Ghost In The Shell: Individual 11

Cyborg police must stop impending nuclear disaster in this new 'remix' release in the Ghost In The Shell Stand-Alone Complex 2nd Gig series. Set in post-World War 4, this time Major Kusanagi and her special unit go up against a group called Individual 11.

The secret organization tries to incite violence in a camp of Chinese refugees on Dejima, a small island off the coast of Japan. Why the violence is being organized and who’s behind it is complicated by the emergence of a revolutionary figure among the refugees, a white figure named Kuze who unites them. The team spends much of the movie one step behind him, following as he procures weapons and plutonium and demands that Dejima be made an independent state.

This anime is beautiful to watch. Continuing the trend of realism in graphics, it takes advantage of the medium to create special effects far too expensive to shoot in real life, such as the evacuation of a major city, and also a full-scale war. It also allows for the philosophizing this series is known for to blend seamlessly with the violence of war. Unfortunately, this installment of the series gets the balance wrong - long philosophical tracts are delivered via conversations on a rooftop or in a bunker, while the action is short-lived. Also, instead of philosophizing on how a cyborg deals with feeling like an outsider from humanity, most of the deep thinking is devoted to the horrors of war in general and post-traumatic stress disorder. Considering how groundbreaking the first movie was - about whether or not it was possible to still be human (or have a soul, or “ghost”) if the entire body was machine - Individual 11 simply doesn't live up to its roots. It’s still a pretty movie with a beautiful soundtrack, though, and well worth a watch.

Extras: 2nd GIG Archives; Tachikomatic Days; Trailers; English and Japanese 2.0 and 5.1 audio options; optional English subtitles; scene selection.

Released on 28th April 2008 by Manga Entertainment.

Written by W. L. Clark.