generated fantasy. Given that context, you can see why Oshii's first Ghost in the Shell (1995) is often cited as a major influence on The Matrix.
This isn't the beginner's course in science fiction. Along with moving at a fast pace, Oshii sprinkles divergent philosophy throughout the film, quoting sources such as Confucius, Descartes and the Bible. He leaves it to the audience to figure out what all this means.
As Batou and Tagusa move closer to the source of the trouble, the movie builds toward a powerful climax. The final sequence includes several surprises, as the determined Batou infiltrates a well-guarded mother ship, fighting both robot guards and the vessel's extensive anti-virus protections.
While non-fans might look at Ghost in the Shell 2 as a pure flight of fantasy, glance around and see how many people have cellphones pressed to their ears, Palm Pilots in their hands and iPods on their belts.
According to Oshii's viewpoint, humans are already attached to technology. Whether we'll be eclipsed by it remains to be seen.