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Movies / On DVD / Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

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Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

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Reviews Counted: 89

Fresh: 56

Rotten:33

Average Rating: 6.2/10

Consensus: The animation is lovely, but the plot is complex to the point of inscrutability, leaving Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence both original and numbing.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for violence, disturbing images and brief language

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:Sep 17, 2004 Limited

Box Office: $856,451

Synopsis: Nine years ago, writer/director Mamoru Oshii's widely influential "Ghost in the Shell" burst onto the international film scene, becoming one of the most successful anime films of all time. Now,... Nine years ago, writer/director Mamoru Oshii's widely influential "Ghost in the Shell" burst onto the international film scene, becoming one of the most successful anime films of all time. Now, Oshii returns with the long-awaited sequel "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence." "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence" is set in 2032, when the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. Humans have virtually forgotten what it means to be entirely human in both body and spirit, and the few humans that are left coexist with cyborgs (human spirits inhabiting entirely mechanized bodies) and dolls (robots with no human elements at all). Batou is a cyborg. His body is artificial: the only remnants left of his humanity are traces of his brain…and the memories of a woman called The Major. A detective for the government's covert anti-terrorist unit, Public Security Section 9, Batou is investigating the case of a gynoid—a hyper-realistic female robot created specifically for sexual companionship—who malfunctions and slaughters her owner. As Batou delves deeper into the investigation, questions arise about humanity's need to immortalize its image in dolls. Together, Batou and his partner must take on violent Yakuza thugs, devious hackers, government bureaucrats and corporate criminals to uncover the shocking truth behind the crime. "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence" is the story of a solitary cyborg who desperately wants to hold on to what's left of his humanity in a world where the worth of the human soul is fading almost into obscurity. "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence" was written and directed by Mamoru Oshii based on an original story by Shirow Masamune. Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Toshio Suzuki produced the film. It is the second anime film to be released under the banner of Go Fish Pictures, a division of DreamWorks Pictures. "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence" was the first anime film ever to compete for the Cannes International Film Festival's coveted Palme d'Or. It also joined the ranks of such animated classics as "Dumbo" (1947), "Peter Pan" (1953), "Fantastic Planet" (1973), "Shrek" (2001) and "Shrek 2" (2004) to become only the sixth animated film to compete at Cannes. -- © Go Fish Pictures [More]

Starring: Atsuko Tanaka, Naoto Takenaka, Ruby

Starring: Atsuko Tanaka, Naoto Takenaka, Ruby

Director: Mamoru Oshii

Director: Mamoru Oshii
Composer: Kenji Kawai
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 28, 2004

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Reviews for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Much like Akira in the 1980s, this is the film that sets the standard by which all others of its kind are judged - and usually found wanting.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
07/04/08
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

the mind-blowing story and its reality-bending aesthetic form a sublime continuum, where the medium becomes part of the message...this is animation at its most acute and enthralling.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
07/06/07
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film

Mamoru Oshii's 2004 follow-up to his 1995 anime noir is that rare sequel that surpasses the original.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
04/18/07
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Too talky and philosophical for kids, and dabbling in lavish imagery that lacks enough narrative coherence to hook adults, this is an animated feature that, well, needed to get a little more animated.

Full Review Source: Long Island Press | comment Comment
03/31/07
Prairie Miller
Long Island Press

The elegance, attention to detail, the invention and expertise all ensure that the movie’s never less than visually breathtaking.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

For Japanimation fans it's a big-screen must-see.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
David Hughes
Empire Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
01/17/06
Sydney Morning Herald

Muddled up with philosophising about the relationship between mind and the material world.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
12/06/05
Independent

The staggering beauty of Oshii's animation more than makes up for the fact that his plot is completely impenetrable.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
09/30/05
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

One long, tedious rumination on the blurring distinction between man and machines.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
05/03/05
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

If you're already an anime fan, this is required viewing. If not, this isn't going to convert you anytime soon.

Full Review Source: NYC Film Critic | comment Comment
03/05/05
Ethan Alter
NYC Film Critic

Japanese animated film which explores the nature of post-modern existence and consciousness is a mixed bag in terms of both narrative and images.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
02/03/05
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
01/14/05
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

While one can’t accuse Innocence of being dim, it is certainly long winded and cliché.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
12/16/04
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal

Oshii allows the plot to be overwhelmed by a slew of cockamamie musings on the nature of existence that wouldn't float in a late-night dorm room smokeout.

Full Review Source: Portland Mercury | comment Comment
12/06/04
Andrew Wright
Portland Mercury

With this beautiful, thought-provoking, adrenaline-fuelled film, Oshii heralds a truly post-human era in which all forms of 'life' deserve our respect.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
11/19/04
Sharon Mizota
PopMatters

Pure, wordless cinema, existing in a realm too deliciously mysterious to pull down.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
11/11/04
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

In this anime it's a basset hound that brings the only bits of warmth.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
11/05/04
Robert Folsom
Kansas City Star

The animation is vivid and surrealistic.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
11/01/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Occasional passages of shell-cracking egghead overload aside, there's no getting past Innocence's astounding visual power.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
10/29/04
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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Latest News for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

January 22, 2007: "Ghost" in a Live-Action "Shell"?
This falls under the 'news before the actual news' category, but according to ComingSoon.net, Variety is reporting that Kodansha, the company behind the popular "Ghost in... More...

December 07, 2004: The Annie Awards Announce Their Nominations
More...

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