t's been several years since the events in the original Ghost in the Shell transpired, and the lines that were obliquely drawn between humans and machines seem to have been obliterated during that time; even Batou (Ohtsuka), a survivor from the first film, is now more robot than human. Still serving as a detective for the government, Batou is assigned to a unique case—the murder of a human by his gynoid, a robot designed to provide "pleasure"—and paired up with partner Togusa (Tanaka), who's naturally skeptical about his companion's unconventional methods.
The two detectives soon discover that their adversaries are both more and less than human—some bloodthirsty yakuza, others skilled computer hackers who infiltrate different bodies to avoid capture—and are taken on a journey across the country, to a mysterious location where it seems that life simultaneously extinguishes and begins anew. As Batou continues to investigate the motive—if any—behind this bizarre slaying, he finds himself questioning exactly where his mechanized existence ends and his humanity begins.
As he and Togusa grow closer and closer to the truth, they discover that the essence of humanity may in fact be what's at stake, and the death of Batou's partner may hold the secrets to saving the human race from complete assimilation into the technological world.
Art convincingly imitates life
When Ghost in the Shell appeared in theaters almost a decade ago, anime was a foreign, exotic concept that few outside the world of comic books and cartoons were familiar with, and even then only in small doses; shows like Star Blazers and Robotech derived their origins from redubbed Japanese cartoons, but for the most part international audiences remained blissfully unaware. Since that time, it has become not only a major international sensation but a worldwide industry, spawning production and distribution companies around the globe who borrowed and inspired Asian source material for infinitely more imaginative and fantastic worlds.
Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away notwithstanding, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is likely the farthest point the genre will reach in terms of mainstream attention, and with good reason; it's already competed for the Palme D'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and frames its topsy-turvy story in by far the most impressive animation that the genre has ever seen. With the exception of the characters, who are about as realistic in appearance as anime figures ever get (no disproportionately sized eyes will be found here), almost every inch of GITS 2's environment is perfectly photo-realistic—even the lights in Batou's neighborhood grocery store flutter with a fluorescent hum.
The story, as in most Japanese imports, leaves a little to be desired, no doubt due to questionable translation of subtitles and general cultural differences. At the same time, the film has much more to say than its domestic counterparts and explores complex issues—namely, what it means to be human—that Disney wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. Regardless of its intricacies, however, the film is a compelling viewing experience, and deserves to be seen by even the most facile fans of the genre; take one look at the parade of inflatable animals and you'll be certain you're actually watching the real thing.
