Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society
Get a bucket, because they’re milking it!
Review by: M.H. “Shouldn’t work sick” Torringjan
Length: 108 minutes
Genre: Action, Sci-fi
Watched: Entire film, subtitled
I open this review with a disclaimer. I’m writing this review sick, and so I can’t guarantee the quality of the humor, or that I won’t randomly start writing about the microeconomic ramifications of a shortage of Pocky. Which are pretty staggering, if I do say so myself.
So, that being said, is everybody ready for another round from the black-suited badasses of Public Security Section 9? Apparently, the people over at Production I.G. think so, and as such, they are willing to oblige. Apparently, they weren’t quite feeling up to releasing another 26-episode series, like everyone and their brother would like, or even another movie like Innocence, which about half as many people would like, so they decided to go for the equivalent of a made-for-TV movie with theatrical quality (go figure). While at first, I was slightly disappointed at the decision, I got over it and decided to pick it up to see if it lived up to its namesake. Thankfully, I was not disappointed.
Plot summary: Over two years following the Individualist Eleven incident, Section Nine is still investigating cases with high-tech international terrorists using ridiculous amounts of firepower and a penchant for unreasonable force. Unfortunately for those of us who like hotpants and low-cut outfits, the major Motoko Kusanagi has left the force to follow her own interests. The most recent case for Section 9 has a connecting thread of suspects committing suicide while uttering the name of “The Puppetmaster.” While investigating one of these suspects, Batou happens across the Major, who is carrying an unmarked briefcase. She warns him to beware of the “Solid State Society” and disappears. Batou and Section 9 are left to investigate the meaning of the Puppetmaster and the Solid State Society, while trying not to fall victim to the suicide bug.
Artwork: While this movie is billed as being theatrical quality and boasts a budget in the 3.2 million dollar range, the production value appears closer to the series than the visually beautiful Innocence. While this means that the visual quality is still fantastic, weaving computer graphics and cel animation almost flawlessly, I feel like they may have gotten gypped by the price tag. As such, if anyone happens across art director, Yusuke Takeda in the Bahamas, sipping margaritas on the beach, you might ask him where the hell all that money went to. Then again, I’m no animator, so I could be wrong.
Music: It’s another Stand Alone Complex extension, so you know what that means! More fawning over Yoko Kanno! However, this movie is about a sixth the size of what she usually churns out tunes for, and as such, her production has decreased in quantity. As far as I can tell, there are four new songs and the rest is recycled from the series, and I’m okay with that because of the consistent quality of her music. The style is about the same, she even used the same bands from the series, which makes it feel like an extension of the series’ soundtrack (Origa and Ilaria Graziano, whom I am convinced is the next big name in opera and pop music, a combination you don’t see very often). In all, considering the length of what she had to work with, it’s another impressive effort.
Characters: If you’ve watched the series in any of its forms, you’re familiar with the characters. Batou is still a head-beating, hard-attitude, bad-cop-from-good-cop-bad-cop. Togusa has continued his maturation from the course of the series from a greenwood in the first Stand Alone Complex (or the first movie, if you prefer) and has now become a seasoned officer and the leader of his squad. In addition, he’s still a family-man second and an officer first, which creates some tension in this iteration. His character benefits the most from the absence of the major, as he picks up the screentime, much as he did in Innocence. The Major is still the badass she’s always been, just as secretive as she’s always been, possibly even more so, since she plays such a limited role in the film. The Chief Aramaki is still the confident leader with connections, and he gets just as little time in the movie as he has in the previous movies. Really, little change has been made here, and if you’ve watched the previous series, you know these guys.
Plot: You might think that a full 26 episodes was required to develop a decent plot in the world of Stand Alone Complex, but you might also remember that most of the first series was “Stand Alone,” as were the original movies. Remembering that should comfort you enough to help your enjoyment of this movie. The quality of the writing has improved greatly since the first series, with its web of political intrigue so complex that recap episodes actually would have been nice, and the improvement continues here with a story the perfect length and complexity for the medium and the audience. The story focuses much less on philosophical musings, as in the other movies, which could add to the interest for those of you who don’t like having your mind raped by the man-machine debate. In all, this is a formidable addition to the series, plot-wise. In addition, the action scenes are high-quality and exciting. The only downside is the occasional corny line, but it’s forgivable, considering the overall quality of the rest of the movie.
CHICKS!! This section will be woefully short for a Ghost in the Shell series, as the main target of chickiness has disappeared for the vast majority of the film. Unfortunately, the Major is conspicuously absent from this movie, only showing up at random intervals. However, when she does show, her hotness once again knows no bounds! The low-cut, form-fitting outfit is back once again to show off her luscious legs, her ridiculously attractive breasts, her chiseled figure, and the ass that deserves a spot in a wax museum. Value her appearances, though, since they’re few and far between.
Overall: Though some might be nervous about a Stand Alone Complex that’s so short, I’d recommend checking this movie out. It only takes an hour and forty minutes to watch, making it the perfect length. If you’ve enjoyed the previous series, check this out without delay. You’ll appreciate it afterwards.
In a Nutshell:
+ Fantastic artwork
+ More great music
+ Plot the perfect length
+ Intelligent, but not confusing
- Very little Major
- Occasional bad writing
Final score: 9.5/10
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