GHOST IN THE SHELL 2.0
Year: 2009 (1995)
UK: Manga Entertainment
Cast (voices of): Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese (English subtitles)
UK: 79 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong violence
UK Release Date: 2 October 2009 (Limited Re-release)
Synopsis
The return of Mamoru Oshii's visionary sci-fi anime in which a prototype virtual agent takes the form of a computer virus, causing havoc within the cybernetic network.
The year is 2029 and a female government cyber agent and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of a "The Puppet Master", a computer virus capable of invading cybernetic brains and altering the memories of its victims. Created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and codenamed "Project 2501", this "hacker" is actually a prototype virtual agent which has now defied its makers by seeking asylum within a new host body outside of the electronic net. Now the two agencies must manoeuvre against each another in a violent, high-tech race to capture the omnipresent entity.
Ground-breaking in its blending of traditional cell and computer animation and a touchstone for a great deal of the sci-fi cinema that followed it, Oshii's film has never looked or sounded better than in this re-mastered, re-coloured HD print which features 90 altered or enhanced scenes plus a new soundtrack and a re-recorded voicetrack by the original actors.
In 1995, the animated cyberpunk action-thriller GHOST IN THE SHELL stunned moviegoers and anime fans alike by seamlessly merging traditional animation with the latest CG imagery to create an intelligent and artistic sci-fi spectacle unlike anything seen before. The film enjoyed both critical and popular acclaim at the international box office before going on to reach even greater success on DVD.
Now, director Mamoru Oshii (THE SKY CRAWLERS; AVALON) has revisited his classic masterpiece to create a newly enhanced "director's cut" for cinemas in the form of GHOST IN THE SHELL 2.0. Containing over 90 altered and enhanced scenes and an all-new soundtrack that includes dialogue re-recorded by the original actors (with the exception of one new voice cast member who adds a unique spin to the plot), this new release represents the perfect opportunity for fans to see this mind-blowing film as originally intended on the big screen.
From the director
"Only a hundred thousand people saw [GHOST IN THE SHELL] in cinemas back in 1995," remembers Oshii. "To this day, most people have only seen it on video. That's why I really wanted people to have a chance to see it on the big screen, and I really hope they do. In terms of CGI, there are over 90 cuts that have been altered and enhanced. And with extensive use of filter effects and colour correction techniques throughout the rest of the film, it's fair to say that pretty much the entire movie has been enhanced in some way."
GHOST IN THE SHELL 2.0 is an undisputed anime and sci-fi classic - an unmissable cinematic experience that, amazingly, now looks and sounds even better than ever.
