I caught a screening of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence at the theater last night. It’s not often that I get a chance to go out to a movie on my own, so this was a great excuse!
I am a fan of the original film and both seasons of the TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, but up until a few weeks ago, I somehow never knew this movie existed. Fun fact: Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was the first anime feature film to be nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes International Film Festival. Not too shabby!
I really enjoyed seeing this movie on the big screen, and I’d say it’s a worthy follow-up to the original film, full of spectacular sci-fi visuals and timely existential conversation on the human soul, death, God, consciousness, and artificial intelligence.
“We weep for a bird’s cry, but not for a fish’s blood. Blessed are those with a voice. If the dolls also had voices, they would have screamed, “I didn’t want to become human.”
Be warned, this movie is packed with philosophy. The characters break out into quote wars in almost every scene. I could see that you were rubbing some people the wrong way, especially if you didn’t know to expect it. I read about that, knew it was going on, and found it all pretty interesting. You do have to pay attention, though. Let your mind wander, and you might start to wonder what’s going on.
The story itself is a simple, dark, slow-burn film noir mystery that feels at times like being in the original Blade Runner. I very much liked Batou as the main character and getting to know him more. It turns out he’s really very charming and lives a bit of a cozy lifestyle, all things considered in this grim future.
At the end of the day, it was good to be back in the world of the major, if even for a short while. I might even have to go and rewatch the Stand Alone Complex now. It’s been way too long.
Cinematic Point Of View 
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