For whatever reason, I found myself watching several old anime classic films in the last few weeks. Like many, I went through an anime phase in my younger days, but I haven't watched much of it in the last fifteen or so years. But forces converged recently, leading me to watch a few of the titans of the genre from two to three decades ago:
The Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Director: Mamoru Oshii
A brilliant anime classic that not only still holds up, but can now be seen as amazingly prescient with its science-fiction elements.
I only saw this movie once, over two decades ago when it was still quite new. However, I was in a rather altered mental state at the time (use your imagination); this led me to be blown away at the movie while simultaneously rendering me incapable of remembering a single thing about it beyond a few indelible visuals. With the critically panned live-action movie's release a few months ago, my desire to finally rewatch the original was stoked. It was worth it.
The movie focuses on Major Motoko Kasunago, who is a mostly cybernetic organism that works for the government as a living weapon imbued with technologically enhanced strength, speed, and abilities to communicate through Internet channels. Suddenly, a rather strange case opens up - a hacker known only as "the Puppet Master" emerges and shows the ability to hack into and take over not only electronic systems but also certain other cybernetically-enhanced humans. After shaking down a few leads, the Major and her partners Batou and Togusa are sent to where their department heads have tracked down the Puppet Master, which they have discovered is actually an Artificial Intelligence program, known as Project 2501. This rogue A.I. has escaped from a security company and is now requesting asylum as a sentient, living being. The Major and 2501 eventually come together, after an intense shootout, and 2501 convinces the Major to bond with him so that they can become greater than the sum of their parts and free themselves from being "non-entities," in the eyes of those who created them.
As that summary indicates, there's more going on in this movie than just a cool sci-fi shoot-'em-up. This movie still actually holds up quite well as a work of speculative fiction, even these 22 years after its release as a film. Artificial intelligence has only become a more relevant topic, and this movie melds some of the futurist concepts of genre titans William Gibson and Philip K. Dick, along with more recent themes seen in HBO's brilliant Westworld and others of its ilk. Sure, Ghost in the Shell has some pretty awesome visuals and action sequences (it is anime, after all), but there is much more going on than the rousing visual dynamics. It honestly requires close attention if one wants to get as much as possible out of it, but the effort is worth it. It also doesn't hurt that the music score contains a haunting blend of electronics and traditional Japanese sounds.
I didn't bother with the recent live-action remake of the movie, based on trailers that didn't attract me and the lackluster reviews, and I probably won't ever bother. Not when the original still has plenty of the juice that made it an instant classic back in '95. Highly recommended for anyone who has enjoyed more sophisticated anime or science-fiction.
The Castle in the Sky (1986)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
One of legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki's (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) earlier feature films, this one bears all of his hallmarks, which are mostly good.
The movie tells the tale of Sheeta, a young girl in possession of a small crystal coveted by a band of pirates and a mysterious group of government agents. Sheeta escapes the agents and is rescued by a village where she is discovered by Pazu, a young boy skilled in mechanics. The two flee Pazu's village and go in search of a legendary city in the sky, which has some connection to Sheeta's crystal.
The movie's strengths lie in its most fantastic elements - the dazzling, proto-steam-punk world, the various flying machines, and the cliff-hanger pursuits and escapes. Taking in the details to Pazu's home town, with its criss-crossing railroad tracks and houses built up in tiers along the sides of mountains is just as stunning as some of the beautifully crafted, large-scale scenes from the Lord of the Rings films or similarly grand movies. And the titular castle in the sky, the flying city of Laputa, is equally wondrous. Such simply invite one to wish that they could live in those places, if even for a short while.
The story also includes elements familiar to one who has seen several Miyazaki movies: wonder, thrills, and a solid dash of sadness. The story of Sheeta and Laputa is mysterious and compelling enough, and when she, Pazu, and her pursuers all arrive, it is a sight to behold. However, it is one where tragedy has unfolded, leaving it eerily quiet. I can appreciate how Miyazaki's films often take this route, as it separates it from the overly saccharine fare that one typically finds in animated family films.
I will say that the movie felt overly long. Clocking in at over two hours, there are several passages that seemed to drag, and they sometimes were made to feel longer by the silly gags and jokes that are meant more for children under the age of 12. Honestly, though, I expect that children will still appreciate this epic story, though they would likely be around age 10; I can't imagine a 6- or seven-year-old sitting through this entire movie, and the only viewers over the age of 12 who would stick with it would be those who simply enjoy animation or animein particular.
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The Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Director: Mamoru Oshii
A brilliant anime classic that not only still holds up, but can now be seen as amazingly prescient with its science-fiction elements.
I only saw this movie once, over two decades ago when it was still quite new. However, I was in a rather altered mental state at the time (use your imagination); this led me to be blown away at the movie while simultaneously rendering me incapable of remembering a single thing about it beyond a few indelible visuals. With the critically panned live-action movie's release a few months ago, my desire to finally rewatch the original was stoked. It was worth it.
The movie focuses on Major Motoko Kasunago, who is a mostly cybernetic organism that works for the government as a living weapon imbued with technologically enhanced strength, speed, and abilities to communicate through Internet channels. Suddenly, a rather strange case opens up - a hacker known only as "the Puppet Master" emerges and shows the ability to hack into and take over not only electronic systems but also certain other cybernetically-enhanced humans. After shaking down a few leads, the Major and her partners Batou and Togusa are sent to where their department heads have tracked down the Puppet Master, which they have discovered is actually an Artificial Intelligence program, known as Project 2501. This rogue A.I. has escaped from a security company and is now requesting asylum as a sentient, living being. The Major and 2501 eventually come together, after an intense shootout, and 2501 convinces the Major to bond with him so that they can become greater than the sum of their parts and free themselves from being "non-entities," in the eyes of those who created them.
As that summary indicates, there's more going on in this movie than just a cool sci-fi shoot-'em-up. This movie still actually holds up quite well as a work of speculative fiction, even these 22 years after its release as a film. Artificial intelligence has only become a more relevant topic, and this movie melds some of the futurist concepts of genre titans William Gibson and Philip K. Dick, along with more recent themes seen in HBO's brilliant Westworld and others of its ilk. Sure, Ghost in the Shell has some pretty awesome visuals and action sequences (it is anime, after all), but there is much more going on than the rousing visual dynamics. It honestly requires close attention if one wants to get as much as possible out of it, but the effort is worth it. It also doesn't hurt that the music score contains a haunting blend of electronics and traditional Japanese sounds.
I didn't bother with the recent live-action remake of the movie, based on trailers that didn't attract me and the lackluster reviews, and I probably won't ever bother. Not when the original still has plenty of the juice that made it an instant classic back in '95. Highly recommended for anyone who has enjoyed more sophisticated anime or science-fiction.
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| Flying cities. Massive sky craft. Cunning air pirates. Giant, eco-friendly robots. This one has plenty of elements to satisfy one's appetite for the fantastic. |
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
One of legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki's (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) earlier feature films, this one bears all of his hallmarks, which are mostly good.
The movie tells the tale of Sheeta, a young girl in possession of a small crystal coveted by a band of pirates and a mysterious group of government agents. Sheeta escapes the agents and is rescued by a village where she is discovered by Pazu, a young boy skilled in mechanics. The two flee Pazu's village and go in search of a legendary city in the sky, which has some connection to Sheeta's crystal.
The movie's strengths lie in its most fantastic elements - the dazzling, proto-steam-punk world, the various flying machines, and the cliff-hanger pursuits and escapes. Taking in the details to Pazu's home town, with its criss-crossing railroad tracks and houses built up in tiers along the sides of mountains is just as stunning as some of the beautifully crafted, large-scale scenes from the Lord of the Rings films or similarly grand movies. And the titular castle in the sky, the flying city of Laputa, is equally wondrous. Such simply invite one to wish that they could live in those places, if even for a short while.
The story also includes elements familiar to one who has seen several Miyazaki movies: wonder, thrills, and a solid dash of sadness. The story of Sheeta and Laputa is mysterious and compelling enough, and when she, Pazu, and her pursuers all arrive, it is a sight to behold. However, it is one where tragedy has unfolded, leaving it eerily quiet. I can appreciate how Miyazaki's films often take this route, as it separates it from the overly saccharine fare that one typically finds in animated family films.
I will say that the movie felt overly long. Clocking in at over two hours, there are several passages that seemed to drag, and they sometimes were made to feel longer by the silly gags and jokes that are meant more for children under the age of 12. Honestly, though, I expect that children will still appreciate this epic story, though they would likely be around age 10; I can't imagine a 6- or seven-year-old sitting through this entire movie, and the only viewers over the age of 12 who would stick with it would be those who simply enjoy animation or animein particular.
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