GKIDS is bringing Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence to theaters from June 23rd to 26th in celebration of its 20th anniversary. This follows the 2021 limited theatrical run of the 4K remaster of Director Oshii's 1995 Ghost in the Shell, which was screened in IMAX theaters. However, that distribution was overseen by Bandai and Lionsgate. In partnership with Vidiots, GKIDS hosted a screening at the organization's Eagle Rock theater where fans and movie buffs alike lined up early to be one of the first to see the remaster.
The new 4K experience spectacularly upholds Oshii's directorial vision and highlights the ingenuity of the movie's animation and sound design. Despite being two decades old, the film's messages on human reliance on technology, and the human obsession with the past resonate more now than they did in 2004. As a personal anecdote, I watched Oshii's two Ghost in the Shell movies as a teenager and have found renewed appreciation for him as a filmmaker now as an adult. Before the screening, I watched my older copies on a modest TV screen and sound system, which pales in comparison to a theatrical screening with a crowd.
Addressing the elephant in the room, the uncanniness of the computer graphics and cel animation are even more jarring in 4K than they were in 1080p. However, this fits into Oshii's intentions as he stated his motivations to push animation to its limits back during the 2004 press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. Now, technological innovations have made it possible to see small details with even more clarity—such as the ability to see individual faces within a sea of background characters–which draws an even starker line between 3D and 2D animation. Of course, certain aspects don't stand the test of time, such as the limitations of 3D detailing. For example, the simple, smooth model of Togusa's car almost floats on top of the highly detailed background like oil on water.
Panoramic scenic views are lifelike and immersive, almost as if the viewer can touch the individual flaps of the tiltrotor. The parade sequence becomes a cognitive overload as the faces and moving bodies are mesmerizing to watch, almost as if the viewer is looking into someone's recollection of a memory. Individual character interactions and smooth movement are enriched further with the 4K restoration. Batou and Togusa's endless repeating journey in the maze-like Locus Solus building was an animation marvel at the time, but now, it's even more of a spectacle to see (to a dizzying degree). I even twitched at the unnerving, jerky steps that Kim takes as he speaks to Togusa.
Most notably, the movie breathes new life into Kenji Kawai's sound and music composition. During the scenes in Kim's doll house, the reverberations within the eerie score of “Doll House 1” and “Doll House 2” entrap the viewer alongside Togusa and Batou in the mansion. Since the music box tune was originally recorded in a stone quarry, the enhanced echoes in the 4K version create an intense atmosphere along with the overwhelming visuals. I left feeling trapped like a miniature doll in the movie's echoey space.
All in all, this 4K restoration is a must-see for both Ghost in the Shell fans and cinephiles. 2024 is closer only eight years away from the movie's setting of 2032, but the world of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is still an everlasting visual marvel.
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