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. The
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first 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.
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Jun 7, 2013
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. The ... |
