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Ghost in the Shell 2 in Theaters Late This Summer

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the return-of-a-classic dept.

Peter Williams writes "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is due out in theaters late summer 2004. The english website can be reached here."

3 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. * YAWN * by fiannaFailMan · · Score: 4, Interesting
    First, please don't mod me into oblivion, I know a lot of people swear by this show but I'm one of many people who just didn't get it and I'm entitled to explain why.

    That said, I saw Ghost in the Shell 1 and never was as bored in all my life. Sure the animation is good and the visuals are atmospheric, but the English dialogue was bordering on the hypnotic. Big overlong monologues that go on and on and on..... zzzzzz. And I got halfway through the film and still hadn't figured out what the hell they meant by a 'ghost.' I kept asking, 'okay, ghosts are an important part of all of this, I get it, now will you kindly tell us what the f@*# a ghost is please?' But no. Just more pseudo-intellectual waffle.

    I strongly warn against anyone watching this stuff if you want to get into anime for the first time. This yawn-fest is not representative of anime. Watch Cowboy Bebop instead. It's a lot more fun, the animated cityscapes are stunning, and it doesn't take itself very seriously.

    --
    Drill baby drill - on Mars
    1. Re:* YAWN * by pilkul · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Yeah, the GITS movie is actually quite obscure in Japan. As any anime fan knows, the vast majority of anime (putting aside the question of whether it's actually good or not) is not at all like Ghost in the Shell, and that sort of thing is not very appealing to most Japanese. The film just happened to be the subject of early marketing pushes for anime in America, probably because it involves a lot of futuristic, gritty violence.

      The Western perception (steadily eroding, fortunately) that anime mainly consists of sex and gunfighting is ironic. Here's what happened, as I understand it: Japanese marketers saw American films like Terminator, figured that Americans like lots of sex and guns, and decided that they should only release in America those anime films "appealing to American tastes". The American perception of anime to a large extent reflects the Japanese perception of American tastes!

  2. SIFF premiere... by Quadrature · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I was able to see this movie when it premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival (at the Cinerama no less with it's kick ass visual and sound systems). It focuses on Bateau 3 years after the first movie. I enjoyed 2 in much the same way as 1 but it definitely has the same over use of philosophy and metaphors. If you don't get hung up on that, it is the most visually stunning film I've ever seen. While some of the scenes seem like they just did them to look good and don't aid the story at all, there are other moments where the juxtaposition of classical animation on top of intricately detailed CG environments gives it a remarkable look and sense of immersion. If you liked the first one, you'll definitely enjoy this one, even if it is a bit lighter on the substance. If you couldn't get by 1's philosophizing diaglouge, 2 will drive you insane.