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In 1995,Ghost in the Shellhit like a precision missile from a Jigabachi AV anti-tank helicopter.
As a key reference point forThe Matrixalone,it shaped a huge swath of contemporary cinema.
But those qualities are also what make it so interesting.
The truth is thatInnocencestands shoulder to shoulder withGhost in the Shell.
Even the color palettes differ.
The first film favors cool tones: blues, greens, whites, and purples.
you’ve got the option to always tell from a glance whichGhost in the Shellis which.
Rather than repeat the plot beats of the original,Innocencefollows through on the philosophical implications of its conclusion.
The film explores what happens in a world where the self is no longer harnessed to the body.
The mystery isnt really a whodunnit.
Its more ontological:Whatis happening to the gynoids?
Like the movie as a whole, its less tangible, more metaphorical.
Gratifyingly, it tends to eschew overt exposition, unafraid of flat-out disorienting the viewer at times.
To some, choices like this can easily feel pretentious.
One of the films more derided elements isthe density of classical quotations and allusionsthe characters drop in casual dialogue.
But they perfectly suit the dialectical nature of the investigation.
Granted, this is still 2004 CGI; it doesnt have all the elegance and soul of hand-drawn animation.
But that still plays fully intoInnocences atmosphere and setting.
These are people navigating a world made increasingly unfamiliar by encroaching technology and the diffusion of their personal identities.
Visually estranging them from their surroundings only drives the point home.
The 4K restoration renders this beautifully, scrubbing away the muddiness common in early-aughts CGI.
Ininterviews, Oshii has compared the films themes to the nature of animation itself.
Someone else is pulling their strings.
