Movie Review - Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Solid State Society

2006

Production I G

Bandai Entertainment / Manga Entertainment

8.25 / 10

I don't know if this was intended to be the third season / Gig in the Stand Alone Complex series.  I say this as it could very well have been stretched out into the twenty-six episodes the series runs.  However, the one and three-quarter hour film manages to get the point across admirably, while still getting the audience to think of what may be ahead for the human population.

Togusa is now in charge of Section 9 after Major Kusanagi retired two years previous.  While on a mission, he and his team stumble upon a lead to an Ultra-Wizard Class Hacker the "Puppet Master".  This, in turn, leads them to other conundrums and secrets, including the children that are going missing in the city which nobody knows about.  Not only do Section 9 have to investigate and solve these mysteries but they also have to resolve issues within the team, due to the major's retirement.

Even with the complexities of the story and all the twists and turns within it, the screenwriters Shotaro Suga, Yoshiki Sakurai, and Kenji Kamiyama (who also directed) do a great job to tie it all together in a comprehensible and intelligent way.

For me, this is the best of the three storylines in the Stand Alone Complex series as it holds some viewpoints that are relative today.  We already have puppet masters in today's society and our elderly population is living longer, it's not too far of a stretch to imagine the film's visions becoming future truth, should we start to wonder down the techno-path.  People are already talking about populace explosion...  These are issues to fire up the brain cells.

The animation is on par with the series, which is to say, of a high caliber, though still not up to the beauty of the 1995 original, and this can be said for the direction and soundtrack also.

You do not need to watch the Stand Alone Complex series to enjoy this film as it is a stand alone in its own right.  I would recommend that you at least watch the original Ghost In The Shell before checking this out, though it's not necessary.  You do need to set time aside to watch the movie, any interruptions may affect your overall enjoyment and understanding of the story.  It's also a film NOT to watch with people who don't get the concepts of Cyber Punk Science Fiction...

Movie Review - Ghost In The Shell - The New Movie

Ghost In The Shell - The New Movie

(2015)

FUNimation Entertainment / I G Production : FUNimation Entertainment

8.25 / 10

Though this sequel prequel is better than the first sequel, Ghost In The Shell - Innocence, it still doesn't match up to the original, Ghost In The Shell.

What the screenwriters John Burgmeier, Clint Bickham, and Tow Ubukata, give the audience is the story of Major Motoko Kusanagi and her perfect machine of paid mercenaries.  I like the idea that she sees her team as a well-oiled machine, each person represents a working part of the machine and every part (man) is required to make her perfect machine.  Since she is a cyborg, I could quite easily see her making this simile.  It's the story of how they were recruited into Section 9.

The story is stronger than the last as the Disney influence is no longer there and the philosophical issues are once again interwoven throughout the story, which helps to give it strength and carry the viewer along.  However, there are not as many twists in the tale.

Also, the CGI is used to much better ability, as it's mixed in with the traditional animation style to help build better effects and ambience.  I particularly liked the scene near the beginning where a child is running through a flowery archway...  The flowers are so bright and vivid it's very dreamlike.

There is so much right with this animation that I cannot pick any faults, except it's just not as hard-hitting as the original... or as stylised.

If you've watched the original then I'd say forget watching Innocence and opt to watch this one instead.  It's soo much better and has a similar taste, tone, and mood to the first.  These two together what a treat, not just for the eyes but for the mind also.

Movie Review - Ghost In The Shell: Innocence

Ghost In The Shell: Innocence

(2004)

Bandai Visual Company / Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Dentsu Music And Entertainment / ITNDDTD / Kodansha / Production I G / Studio Ghibli : Bandai Entertainment / DreamWorks Home Entertainment

7 / 10

This sequel doesn't come anywhere near the original in either story, atmosphere, artwork, or provocativeness.  From the onset, the viewer is slammed with a philosophical quandary, this is given by the cyber-coroner and feels so out of context that it appears forced.  Whereas, in the original, it was subtly woven throughout the film and its context. You just don't get that here.

I don't know if this is Disney's influence at work...  The first film was a little convoluted, though, with a little brain power you could figure it out.  For "Innocence" they give it to the audience in black and white.

Then you have the appearance of digital artwork, fused and mixed with the more original.  For most of the time, this works, though it does have less effect on building atmosphere as does the setting and direction of the scene.  The worst scenes containing digital art are the cars driving down the street.  The street backgrounds are dark with a mat lustre, howbeit, the cars are ultra shiny bright metallic.  The reflections flowing over the surface of the car doesn't tally with their surroundings.  This draws the viewer out of the story to register the imperfection of the scene, this hurts the movie as you want your viewer to feel as though they are apart of the story and not a third party just watching.

The story was a nice follow-up, even though I don't think is was told all that well.  Something is happening to the sex-bots!  For some reason, they are malfunctioning and killing their owners and whoever's in the vicinity before committing suicide.  Section Nine is called in as this could be an act of terrorism since robots cannot kill humans or themselves.

Under better hands, this could have been as great as the original film had they decided to entwine the philosophy, the mystery and thriller elements, and mood and ambience into the story and artwork instead of segregating them and lessening the power of the piece.

Worth watching if you've seen the original but be warned it's not as good.

Movie Review - Ghost In The Shell

Ghost In The Shell

(1995)

Kodansha / Bandai Visual Company / Manga Entertainment : Metrodome Distribution / Anchor Bay Entertainment

10 / 10

I had quite forgotten how wonderful, inciteful, imaginative, and beautiful this film is.  Since Hollywood is making their own version of this film I thought I would revisit the original itself.

America will ruin this movie.

What writer, Masamune Shirow (Manga Author), and screenwriter, Kazunori Ito, give the audience in Ghost In The Shell is a deep and thought-provoking story of a world on the edge of great change.  It's the year 2029 and most of the population have been augmented with machinery and computerisation.  People are able to send thoughts through the wires and electronic ether to each other as well as verbally.  Cyborgs are used to help to police the civilisations.

Major Motoko Kusanagi is one of these cyborgs.  She works for Section Nine who are on the trail of The Puppet Master; a hacker who can infiltrate his way into a person's shell and use their ghost to assassinate officials.  Though, The Puppet Master is not what he seems.

As the story progresses and the truth is revealed we asked a question...  What actually represents life?  This looks to be a simple question, however, in the context of the story it expands to absorbing and provocative magnitudes.

This is a story with heart and thought.

What makes this movie and story even more substantial is the animation.  Within this film are some great shots and scenes.  I love the way that even the backgrounds are so detailed and add to the feel and atmosphere of the film itself.

This is a visually stunning piece of work that should be viewed for that fact alone.  In addition, the musical soundtrack of Kenji Kawai is superb as it matches the artwork and feel of the film.  In one montage, Kawai's music and the accompanying images emote a feeling of sadness, despair, and hope in the viewer.

If you haven't seen this movie yet then do yourself a favour and find yourself a copy to watch.  Now in my top ten movies,