Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Mamoru Oshii waited nearly a decade before undertaking a sequel to his 1995 cult anime classic Ghost in the Shell, but the new film feels considerably behind the curve: yes, it's as beautifully rendered as the original, but the visual style no longer seems as revolutionary, and it's wedded to a narrative that's somewhat less than compelling. The central figure of the first film--Major Motoko Kusanagi--is gone, and the focus is shifted to her former partner Batou, a cyborg intelligence operative assigned to a case involving a gynoid--an automaton of sorts designed to give sexual pleasure--which has gone berserk and murdered its user. The investigation takes Batou to the production facility of a corporation called Locus Solus, where a nefarious plot involving more defective gynoids, as well as a kidnapped child, is afoot. As far as plot goes, Innocence is pretty much impenetrable, but what makes it especially exhausting is dialogue that combines a mountain of technical jargon together with longwinded philosophical excursus about what it means to be human. Unhappily, the characters aren't sufficiently attractive to engage us emotionally in the existential questions the tale poses, resulting in a follow-up that is unlikely to attract the reverential following of its predecessor. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include subtitled filmmaker audio commentary by screenwriter/director Mamoru Oshii and animation director Toshihiko Nishikubo, a 16-minute subtitled “making-of” featurette, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing sequel.] (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Mar. 7, 2017—Funimation, 100 min., PG-13, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $34.98—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence sports a handsome transfer and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio. Extras are identical to the previous release and include an audio commentary by screenwriter/director Mamoru Oshii and animation director Toshihiko Nishikubo, a “making-of” featurette (16 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine edition of a disappointing sequel.]