Ghost in the Shell, Vol. 2: Innocence [Blu-ray]

 

 

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Disregard the other reviews posted here, as they are reviews copied by Amazon for the original standard-def DVD release.

Ghost In The Shell 2 comes alive on Blu-Ray. After an abysmal DVD release that featured no English dub and horrid subtitles, the folks at Bandai went back and ported the film over to true HD glory. It is the best reason to pick up the film if you have a Blu-Ray player.

The first noticeable difference is the inclusion of a full-fledged English dub. For folks who can't stand English subtitles (myself included), this is a breath of fresh air and a great way to watch the film without broken concentration. The dub is surprisingly well voice-acted and atmospheric. There are still some instances where Japanese is overlaid into the film with an accompanying subtitle option that will only translate those particular sentences. One minor gripe is that this particular subtitle option will also give you the English translation of many of the film's Japanese songs as well.

A completely reworked English subtitle option for the Japanese audio track is present here, and omits the ridiculous work of the original DVD, which featured closed captioning instead of true subtitle work.

There are a few bonus features, including a grungy looking behind-the-scenes documentary detailing the themes and creation of the film. Interesting, but not really relevant unless you're dead curious.

The real shine comes in the video playback. The movie is bursting with crystal clear video and vivid, saturated color. I compared the Blu-Ray release to the standard def DVD, and the differences were alarming. Blu-Ray capabilities are utilized so well that I couldn't think of watching this movie any other way, from now on.

The actual movie itself is hit or miss. "Innocence" focuses a lot more on philosophical dilemma instead of blistering action. While the first film balanced soul-searching with some spectacular action sequences, the sequel is more of a detective story set against the backdrop of a world that has lost its mind. As a result, the storyline as a whole can become a wee bit preachy for my tastes, but it's still a fascinating expedition into a vitally important issue: at what point does mechanization and cyberization begin to de-humanize mankind, and what does it truly mean to be human in the first place?

This is a smart movie for smart people. If you're looking for a hyper-edited explosion-fest, you'd best look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a movie that's a cut above the norm in terms of narrative structure and imaginative conception, Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence is a definite masterpiece.

This is a worthwhile, even if you purchased the Dreamworks release a few years back, or if you haven't purchased this yet. The feature has been dubbed for this re-release.

DVD Extras
* Making of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
* Director's Commentary
* Bandai Previews

Limited Edition Extras:
* Special Collector's Steelbook Case
* Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Original Soundtrack

There is also a novelization of the film available from Viz.

It's atrocious that a film this good is held back in it's rating because people are... Lazy? Narrow Minded? Rating this film badly based on the fact that you cannot be bothered to read subtitles is ridiculous.

No offense of course..

Personally I watch way too much anime, and English dubs are almost always, as a rule, quite terrible. I'm not sure what type of Anime your watching if your expecting a good dub.. or what type of grasp on the English language you have where dubs would suffice.
Personally whether or not English dubs actually exist on an Anime I find it better to watch it in it's natural language with English subs. That's the way it was created, things flow better without a messy cheaply done English dub clogging up a good movie. Not "all" Dubs are bad.. Just most.

So if your looking to get this because you enjoyed the first, then get it. It's an equal to Ghost in The shell. I'm not getting into the semantics of the plot.. GITS could be dissected for quite a time by much more aptly equipped people then I.. And they would come up with better conclusions.

Just trust that this is a good compelling film, that will intrigue and entertain you the entire time... But make sure you see Ghost in the Shell before you see this, Or you are really gonna be lost when this one starts.

And look people Subs May seem tedious.. But once you get used to them it becomes very comfortable to watch movies that way.

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4.0 out of 5 stars finally a english version
I own the Japanese version after a while it get boring reading the sub titles, an English version.

Published on Nov 28 2009 by M. Moreira

2.0 out of 5 stars A big disappointment...
I was eager to watch this movie after enjoying Ghost in the Shell 1. But unfortunately I was very disappointed.

For one thing, the subtitles are awful. Read more

Published on Jun 29 2006 by CanadianMother

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most brilliant films ever made
Not only is Innocence a beautifully animated piece of cinema, it represents what literary filmmaking should aspire to. Read more

Published on Jan 15 2005 by Don Eglinski

2.0 out of 5 stars Very unsatisfied
I was anxiously awaiting a sequel to Ghost in the Shell. And when I heard the the long awaited sequel was on its way I could not wait to get my mits on it. Read more

Published on Jan 10 2005 by invincible_trump

4.0 out of 5 stars Subtitle whiners
If you're not smart enough to read the subtitles and watch the movie at the same time, you're not smart enough to watch Ghost in the Shell, plain and simple.

Published on Jan 4 2005 by Jason S Ogorek

5.0 out of 5 stars Innocence expands and deepens GITS' concepts and style
Director Mamoru Oshii takes another dive into the surreal cybernetic world of Shirow Masamune's Ghost in The Shell for a second feature-length release. Read more

Published on Jan 1 2005 by Earl A. Cousins

1.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic movie - Inexcusable DVD
Subtitles vs. Captioning

Exactly why couldn't they include English subtitles, along with the English captioning for the hearing impaired? Read more

Published on Dec 30 2004 by Andre

2.0 out of 5 stars This movie is in Japanese NOT English
The info that Amazon lists is incorrect. There are English subtitles but the dialogue is only in Japanese. I agree with the first review - I hate subtitles. Read more

Published on Dec 29 2004 by septnai

2.0 out of 5 stars Hmmm... no English, but still a good movie.
Firstly, this DVD has NO ENGLISH VOICE TRACK. That is a major negative. I personally hate subtitles as they distract you from what is going on onscreen. Read more

Published on Dec 28 2004 by cripplednitemare

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