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GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE(2004) Director: Mamoru Oshii. Voice Hacktors: Akio Otsuka, Atsukko Tanaka, Tamio Oki. Rating/5: The lowdown: After the Western exposure explosion that Akira created, Ghost In The Shell was one of the few anime that could be called a global sensation. As a young anime fan I was amazed to be able to see Ghost at a local art house cinema: it was the first time I had seen Japanese animation on the big screen.     The film's worldwide success led to a popular TV series, a huge fanbase and now this sequel, nine years after the original. The story follows Batou, the cyborg cop from the first film, as he investigates a series of murders committed by gynoids, which are female sex dolls. As the mystery deepens as to why these robots have killed despite their programming, Batou faces up to his own lack of humanity in a dangerous and ever-changing world. Good points: The animation is superb. The mix between traditional animation and CGI has seldom been better than this: it creates a truly wondrous visual picture that will stay with you a long time. Returning director Oshii knows how to create atmosphere too: scenes drip with detail and complement the script perfectly to create mood throughout. Batou's character is well-developed and likeable, holding onto his diminishing humanity by virtue of his feelings for his missing partner, The Major, and keeping a rare dog.     While the film moves at a slower pace than some anime, with a thoughtful and literary script that favours ideas over action, it is an interesting storyline which pays off with a satisfying conclusion. When it does kick off into an action setpiece it really delivers on the adrenaline front, serving up the high octane excitement that anime does so well. Bad points: While I personally preferred this to the original, the deliberate change of direction that it takes from the first film may alienate some fans. This also means that people with no experience of the original can watch this without fear of missing out, but the script is overly literary and more than a little confusing. This is at times just too philosophical, with endless quotations from Dante and Confucius to name a few that become a little farcical after a while. The slower pace and lack of action scenes might put off some anime fans who would prefer more gunfights and less talking about man's obsession with itself and technology. Overall: Watching this on a video review copy only whetted my appetite for how fantastic this will look on the big screen. The street festival scene alone is an absolute high point in CGI animation and well worth the admission fee. Any self respecting anime fan should want to see this film at the cinema as visually it is amazing. The storyline, while clever, is at times at risk of collapsing under its own sense of intellectualism. For those who relish repeated intellectual debate this will be a true classic, yet it should not spoil what is overall a great film for everybody else. If they ever make Ghost in the Shell 3, I propose they make it about Batou's dog, who steals every scene he is in and is based on the directors own Basset Hound, Gabriel, who makes an appearance in every film by the director. Release Date: Out in UK cinemas on October 28, 2005. Reviewer: Jon Kelly. [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present