View Larger Image |
Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence Actors: Akio Ôtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Tamio Ôki Director: Mamoru Oshii Number of Items: 1 Format: Animated, Color, Widescreen, Dolby Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Running Time: 100 minutes Studio: Umvd/Dreamworks Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2004-12-28 Buy from Amazon |
 "Undeveloped story, amazing visuals"Issues relating to the quality of the DVD itself have been well documented (overly so) in other reviews, and so I'll not spend time addressing that issue. Rather, I will focus on the feature itself, which is, of course, the important thing here. I first saw this feature on the big screen after its theatrical release in Chicago. I was, in short, blown away. The experience of this feature would be hard to overstate, particularly when seen in a setting where high-quality picture and sound can be had. The technical quality of this film excels. It is my current gold-standard for high quality animation. That is, it is the best I have yet seen. The animation, sound effects, voice acting, and soundtrack all maintain a very high production standard. I was impressed by this, but even more so by the overall effect that this contributed to, as this provided a solid foundation for the expressive capacity of the feature as a whole. The creators of this film achieved, at times, a hyperreal effect in this feature that is very difficult to create. By this I mean the sort of psychological effect created by certain media during which one has a sense of heightened reality enabled by a skilled exploitation of particular sensory/experiential effects. It is a decidedly difficult thing to achieve, and the creators of GITS2 have done it handily. Unfortunately, GITS2 does fall rather short in one aspect. Specifically, it fails to deliver where plot development is concerned. There is some development, but at the end one is nonetheless left with the feeling of still waiting for the big plot development to come along. Still, the story line is very interesting and holds your interest very well. Almost entrancing at times (particularly for those who are already fans of this sort of subject matter and story type), the problem is just that the climax never actually seems to arrive. While I was disappointed to some extent by the lack of any major plot development within the feature, I nonetheless enjoyed it immensely. It is fully deserving of four stars. The expressive and technical achievements are absolutely enormous, even considering that the full potential was, in some sense, underexploited. It's the kind of thing that I will watch again and again and again. Highly recommended.  "The subtitle fix!"I was very upset over the subtitle problems, but I sent an e-mail to Universal, and they responded with the following: "Thank you for contacting us regarding the subtitle options on your 'The Ghost in the Shell 2' DVD. DreamWorks Home Entertainment will replace your DVD with a version that includes English Language subtitles. To receive a postage-paid mailer in which to return your original 'Ghost in the Shell 2' disc only, please visit the 'Ghost in the Shell 2' website at http://www.gofishpictures.com/GITS2/main.html. Double click on 'The DVD,' then double click on 'Questions About Your DVD?' and provide the information requested. We appreciate your patronage and hope that you will continue to enjoy DreamWorks releases. Sincerely, Universal Studios Home Entertainment" I don't know whether Amazon is now selling the discs with "V4" on the side of the boxes (the correct subtitles), but I definately recommend this movie. It's incredible and beautiful! "Stop Exaggerating about the Subtitles!!"This is without a doubt the most amazing animated film that I have ever seen - and I don't even like Japanese Anime, neither had I seen the first installment before going to see this one! Ghost in the Shell 2 is an intelligent mix of 3D animation with traditional 2D animation that works surprisingly well; throughout most of this film my mouth was hanging open! Visually it's incredible. The story too is very thought-provoking and keeps you wondering even after watching it, although almost every other sentence is a proverb of some sort. Now that's over with, I only gave this 4 stars because of the DVD problem. The English subtitles are for hard of hearing, so you have to put up with the frequent (dogs barking) (helicopter approaching) (crash) but after a while you get used to it (the French subtitles don't suffer the same fate, for any other Francophones out there). It is annoying, but despite what others are saying, the font DOESN'T take up a third of the screen, they're the usual subtitle size, and I and the others I showed it to didn't find the film any less enjoyable. As for there being no English dub, if it really bothers you then it's best to wait for an inevitable 'special edition' release. I love this film and was in no way disappointed; the DVD could have been better but it's not a complete disaster. If you've got patience wait for the next release, otherwise I think this is still a worthwhile investment. "A true animation, cinematic and philisophical experience"Section 9's chief assigns Bato and his partner to investigate a series of murders involving robotic companions who end up killing their owners. Despite the manufacturer's recall and claims the androids are fine, the two agents uncover a scandal involving the gynoid's manufacturer (Locus Solus corp.), violent Yakuza gangsters, manipulative hackers as well as corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Ultimately, how I took the film's message is that it addresses a human being's will to survive while being critical of many legitimate and illegitimate elements of society. Overall, the film's massage is a commentary about humanity and individuality (which is the underlying message of both Ghost in the Shell movies). I went to see this movie twice in the theaters and was very glad to pick it up on DVD. While I understand where the critics of the DVD are coming from, I disagree with many of their comments about the captions used in place of subtitles. To me, it makes no difference what is used for interpretation since ultimately you watch a movie for the cinematic experience not necessarily for the purpose of reading words on the bottom of your T.V. screen. None the less this film is certainly, as one reviewer put it, the 'gold standard' of anime since the animation is absolutely beautiful while the story itself is good with a neat philisophical twist to it. I was very impressed with the way the makers of this film were able to blend the 2d and 3d animation they used. Overall I loved this film and recommend everyone see it on the DVD presently out and add it to your movie library despite its obvious flaws. I also felt Dreamworks did a good job of preserving the overall feel of the movie on the silver screen. "Innocence shatters anime."Setting aside the fanboy complaints about the subtitles, taking a closer look at Oshii's masterwork reveals a stunningly executed world with layers of characterization requiring multiple views to appreciate fully, and subtle master-strokes of a startling vision bathed in both romantic hope and dystopian cynicism. Innocence occurs three years after the events in the first film. The first film was essentially about Kusanagi's conflict with the sense of identity, self, and awareness, the second film is Batou's story of what it means to be human if being human means nothing at all. Dolls are a central theme to this film, and the characters themselves are doll-like and emotionless, even though their fears and motivations are seen as echoes of their actions and word choices. It's a heart wrenching continuation of the hinted-at romance in the first film, even though the Major Motoko Kusanagi doesn't make an onscreen appearance, and Batou's longing for her is only matched by his warmth for his dog, a basset hound whose symbolic importance in the key elemental discussion of the nature of souls is often repeated. The moments Batou spends feeding his Basset hound reflect his feelings for the only innocent creature in the film, and echo Oshii's sentiments about the rare beauties left in the world, untouched by human artifice, unruined by our need to recreate ourselves in the ideal of artificial life. Matched in this complexly interwoven plot of what it means to have a soul is what love is worth, and the story between the Major and Batou on the ship is a real treat for fans of their interactions in the first film. Star-crossed love might be the most bittersweet, but it's also most eloquently expressed here, in just a few short lines. I was breathless when Batau draped the jacket over the woman, and even more so when she said "Ikku- I'm going." This story is even more subtle than that of the first film, and viewers who are too awed by the visuals will miss it, as the technical efforts are outstanding. Hailed as a nominated film at Cannes, this sequel shatters the genre of anime, exactingly crafted in every technical aspect and making a place for itself amongst the great films of time. With dialogue that challenges even the seasoned shakespearian viewers, animation that shames every animated film before it, (as well it should, given that IG collaborated with Studio Ghibli) and a haunting soundtrack that takes the themes from the first film and gives it an epic expanded sensibility, Innoncence continues its heritage of raising the expectations of not just great anime, but great filmmaking as well. This movie shatters the idea of anime, and challenges the viewers to think about the themes of human's obession with technology, as well as what love means when even artifice can be real. |
