Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Blu-ray Review

[Michael.Schinke]

Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence
Michael Schinke

In the world of the future, man and machine have become inextricably linked. The cyberization of the human race is so vast that the very essence of what makes humans human has been called into question. Where do the limits of human domain end and the realm of the machine begin? And if machines can be given all the trappings that make us appear alive, then what good does it do to be human? The philosophical questions that formed the basis for the 1995 smash hit Ghost in the Shell are continued in its equally impressive 2004 sequel. In a place where man can become machine, what’s to stop a machine from becoming a man?

Years after the disappearance of Major Kusanagi at the climax of “GITS”, her stalwart partner Batou is carrying on business with his new, mostly human partner Togusa. A series of grisly murders committed by lifeless Gynoids, androids that do not possess a “ghost”, or soul, and their subsequent “suicides” have earned the attention of Section 9, the governments bureau for handling cyber crimes. Batou and Togusa are thrust into an investigation to understand why this particular model from a hot new manufacturer is murdering its owners comes as Batou begins to suffer some kind of emotional breakdown similar to that which led to the disappearance of the Major. What is the mystery behind these strange murders? Who is pulling the strings? Is it some conspiracy, or is it possible that these dolls have developed a soul and are no longer willing to be slaves to humans?

GITS was a breakthrough in animation when it debuted over 10 years ago, bringing a hipness to the question of existence much the same way The Matrix would at the end of the millennium. Sophisticated storytelling and state of the art animation combined for an animated theatrical experience most western audiences had never encountered, bringing Japanese animation that much closer to true acceptance in the US. The sequel, while not doing the same business as its predecessor, raises the bar in terms of its artistic and technical prowess, as well as the density of its philosophy. The plot of this film isn’t quite as complex as the previous entry, but the level of its philosophy is much higher. Characters in this film are given to long bouts of quoting from the likes of Milton as to the existence of the divide between man and machine and it’s all a bit heavy handed. Action beats are few and far between, so the film seems to drag in many places, especially the laboring second act. Arguably, the absence of the first films most interesting character, the deadly fembot Major Motoko Kusanagi, is a hindrance to the sequels overall success, but the dynamic between the mostly-machine Batou and the mostly human Togusa serves to fulfill the same push-pull function that existed in the character of the Major. While it exceeds its older sibling in all technical categories, and serves as a powerful think piece for those willing to follow, Ghost in the Sell 2 doesn’t pack the entertainment value of the earlier entry.

P.Q. 4.5
While employing a great amount of computer aided art and animation for this film, certainly more than most animated features still employing hand drawn animation, the film makers decided to tightly control the look of the movie from a filmic point of view. This 1080P MPEG 4 encoded transfer from Bandai U.S. perfectly captures the 1:85 digital video master of the film in all its intended glory. Coming direct from a digital source the image is as much like the original as the compression will allow. There are no traces of any compression artifacts present. Macroblocking is non-existent, contrast is rock solid and there is no mosquito noise. There are slight amounts of color banding present, as there are in most 2D animated pieces that employ computer assistance, but this is part of the original image and no fault of the transfer. Prepared to be confused, however, as the artists employ a varying amount of artificial film grain to the image as part of creating the films atmosphere. Instead of allowing the digital art to exist in its razor clean form, the grain adds a bit of grittiness that serves to deepen the sense of physicality. Unfortunately, it also serves to somewhat diminish the sharpness of the hand drawn line work. The grain has a tendency to defeat the contrast and color saturation of the image, giving things a slightly hazy look. There are times, especially during scenes employing a great amount of CGI, that the image will leap off the screen, giving viewers that coveted three dimensional sense that so many crave in their HD presentations. However you feel about the variable nature of the films look, the Blu-ray perfectly replicates the film maker’s intent. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is a gorgeous looking piece of animation that stands up with the best of the form.

A.Q. 3.5
There are three audio options available on this disc; two English dubbed versions (one from the Manga UK release of the film, and a new one from Bandai U.S.) in Dolby 5.1 and the original Japanese track presented in Dolby 5.1 EX. The lack of a lossless audio option hurts this release as the two English language tracks are largely redundant. Since the Manga UK track is the furthest from the original script in it’s adaptation, as well as being of the lowest quality of the three tracks, I feel they should have excluded this from the disc to make room for a full blown lossless or PCM Japanese track. As it stands the Bandai English track is good, and the Japanese Dolby EX track is better, yet neither of them is really the experience we look for in our Blu-rays. LFE activity is not pronounced, and surround usage is not as great as you would think for an animated film. There are scenes, particularly during the explosive third act, where both come alive and impress. When active, the surround field is clean and enveloping, delivering a real 360 degree area where you fell absolutely lost in the world it’s created. There is some impressive low end during the climactic battle, but nothing Earth-shattering. Dialogue in both the Bandai English dub and the Japanese tracks are clear and well centered in the sound field. Music and effects properly occupy the front speakers and surrounds. The Manga UK track is both soft and in-dynamic. The poor execution of this track really brings into questions both is presence on this disc as well as the lack of a lossless option. The tracks lack the transparency and overall crispness you get from a good lossless track, and that’s too bad. While I don’t think this film would ever have been reference quality, I do feel there was a lost opportunity here.

EXTRAS
There is a commentary track with director Mamoru Oshii and his top animation supervisor presented in it’s original Japanese language with English subtitles. If you’re going to listen to this track it would behoove you to employ one of the English language versions of the film to run behind it, just so you don’t get lost. There’s also a real puffy “making of” piece and some trailers, but this disc just doesn’t pack the extras. It would be nice to hear some commentary with some of the English voice cast or perhaps a reaction commentary from some critics or scholars to get a feel for the films place in the overall landscape of animated film making. Alas, I don’t think that will ever happen here.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The original Ghost in the Shell brought sophisticated animated film making to Western audiences in a form most had never experienced. In attempting to top that film, the makers of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence may have crossed the line that separates high concept art from entertaining film making. While it’s an absolutely stunning piece of animation, I just don’t think that most audiences will be willing to switch their brains into high gear and really try to understand the concepts being bandied about here. The sad aspect of that is that the film will take multiple viewings to truly absorb its messages and philosophies. Whether or not this makes for an evenings entertainment is up to all of you. I can say that, even with the lack of a lossless audio option, the presentation of this film is very strong and will certainly impress most.

Then again, what do I know? There’s no way to know if my memories of watching this film are truly mine, or if they are just copies of someone elses. Like this film, the sum of human experience, intellect and imagination is being off loaded and stored externally for easy access. When so much of what makes us human is being given alternate form, and with computer technology gaining ground on the human brain, at what point does being human still matter? Are we inventing ourselves out of existence, or is our rapid technological expansion forcing us to evolve in ways that incorporate machines in order to secure our continuing place in the universe? This movie won’t answer those questions, but it will give you that, and much, more to turn over in your head when your world is quiet.