Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence [Blu-ray]
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence [Blu-ray]
Studio: Infinity Resources Inc Release Date: 01/13/2009Mamoru 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. (Rated PG-13: graphic violence, violence against women, brief nudity, profanity, alcohol and tobacco use.) –Charles Solomon
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Blu-ray review
Awesome. This is the way it was meant to be. Much cleaner and the audio in english. I never would have bought the dvd if I knew this day would come. It wasn’t even this clear in the theatre. Bandai did what dreamworks didn’t, not just slapping it straight to video but actually formating it properly.
5 Stars Amazon, quit blending the DVD releases with the Blu-ray!
The Blu-Ray of this movie is awesome, they have fixed the mistakes of the orginal DVD version, and should be rated overall five stars, the problem, Amazon, has mixed the reviews from the old dvd with the blu ray, skewing the star results and reviews, Amazon, needs to keep the review for DVDs and Blu rays seperate, even if its the same movie the format is different an offers different things, and I would like to see reviews for the blu ray not the old dvd. If you agree Let your voices be heard..
3 Stars Great movie, but English track sucks.
I was really excited to see the English voice actors come back and do voice work. Problem is the English dialogue is unbalanced and incredibly loud while the great sound FX in the movie are muffled terribly. Luckily the Japanese track sounds great. If I had known the english track was so bad, I would have stayed with the DVD.
5 Stars Visually Stunning, Brain Recommended But Not Required
This movie is called both “Intellectually Weak,” and “In love with its own intelligence” Clearly, that alone makes this film worth your time and worth forming your own opinion about.
The thing is, this is not a stupid film by any means. ‘Visually stunning,’ it is constantly called, but it’s not just that: It’s an assault on the senses (in a good way), both visually and aurally. The sound is incredible, the images stick with you. Even a simple, seemingly underthought image like the final two shots of the movie will stick with you long after the closing credits roll.
But how is the story? I haven’t seen the original in years, but this one held my attention, and kept my brain engaged. I give this one an enthusiastic thumbs up, plus a wink and a smile. It FEELS like the middle chapter in a story… there is too much left unresolved, and while seeing the first one isn’t necessary to understanding this one, there ARE many references the original “Ghost in the Shell.” It’s not so much a continuation of the story, as it is a continuation of the characters. Which I think is the better call.
Constant quotes from literature is not a sign of intellectual weakness, I don’t think. People accuse the movie of not having a brain of its own, but I think any movie that engages the brain of its audience needn’t make apologies. This one remains interesting on all levels; I just hope it doesn’t take them another nine years to produce part three.
5 Stars May not be for everyone, but for me its pro.
This title divides fans a lot, and understandably so. When compared to the original, there is a distinct sameness present as well as a the mostly missing Major. While this detracts from many people enjoyment of this film, I still liked the characters, and plot enough to wholeheartedly recommend a viewing. Though not up to the standard of the original (and really, not much is) this effort forwards the tale exceptionally well.
Filed under: Blu Ray Movie Reviews