Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is set an undisclosed amount of time after the original GitS. (GitS: Stand Alone Complex is an alternate reality to the movies according to slashdot posters.) It follows Batou who is investigating a certain string fo crimes. If you want to know the beginning of the plot, you can watch the trailer.
As for my opinion of the movie. . . The reviews are very mixed. The movie is absolutely beautiful. Hands down. It combines CGI, both fully shaded and cell shaded with traditional animation in a way that no-one has ever accomplished to date. Everything about the movie is beautiful. ANd the CG portions are softer than the hand drawn portions as the hand drawn portions cannot have a detailed fill and must have defining lines. Second, the music is wonderful but I'll get to that later.
Now for the plot. It's complex. No doubt about that. And I have a huntch that the subtitling makes it even harder to follow. And make no doubt about it, it's hard to follow. You won't figure out the path the plot took until 5 minutes after the movie ends. And thats if you payed close attention and are fairly smart. On the other hand, it wasn't a very deep plot in and of it's self, just hard to understand.
Now the interesting part of the movie is what the plot acts as a type of structure to hold. The dialog is filled with biblical and phylisophical quotes. Some I understood, some I didn't. It is also filled with technological dialog and action from the e-brain hacking (what would have been termed ghost hacking in the original movie I think), to the virtual realities at the doll house, to the defense of the final fight. I would have to see it again to be sure but it seems like much of the technical content is founded in real possibilities of the future and not just in catchy technical sounding words and phrases. And of course, there is the plot of the first movie, the difference between man and machine and where the line blurs, thickly woven into the story. But there are many other thoughts on humanity as well. I like the chance to explore those many thoughts that the movie brings up and at the least discusses briefly. The movie does suffer in that the the many thoughts and interests of it's writer dilute the overall message which was expressed so clearly in the original GitS.
Now for the music. The music is wonderful. If you are liked the mood of the first movie, or cowboy bebop music, or final fantacy music, this music is for you. I HIGHLY recommend the soundtrack to Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, and also the soundtrack to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (O.S.T. 1). I believe they are by the same composer. Bother are beautiful in the sometimes serene and sometimes action filled moods they create with a uniquely oriental touch. They are to science fiction what the Lord of the Rings sountracks are to Fantacy.
So if your willing to enter a beautiful world for a movie which can be thought provoking and complex but may be too slow and too deep for casual viewing, I highly recommend going. And then go buy the sountrack wherever you can find it.
dont feel bad Slymm, the closest place to me playing it is over 3hour drive :( What clips and previews i have saw are stunning, the way they mixed the animation styles gives it a depth unseen in allot of animated movies. Hope it gets in something closer or i may have to make a road trip.
a road trip is reason enough to go on a road trip. if there's a kick ass movie at the end of it, even better.
closest place to me playing it would be... umm..lets see its about 5-6 hrs straight south to the border.. and i have no idea what city would be playng it around there, so lets guesstimate 7-8 hr drive.
I want to see it too :(
Nobody is showing it here either. Guess I'll have to wait for the DVD.
They say they dont want people downloading it and then they release it at 2 theaters so that the rest of the nation HAS to download it if they want to see it when everone else does.
Personally I think a downloaded rip would ruin the movie. Animation is more about detail then live action movies are if you ask me.
By the way, the musician responsible for the film's soundtrack is Kenji Kawai, while Stand Alone Complex's music was composed by the brilliant Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus).
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Vindicor
Proud member of the Leet Gizmo Strike Force
Ah...thanks for the tip, Ped. Although I still might just wait till it comes out on DVD. I tend to like the comfort of stadium, adjustable theater seats, or the fluffiness of the pillows on my bed when watching a movie.
Just release the DVD! I want to see it! 
