Following on from the events of the first movie, Motoko Kusanagi (Atsuko Tanaka) is still missing. Her partner Batou (Akio Otsuka) is paired with Togusa (Koichi Yamadera) as the two investigate a series of bloody murder-suicides carried out by rogue gynoid model robots. Their investigation leads them to gangsters, a hacker, and a mysterious off-shore production facility.
“Ghost in the Shell: Innocence” sees the same production team return, with Mamoru Oshii again directing, this time from his own screenplay. The same voice cast return, this time with Otsuka and Yamadera taking a lead. Despite Atsuko Tanaka’s Kusanagi being largely absent from the film, she remains a silent protagonist with Batou concerned about her present state. Kenji Kawai returns with an exceptional score that builds on the themes of the original, this time with a more epic tone. The main difference this time around is in the animation style, with the use of CGI distinguishing this from the original. The new animation style allows for more detailed backgrounds and some truly spectacular imagery. However, it comes at the expense of realism, with many of the slick, glossy 3D computer designed elements feeling more out of place than the traditionally drawn and animated pieces. The film tries in all aspects to out-do the previous story, with incredible action sequences such as the assault on the Yakuza headquarters and the final show-down pitting our protagonists against hordes of automatons. There is also more philosophy this time around and a mind-bending sequence that again lends the film a dream-like quality, taking us further from the realism of the original.
Perhaps in reference to the antagonist of the original, ‘The Puppet Master’, this sequel continues the theme of dolls and puppets, questioning the limitations of free-will and the human propensity to want to relate to other things and people. We see Batou’s relationship with his dog through this lens of human affection towards weaker beings. The opening text asks whether love is a scientific phenomena and the film does a good job of keeping this theme at the forefront throughout. Batou’s love for Motoko, while not made explicit, is clear throughout and raises the question of exactly what that love is. Motoko is a disembodied consciousness, while Batou’s own mind and memories are mere data that can be corrupted and transferred. The gynoids quest for human consciousness is a quest to experience these same emotions. A stunningly animated sequel that pays homage to the original while expanding on the world and characters.
