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Amazon.co.uk Review
Mamoru Oshii's landmark Ghost in the Shell (1995) largely defined the cyberpunk genre and influenced the Matrix films in the U.S. The long-awaited sequel continues the adventures of Batou, Major Kusanagi's former assistant, who was left behind when she disappeared into the cyber-realm of the Net.
With his new human partner, Togusa, Batou investigates a series of bloody murders involving gynoids, robots with sexual functions. The case leads them to the headquarters of the Locus Solus company, where Batou uncovers the evil secret behind the creation of the gynoids. Innocence includes some staggeringly beautiful CG images, especially a parade depicting characters from Chinese mythology. Oshii contrasts this glittering beauty with a Blade Runner-esque dystopia. But even his skill as a director can't disguise the fact that the underdeveloped story and flat characters are far less interesting than the opulent visuals. --Charles Solomon
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I went to see this film in the cinema in France out of curiosity and I was blown away by it. The animation is absolutely superb; a faultless mix of 2D cartoon characters with realistic 3D CGI backgrounds and objects. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does, in fact on several occasions I even forgot I was watching an animated film!
As for the story, although it seems like every other line is a proverb, it is very thought-provoking and will keep you thinking long after you have watched it. It deals with existence, humanity , animals, memories and artificial intelligence. Prior knowledge of the story isn't necessary - there is a brief recap at the beginning. Having since watched the first installment, I can safely say that, while the first film had great animation for its time, this version is infinitely better visually and, I might add, has no gratuitous breast shots or close-ups.
Ghost In The Shell Innocence is of a different style to the first film; it has fewer action scenes, focusing more on visuals and the numerous dilemmas thrown up by the question of artificial intelligence, human rights and the laws of robotics. That's not to say that there isn't tension or excitement. A gunfight with the yakuza and souless robot drones are also thrown into the mix. I'm not a fan of anime, but I loved this film - highly recommended.
As for the story, although it seems like every other line is a proverb, it is very thought-provoking and will keep you thinking long after you have watched it. It deals with existence, humanity , animals, memories and artificial intelligence. Prior knowledge of the story isn't necessary - there is a brief recap at the beginning. Having since watched the first installment, I can safely say that, while the first film had great animation for its time, this version is infinitely better visually and, I might add, has no gratuitous breast shots or close-ups.
Ghost In The Shell Innocence is of a different style to the first film; it has fewer action scenes, focusing more on visuals and the numerous dilemmas thrown up by the question of artificial intelligence, human rights and the laws of robotics. That's not to say that there isn't tension or excitement. A gunfight with the yakuza and souless robot drones are also thrown into the mix. I'm not a fan of anime, but I loved this film - highly recommended.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The first thing I ought to say here is that if you expect a similar film to the first Ghost In The Shell, you're going to be disappointed. However, if you want a more thought-provoking, visually involved film then you're definitely in the right place.
As I've said, it's not much like the first film. Although the plot retains the same pacing and tension, and the visuals are in the same style, the star of the previous film (the Major) is mostly absent, and instead the plot focuses on Batou, her former police partner. There is still the odd fight scene, but mainly this film focuses on what happens between the violence. Some people may find this offputting, but many will appreciate this change of focus, particularly in an anime film.
However, the film is not worse because of this. Innocence gives insight into a very different mind; this is reflected in the more philosophical plot, and bleaker locales. It develops characters in a far more subtle way to the original, which was fairly subtle already, and gives a genuine insight into the viewer's own life- more so than any other film I have seen.
The imagery used in Innocence is definitely among the greatest that I have seen. The blend of 2D cel animation and 3D CG materials is seamless and they always complement one another to a very high degree. The music is also used to great effect, and the ending theme suits the film perfectly.
Although this is very different to its predecessor, it is still a breathtaking masterpiece, which will stay with you for a very long time. If you haven't seen the original, or if violence is all that it takes to satisfy you, there isn't much here to like. But for everyone else this is a essential purchase.
As I've said, it's not much like the first film. Although the plot retains the same pacing and tension, and the visuals are in the same style, the star of the previous film (the Major) is mostly absent, and instead the plot focuses on Batou, her former police partner. There is still the odd fight scene, but mainly this film focuses on what happens between the violence. Some people may find this offputting, but many will appreciate this change of focus, particularly in an anime film.
However, the film is not worse because of this. Innocence gives insight into a very different mind; this is reflected in the more philosophical plot, and bleaker locales. It develops characters in a far more subtle way to the original, which was fairly subtle already, and gives a genuine insight into the viewer's own life- more so than any other film I have seen.
The imagery used in Innocence is definitely among the greatest that I have seen. The blend of 2D cel animation and 3D CG materials is seamless and they always complement one another to a very high degree. The music is also used to great effect, and the ending theme suits the film perfectly.
Although this is very different to its predecessor, it is still a breathtaking masterpiece, which will stay with you for a very long time. If you haven't seen the original, or if violence is all that it takes to satisfy you, there isn't much here to like. But for everyone else this is a essential purchase.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a film packed with many deep meanings and symbolic languages. Because of its multi-layered nature it will be hard to notice and digest all the fine details and informations it contains at a single viewing.
The director Mamoru Osii has said in one of his interviews that he deliverately made things obscure and hard to understand because he wanted to challenge the viewer to think and reflect on what they have seen, and heard in the film.
I will suggest you watch it once, then watch the interview included in the pack, and read other people's opinions and interpretations on the net (I reccomend you to see the article in Wikipedia too), and having done that come back to the film and watch it again. I promise you that you will be able to see it in a completely new light.
Osii wanted people to interepret the film in their own way, and for it to become personally meaningful to them.
For me among other things this film struck as about the life of the protagonist, Batou. Batou is a man who has a body which is almost all mechanized except a bit of brain, and who can only affirm his existence as a a human by the knowledge of his"ghost", the memory of Motoko, and his dog Gabriel(which is a fully warm-blooded creature completely free from mechanization)For me Osii suggests the way to survive in this modern age when we are increasingly isolating ourselves from society, and begining to lose awareness of our physical body as our life has began to center around the non-physical world of internet.
Lastly as I understand both Japanese and English I would like to give you a few informations about the translation. I think the script for English dub is good, but there are still many words which have been changed. Personally it was interesting for me because I seemed to discover the different side to the film when I switched from one language to another. The English subtitle however is worse than bad; it probably needed to cut back words due to the lack of space.The English voice actors are good, although Kim sounded more sinister in the original Japanese version (especially when he laughed!)
The film is on its own a work of art, with beautiful imagery and evocative music. This film is not for everyone (the director said that himself) but it has certainly had a profound effect on me.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
It's not a bad film overall
Before I begin my quick review on Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) I'd like to give briefly explain my thoughts on it's predecessor. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Struck_Down
Great Film, Bad Disc
This is a superb film, cerebral, moody and beautiful (and therefore not a crowd-pleaser if you're after a lot of action). Read more
Published 13 months ago by Dan North
More of a great story unfolding
The stunning first film in the series has been remastered to stunning effect. This, the second, does not disappoint. The quality is excellent.
Published 17 months ago by Seti-Yeti
harder to love than most
I love Manga for the craziness and outrageous extrageration which gets bundled up with philosphy and heart warming stories. But this film gets the balance wrong for me. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Pancho
A technically brilliant (yet thematically confused) work
There's no denying the visual and aesthetic impact of GitS2: Innocence, but poorly-written dialogue and weak characterisation mean it doesn't quite live up to the standard set by... Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2010 by J. E. C. Burton
Innocence
The much anticipated sequel to the classic Ghost in the shell has been regarded as a bit of a mixed bag since it reached our screens for the first time in 2005. Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2009 by J. Snook
Innocence
The much anticipated sequel to the classic Ghost in the shell has been regarded as a bit of a mixed bag since it reached our screens for the first time in 2005. Read more
Published on 6 Nov 2009 by J. Snook
Let Down by subtitles
I honestly don't understand how Manga stuffed the subtitles up. The DVD release was fine. As a previous reviewer noted, Locus Solus was referred to as "Rox" - but they neglected... Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2009 by Michael Oberhardt
If you find this movie mediocre - don't read
If you think this movie is average - skip my review. I guess nobody will spent the additional money for a Blu-Ray if he/she owns the DVD and find this movie just average. Read more
Published on 8 Sep 2009 by Mabuse
Thoughts prior to release
The rating is strictly tentative, pending knowledge of the audio specifications of this release, and to boot, actually seeing the film! Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2009 by P. D. Allen
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