Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence
by Mamoru Oshii
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DVD details
Actor: Akio ?tsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, K?ichi Yamadera, Tamio ?ki, Yutaka NakanoDirector: Mamoru Oshii
Brand: Paramount
Cinematographer: Miki Sakuma
Writer: Mamoru Oshii
Producer: Maki Terashima-Furuta
Producer: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa
Producer: Ryuji Mitsumoto
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Writer: Masamune Shirow
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Japanese (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-12-28
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Dreamworks Video
DVD Reviews of Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence
DVD Review: Awesome the best graphics ever
Summary: 5 Stars
Some guy wrote about Dreamworks. Dreamworks had nothing to do with this film. As for relating to the original film, I understand it. I understand the plot. I have watched a lot of films in my 52 years and by far this is the best of the best and anybody who could possibly put this film below a 4 should reconsider. The audio is awesome. The graphics are breath taking. I see nothing wrong with this film at all I give nothing but praises to it.
I was entertained to the fullest. It is truly worth a Blue Ray purchase. There is always something to be said of the purpose of the film. The corporate folks want $$$$ that is a given. But us the watchers, viewers, audience. We are the ones that count. When I watch a film I watch it to see if it affects me in anyway shape or form but more importantly does it affect me visually or emotionally to the fullest. This film did. I have never seen a film with more breath taking graphics in it than this film. Emotionally it did not bring me to tears but I came to know more of the feelings of Batou than before. For folks who cannot even get the company who made the film right. Time to re-read some.
DVD Review: Much better release than the previous DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
Truth be told I never used to like this movie, but after being re-exposed to it with this Blu-ray release it's become one of my favorite installments in the GITS franchise.
Maybe when I saw it before with subtitles I had trouble understanding the crazy plotline. (GITS is hard enough to understand English) For those of you who've seen the movie before and not liked it, you owe it to yourself to give it another chance like I did in flawless 1080p video quality and English dub.
People have been complaining that this release is a "disgrace" because it doesn't have lossless audio tracks and one of the 2 English tracks is completely messed up. These problems didn't bother me at all because I'm not a audiophile by any means and don't even have the hardware to utilize lossless audio. Also while it is true that the UK English dub track included on this disc is so badly off-pitch that is sounds like all the characters have Down's Syndrome, it's a moot point because they've also included a new (and more accurate) English dub that has absolutely no problems and really improved the viewing experience for me.
DVD Review: My new favourite Blu-Ray
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved the DVD, but it PALES in comparison to the Blu-Ray edition. The Bandai English dub track is superb. The Manga UK track, while the same voice actors, adds a different emotional feel to the story. I haven't heard the Japanese track yet since we had that in the DVD. The sound in any case is stupendous. It must be watched and listened to on a 6.1 or more system to get what I mean. Visually? Gorgeous.
This Blu-Ray is a treat.
DVD Review: The Blu-ray is visually stunning. What I would expect from a Mamoru Oshii film. Although a bit disappointed about the audio.
Summary: 4 Stars
"GHOST IN THE SHELL" definitely made impact around the world with its release. The film was one of the first animated films to blend computer animation with cel animation perfectly. I remember purchasing every VHS release when it first came out, I remember watching it many times and just being in awe of its visuals but its cerebral storyline.
The same can be said with the second film "GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE", the second film loosely based on the popular manga series by Shirow Masamune and written and directed by Mamoru Oshii.
But there is one thing about Mamoru Oshii's work that hasn't changed since the 1980's (from the second "Urusei Yatsura" 1984 film titled "Beautiful Dreamer") and now and that is unique storytelling and his keen eye for visuals. And actually, visuals are his priority and storytelling and its characters come after.
But every film that he has worked on from "Beautiful Dreamer", "Angel's Egg", the first two "Patlabor" films, "Avalon" and of course the "GHOST IN THE SHELL" films, his films are the type that I can never truly understand during the first watch. In fact, I start to realize certain details during the second, the third and fourth watch because I feel that he's a filmmaker that has certain intentions and things nicely placed that only those who really, try to analyze, you get a different and possibly a much better interpretation with repeated viewings.
I can tell you that "GHOST IN THE SHELL" required several viewings and I can tell you that this second film "INNOCENCE" required repeated viewings and after the third viewing, I was amazed how much I truly missed. I feel that during the first watch, your eyes are so focused on the visuals, the details and also the audio (which I watched in English dubs, going back and forth with the two included English dubs). By the second watch, you are now following the actually storyline much more closely. The third was watching it with the director's commentary and the fourth was watching it in Japanese.
VIDEO AND AUDIO:
The video quality of "GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE" is just beautiful. The video is featured in 1080P High-Definition and there is so much detail in this world. From the buildings, the shops, indoors, outdoors, you name it. Also, a variety of colors.
I know that this film was not the easiest to create and even the animators talk about their challenges that they had in this film and also during the commentary, both director Mamoru Oshii and animation director Toshihiko Nishikubo discuss the challenges in creating the film.
If anything, Mamoru Oshii's films will always be expected to have awesome visuals and having anything less than that wouldn't be an Oshii film. So, "GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE" really has its share of breathtaking visuals that just look so vibrant on Blu-ray. From the ambers of the sunlight to the blues and blacks showing the grittiness of the streets. Overall, video quality was well done!
As for audio quality, Bandai Entertainment included a very well done English voice dub and also the Manga UK dub (which I didn't really care for). Both are offered in Dolby Digital 5.1. And there is a Japanese audio track which is also Dolby Digital 5.1.
I am aware that the Japanese release of this film contains an uncompressed track that you would expect on a Blu-ray release. And so far, Bandai Entertainment and Bandai Visual releases tend to be top notch for its delivery on the video and audio side of their Blu-ray releases. So, I was surprised that HD audio was not included in this US release and it is quite disappointing because for Blu-ray, Bandai Entertainment has always delivered even on their DVD releases.
But with that being said, the Dolby Digital 5.1 track is still very good. There was good use of the rear channel tracks during the action and aircraft scenes and the front speaker channels brought out the dialogue and the music quite clearly. And I found that the quality of audio was much better in the newer English dub versus the Manga UK dub.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Included on the Blu-ray disc are:
* The "Making of `GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE" - Quite a bit of information on this 16-minute featurette in regards to the making of this film. From Production I.G. aligning with Studio Ghibli, the challenges that the animators had in making this film, interviews with Oshii, the voice talent and other key staff members and leading up to the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
* Director's Commentary with Mamoru Oshii and animation director Toshihiko Nishikubo - Personally, any commentary that you can have Mamoru Oshii be a part of is excellent. Both men had a lot to say in terms of the animation, what they were going for, what challenges they had, the use of music and voice acting and the challenge of trying to finish the film in under three years (most animated film takes two years) and knowing that time was running out. So, I enjoyed the commentary. It maybe technical for some who enjoy commentary that is fun and shooting the breeze, casual conversations but this commentary is pretty much focusing on the film and the people involved in making the film happen.
* Theatrical Trailer - A 5+ minute promotional anime trailer
After watching the Blu-ray and taking in the visuals, storyline, commentary and special features, you get a good idea of the challenges that Oshii and crew had faced.
Part of the challenge in the beginning was the production budget of $20 million, so Production I.G.'s president Mitsushia Ishikawa asked Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki to work with him as a co-producer.
And once the film was underway, the film surpassed the typical two year deadline and the film was going in its third year for completion. And for an animated film to go in production that long, not only is that expensive but I can see how much stress it would put on the producers and the entire staff.
So, this film had quite an interesting storyline in itself behind-the-scenes and you learn a lot of this through the commentary and the featurette.
"GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE" is not going to be for everyone. I've always felt that Oshii's work could be deemed cerebral and possibly to intelligent for the casual animation fan to watch.
I really enjoyed this film but I suppose a film that featured around Batou's character, especially for those who were so used to seeing Makoto in the first film, the manga series, the video games and even the television series of "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" may feel that something is quite missing without Makoto having a prominent role.
But nevertheless, I think that Oshii did a great job in showcasing that sense of sadness with Batou not having his partner but then knowing that no matter what, she will still be there for him in some sort of way.
And again, to truly grasp this film, you need to watch this film (or any of Oshii's works) more than once. In fact, Oshii's films deserve repeated viewings because of the detail of the visuals of his films, the layers of his storyline and really, he has this philosophy about life and his own life that he puts into the film. It's complex.
But I think that's what attracts me to his works is because it is intelligent but yet you manage to find beauty in the worlds that he creates. "GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE" and the original "GHOST IN THE SHELL" are perfect examples of that complexity and beauty of visuals and storyline. Some get it and some won't. But once you become a fan of his work, you realize that he's a master storyteller with a keen eye of what he wants to accomplish. And you know that you will need to watch his films again.
As for the Blu-ray, video quality is well done. There is so much detail incorporated that the 1080P High-Definition really makes those details come out. And really, beautiful sharp and vibrant colors. But on the flip side, there is also a bit of disappointment with no DTS-HD or TrueHD track in this US release but yet knowing that it's in the Japanese release. And that is quite surprising for a Bandai Entertainment Blu-ray release.
But the Dolby Digital 5.1 track is still very good but for audiophiles that want the best in their films on Blu-ray, I can understand why one would be upset that the uncompressed audio track(s) were not included in this US release.
With that being said, I did feel that this Blu-ray release was still highly enjoyable and to hear the commentary by Oshii discuss his work is always a major plus.
Overall, this is still a solid Blu-ray disc release albeit not perfect but for fans of Mamoru Oshii or "GHOST IN THE SHELL", definitely give "INNOCENCE" a try!
DVD Review: Audio - epic fail
Summary: 1 Stars
Import the Japanese release. Then you get lossless audio. The dub is bad and has problems. The Japanese TrueHD track with subtitles will blow your mind.
Description of Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/01/2007 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: Pg13Mamoru 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
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