GHOST IN THE SHELL 2:
INNOCENCE aka INNOCENCE
Year: 2004
USA: Go Fish Pictures
UK: Manga Entertainment
Cast: Akio Otsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, KOichi Yamadera, Naoto Takenaka, Ruby, Yutaka Nakano, Tamio Oki, Hiroaki Hirata, Sumi Mutoh, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Masaki Terasoma
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese / Cantonese (English subtitles)
UK: 100 mins
USA Rated: PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and brief language
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong fantasy violence
USA Release Date: 17 September 2004 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 28 October 2005
US Distributor
US Distributor
Synopsis
The long-awaited sequel to one of the most successful anime films ever made, GHOST IN THE SHELL, Mamoru Oshii's (GHOST IN THE SHELL; AVALON) GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE comes to the UK riding a wave of eager anticipation amongst filmgoers and anime fans alike.
The first ever anime film to be nominated for the Cannes International Film Festival's highly prestigious Palme D'Or, GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE is a breathtaking technical and visual achievement four years in the making. A work that is as equally groundbreaking as its predecessor, it seamlessly combines 2-D and 3-D CG animation techniques to produce an action-packed, sci-fi fable of a solitary cyborg struggling to retain what's left of his humanity in a world where the human soul is gradually fading into obscurity.
It is the year 2032 and Earth is a world where the few remaining humans coexist with cyborgs, human spirits inhabiting mechanized bodies, and dolls, robots with no human elements whatsoever. A cyborg detective for the government's covert anti-terrorist unit Public Security Section 9, Batou is charged with investigating the bizarre case of a malfunctioning gynoid - a hyper-realistic female robot created specifically for sexual companionship - responsible for slaughtering its owner.
Delving deeper and deeper into the investigation, Batou and his partner, Togusa, are forced to confront violent Yakuza thugs, devious hackers, influential government bureaucrats and powerful corporate criminals. As they move closer to uncovering the mystery, it slowly becomes apparent that the truth behind the crime is far more shocking than anyone dared imagine.
Inspired by the literary works of Phillip K Dick and the surrealist art of Hans Bellmer, GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE is a philosophical thrill-ride through the darkest regions of human - and inhuman - nature, combining full-throttle action, cutting-edge animation, and one of the most provocative storylines in recent memory. Part detective story, part futuristic actioner, GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE is an animated epic that ranks alongside such live-action sci-fi box office smashes as BLADE RUNNER, TOTAL RECALL, ALIEN, I ROBOT and THE MATRIX.