Customer Reviews
Buyer Beware: No English Dub! 
2008-09-27
This movie looks good but is unwatchable due to the lack of a English vocal dub, what a disaster. Sub-titles are one thing, but, come on now, not on anime of this quality, there is too much visually to take in besides reading dialogue! Oof!
Not as good as the first. 
2008-08-17
The thing that bothered me the most about this movie is the PG-13 rating, which you can tell in the movie they strived for. No gore at all! Not that gore is the number one factor in an anime, but it feels like a more kid friendly version of the first movie. Also, with Studio Ghibli being involved, I thought the animation would be better.
I'm Not Going to Complain About the Captions.... 2008-07-11
...because I returned the DVD and got a non-captioned version. So to all you people who insist on filling up page after page of complaints about the captions...STOP IT! I went scrolling through the 1-star reviews looking for differing opinions on the movie, and all people could talk about was Dreamwork's screwup.
Let me also preface this by saying - I don't mind that there's no English dub. And no, I don't speak Japanese, but I like the sound of it. Would hearing dozens of Confucian-lite quotes in English over and over really have made for a better experience? I mean really, it's not like people spend the whole movie talking. I'd be willing to bet only about 50% of the movie has dialogue. I got an idea - why don't we just put an English dub on every great foreign film ever made? Seven Samurai, Breathless, Fellini's 8 1/2. Why not? Gotta make 'em palatable for Americans, right?
Some of you people make me sick: "If I wanted to read, I'd get a book." Truth is, if you read books - EVER - subtitles aren't that hard. The amount of time it takes your eye to scan down and quickly go over a line of dialogue is not that long. But seriously, on to talking about the movie, 'cause I'm getting a little pissed here.
Like many people upon first seeing this, I was just in awe. The melding of CG with the 2D animation is top notch. Look at that scene in the beginning when Batou is walking down the alley and tell me that's not photo-realistic!
However, I watched the movie with a more critical eye lately, and plot-wise, there are a few problems. One, the dialogue. Entire conversations between characters are made up of quotes and parables. I mean, does everyone in the 21st century walk around with a copy of the Tao Te Ching in their pocket? Two, there is this feeling of malaise throughout the whole thing. Obviously, Oshii is trying to carry over the feeling of what is real/what is a soul? etc. from the first film. But there is no resolution to this conflict. The pedantic existentialism mostly revolves around "the soul of a doll" (Oshii even mentions this in the extras). The monologue of the Puppet Master in the first movie is much easier to take than all the crap that pours out of the hacker Kim's mouth.
Third and final point - the last half of the movie absolutely drags, basically everything after Batou decides to go North. The overlong parade sequence, the slow walk into Kim's place. It's like they took the sequence from the first movie when the Major is on the boat looking at the Tokyo skyline and stretched it to absurd lengths. Don't get me wrong, it all looks beautiful (especially the parade stuff) but to what end is it serving? I mean seriously, the last half of the movie is like Valium in DVD form. And the mediocre action at the end doesn't make up for it. I don't feel that threatened by a whole army of killer nymphet cyborgs.
So in conclusion, this is not a hands-down great film. It has great execution, but the ideas ultimately come off half-baked and unresolved.
And a minor quibble, but what does the word "Innocence" in the title have to do with any of this?
Collage of Episodes 2008-06-12
If you've seen the first series, Stand Alone Complex, this movie will bore you. If you've only seen the movie and are looking for another one, then it's ok to watch once.
Most of the movie is a collage of ideas from SAC. Worth watching, once, or if you just have to have every DVD which sways "Ghost in the Shell" on it. Otherwise, shrug it off. There isn't a single original idea in here.
OK, But... 2008-04-30
I have to agree with the folks who complained about the fact that the ONLY version we got of this feature-length animation film is one in Japanese with subtitles... to Everything. There is too much going on in this movie to have to pay attention to Reading for almost two hours! Grrr. And you have to read Fast! Because the lines go by so fast that I sometimes had to hit the pause button just to make sure I could read what was on the screen before it moved on to the next line. Imagine watching a whole movie via Pause-Play-Pause... A real drag. And not very entertaining like the first GITS movie was.
I am Really Upset that I paid money for this that I can't get back because I opened the durned thing.
So my advise to those English-speaking consumers out there who are interested in getting this is to wait to see if a version comes out With English voice-overs. Just like the First GITS movie.
Great Manga but stay away from the Region 1 version 
2008-04-18
Mamoru 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
Good film, terrible DVD! 2008-03-22
Do yourself a favor: go to "amazon.co.uk" and order the UK version--if you already have an Amazon account, then you're all set. The UK DVD is only for region 2 DVD players, so do yourself a second favor and order a region-free DVD player (if you don't already have one).
The film is great and if you're a GITS fan, then you'll want the English language version, since it has the cast who provided the voices for the SAC series. Also if you don't mind some minor inconsistencies--since the film and TV versions of GITS actually exist in seperate continuities--this film fits in nicely between the events of GITS: S.A.C. 2nd GIG and the Solid State Society OVA. I know there are some GITS fans who prefer the Oshii films and shun the TV series and vice versa--but I see it as all fitting into the same universe (if you don't mind the small inconsitencies).
Please don't waste your money on Dreamworks and their less-than-acceptable DVD--send the money to folks who cared enough to put out a worthy version of Mamoru Oshii's film!
WHERE IS THE ENGLISH DUBBED VERSION! 2008-03-20
4 years and still no english version by a good distributor? This is utter blasphemy for a sequel to the greatest ANIME ever. I can't believe someone hasn't capitalized on dreamworks idiocy yet and released a good english dubbed, surround sound region 1 version of this yet, Hello corporate greed, truck loads of cash $$$$$ are you LISTENING!!!!!! someone please remove there head from there rearend and get it done.
Poor story told almost exclusively through quotes 2008-03-02
I love the original GITS and I like Stand Alone Complex, but the story in Innocence should not have made it into the GITS franchise. If Mamoru Oshii absolutely had to tell this story he should have done it through a new series without dragging all the GITS characters through the mud.
If you are a self proclaimed intellectual, this movie may be right up your alley. The plot is sadly lost in incessant spewing of western and biblical quotes. Whole conversations consist of characters rambling off quotes to each other. Then you are assaulted by scenes of character's e-brains getting hacked that are meant to make you question "What is real?" And then there is the dog...I'm not going to bother commenting on that.
Ironically, when Batou finally meets up with the Major and she starts spewing out random quotes, he actually comments that it was the wrong time to be poetic...
The killer is at the end when a little girl, who presumably was locked up in a ghost dubbing machine for the whole movie, conveniently was consciences enough to thank her anticipated rescuer but also describe the real plot of the movie in uncanny detail. Up to that point in the movie, there were maybe 3 relevant scenes that actually advanced the plot.
Visually the movie is stunning. Sad to say that is the only thing stunning about it.
Almost, but no cigar 
2008-01-23
Yet another great effort from Ghost In the Shell. There are so many good reviews already that I will make this short. The animation is some of the best I've seen and the story is good, although I had to watch it twice to understand it. The worst part of this is that there is no English track and the subtitle makes you feel retarded. Geez...explosions, cars starting, tires squealing, footsteps, etc. sound the same in every language, don't they?
Honestly, if you don't mind reading the subtitles this is a great movie. If you can read the subtitles you might want to thank a teacher. If you like anime this is a gem.
