Deep thoughts and stunning action mix into one, as Japanese anime film Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, the sequel to the 1995 cult hit Ghost in the Shell, comes to Memphis.
"Overall I thought the film was pretty good," said senior Robert Morrison, international business major and member of The University of Memphis Japanese Anime Club.
"Visually, the art and animation are superb, there's nothing to match it right now. The whole movie is gorgeous. It's worth going if just to see how much artwork has improved over the years. The first Ghost in the Shell set the standard for its time and now this one sets the standard today."
Morrison said the film's philosophical questioning stretched some parts of the movie too thin.
"The film is really philosophical," he said.
"The characters often quote deep questions or words of wisdom; it's not just the main characters either, pretty much all of them do it.
Some parts of the movie I was trying not to doze off. The first one there's a lot of action and this one there's a lot of dialogue mixed in with the action. It weights pretty heavy on the mind," Morrison said.
Directed by Mamoru Oshii, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence became the highest grossing anime film in U.S. history when it opened in New York and Los Angeles on Sept. 17. It was also the first anime film to compete for the Cannes International Film Festival's Palme d'Or.
Set in the year 2032, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence deals with a time when humans and robots live with each other and within each other. Virtually all humans have some form of machinery in their bodies and there are a few who have become cyborgs, human spirits inhabiting entirely mechanized bodies.
The main character, Batou, is a cyborg who works as a detective and investigates the case of a gynoid, a female robot created strictly for sexual gratification, which goes hay wire and slaughters its owner. Throughout the film Batou questions his own humanity and what it means to be human, as the distinction between humans and robots has been skewed almost beyond recognition.
In the meantime, he and his partner manage to take on Yakuza thugs, tricky hackers and corporate criminals mixing action and philosophy in one intense flick reminiscent of such sci-fi films like Bladerunner.
"The movie does not hold the view that the world revolves around the human race," said Oshii.
"Instead, it concludes that all forms of life-humans, animals and robots -- are equal. In this day and age when everything is uncertain, we should all think about what to value in life and how to coexist with others," Morrison said.
"I'll admit some of that dialogue did go over my head," Morrison said.
"It touches a lot of what the first one was about with the ideas of what being human really is. I think if I really wanted to fully understand the theme I'd have to go see the movie again," Morrison said.Sophomore Ben Simpson, political science major, said he enjoyed the film.
"The visual effects were great," he said.
"I especially like how the characters were drawn in 2D animation while the background was done in 3D computer animation. If you're interested in sorting out some of those deeper questions about life, this dives deep into that and might leave you with some of life's answers or even more questions," Simpson said.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is currently being shown at Studio on the Square.
