Innocence 2004

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: I was not only able to comprehend Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, but connect with it emotionally. And that's all the more impressive considering the characters are something less than human. Read more

David Chute, L.A. Weekly: This sophomoric stuff is pure self-indulgence, a drone to accompany the admittedly eye-popping sound-and-light show. Read more

Robert K. Elder, Chicago Tribune: Those able to pick through the hiss-tangled web of circuitry and wiring will find Ghost in the Shell 2 an electrically-charged philosophical action movie. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: Mamoru Oshii's 2004 follow-up to his 1995 anime noir is that rare sequel that surpasses the original. Read more

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: Its intentions aren't as clear as they should be, but it's clearly the work of a deep-thinking artist with a fearful concern for a future in which the nature of humanity is entirely uncertain. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: Doesn't match the weight of its predecessor, or really add anything necessary to the saga, but it doesn't hurt the body of work, either. Read more

Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Solemnly questioning issues of science and metaphysics, it creates a spell that's a unique blend of the ominous and the sensual. Read more

Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: A revelation, a challenging yet enlightening journey into the depths of creativity and imagination. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: More vital than most police procedurals, fusing the metaphysical and the scientific into a pulp yarn with a gentle but bruising philosophical kick. Read more

Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times: Unplug from the narrative, let the images of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence wash over you, and enjoy the beautiful ride. Read more

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle: Portentous and pretentious, Shell 2 crawls along like a machine on low batteries. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Batou is mostly cyborg, Togusa is mostly human. But since both are made with the DNA of the Tokyo-born Oshii, they're both gogglingly original. Read more

Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News: A rehash that takes a timely theme, mankind's obsession with technology, and bloats it to the point of incomprehension, cramming meaning into dialogue that has none. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: Praiseworthy for its concepts and aesthetics, yet it is too theory-heavy and action-shy, clumped with philosophical tangents and scholarly reference points. Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: Innocence doesn't just reveal a wealth of visual enchantments; it restates the case that there can and should be more to feature-length animations than cheap jokes, bathos and pandering. Read more

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The plot is difficult to follow, but the imagery needs no translation. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: The effect of so much pretension and so many lovely images eventually becomes soporific. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Occasional passages of shell-cracking egghead overload aside, there's no getting past Innocence's astounding visual power. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: The elegance, attention to detail, the invention and expertise all ensure that the movie's never less than visually breathtaking. Read more

Derek Elley, Variety: Talky, repetitive and largely covering the same ground with no new thoughts. Read more

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: You can call me fanboy, but this is the best anime I've ever seen. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: While the visuals are at times stylish, Ghost suffers most from a distinct lack of anything, well, cinematic. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: This spectacular sequel to Oshii's 1996 Ghost in the Shell may not be quite as good as the first, but it's still a trip to a universe almost impossible to describe yet so vivid that once you've visited, you'll never forget. Read more