Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society by Kenji Kamiyama (2006)
Two years after the events of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, 2nd Gig, Major Kusanagi has left Section 9, forcing Batou, Togusa, et al. to do the best they can investigating various threats to Japan. Like, say, a string of suicides that might also be connected to a series of kidnappings, which might also be connected to an enigmatic hacker known only as the Puppeteer. But an even bigger mystery looms: what is the Solid State Society? Kenji Kamiyama, who wrote and directed the movie, crams an awful lot into its 105 minutes, and it’s clear he’s trying to address some serious issues, like government corruption and Japan’s aging population. But even with its heavy focus on dialog, Solid State Society is a mess, story-wise. And some last-minute revelations only add to that impression. I can’t help thinking that if Solid State Society had been a mini-series rather than a feature film, Kamiyama’s various storylines would’ve had more room to develop and become fleshed out. Narrative issues aside, there’s no denying that Solid State Society looks fantastic, with Production I.G — who did stellar work throughout the Stand Alone Complex series — really outdoing themselves. And for what it’s worth, I still prefer Solid State Society’s relatively somber mood compared to the riot that was Amazon’s Ghost in the Shell series.
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