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Video trailer
Director
Director
Cast
Major Motoko Kusanagi
Batou
Daisuke Aramaki
Dr. Ouélet
Hideo Kuze
Togusa
Ishikawa
Saito
Borma
Red Robed Geisha
Synopsis
In the near future, Major is the first of her kind: a human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals.
Original titleGhost in the Shell
IMDb Rating6.7 63,075 votes
TMDb Rating5.8 1155 votes
Similar titles
Definitely not up to par with the original
Rupert Sanders is back again with the live action remake of the
acclaimed Japanese film ”Ghost in the Shell”. Which talks about a
future in which humans can enhance ourselves with robotic parts. The
movie follows the story of Major, a woman whose body is 100% robotic,
but her brain is human. Starting with Johansson’s performance, her
acting is quite stiff, similar to how we saw her in ”Lucy” , this is
comprehensible, since in the original film, Major’s speech and
mannerisms are very ”robotic”, however, it doesn’t feel like Johansson
achieved that, and her acting ends up looking forced even, which
wouldn’t be much of a problem if she weren’t the main character and we
saw her 99% of the whole movie. The film, compared to the original, is
very easy to understand, everything is explained, either visually or in
the script. The movie pretends to be reflexive, but it doesn’t achieve
it at the same level as the Japanese version. It’s reflective in a way
that appeals to the emotion. Visually, the film it’s incredible, the
weapon design and the design of the city are impeccable. The sequences
of the city are incredible. However, this alone doesn’t keep the movie
afloat. Also, there are sequences that are straight up copied from the
original film, but they don’t evoke the same feelings. The action
sequences are good, but they’re definitely not up to par with the ones
from the Japanese version, they don’t generate the same feel and become
predictable. The movie seems to be embellished more than it should,
with unnecessary visual effects, sequences, and shots, which, on the
long run, make the movie feel long and become quite boring. The
original version works because, despite being simple, it’s reflective,
aesthetically beautiful and has an amazing soundtrack. However, and,
leaving comparisons behind the movie works for what it is, a Hollywood
remake that I’m sure the general public will enjoy.
Ghost in the shell for dummies
Maybe I had my hopes too high for this one. Like many other fans of the
original material, this adaptation has intrigued me since the first
trailers were available online, because it really looked nice visually,
but, Is this movie worth to be part of the GitS universe?
– Short answer: Not really. Not even nice try.
– Long answer: The cinematography its truly remarkable, it somehow
reproduce the atmosphere of the original anime, the decaying,
depressing, dark megalopolis is correctly reproduced here (despite the
giant weird advertisements that are spread around, that doesn’t really
make any sense, and didn’t appear in the anime, what are they trying to
sell?), the costumes, robots, and the general look and feel of the
characters are quite satisfying and solid. The music is not bad at all,
includes some of the original score and it work towards creating a
dense and dark environment. The acting is standard, not bad at all. The
script is…. ohhh boy, let me breath… to use nice words, the script
seems to be written addressed to children or to very ‘slow’ people. All
the rich complexity, all the mature and philosophical themes, all the
sides of the story that the original material let out to be imagined by
the viewer, all that is gone here. Here you can find a bland, generic
script, that explain a generic origin story, that never tries to get
into the philosophical or ethical implications of human body
enhancements or AI. Where the characters are one-sided, good vs bad
people. We are use to that over-simplification of a movie plot, since
we sadly live in a world conquered by the ‘marvel’/’batman’ method of
making a movie, where the plot should be simple and thin, the
characters shouldn’t have any grays and the action should be convoluted
and confusing, full of minions to destroy for the sake of fill 100
minutes (well at least this adaptation has correct action scenes, that
are easy to follow and most of the time are not annoying). To wrap up,
a correct movie, that shines in the visual and action sides, but has a
forgettable script and characters. It will probably perform good in the
box office, and that worries me because what could come next, it will
be really sad to see how they reduce Akira, Jin-roh, Evangelion or
Cowboy bebbop to a generic action blockbuster without any of the things
that made those stories great.
Users writing reviews before the movie is out?
DO NOT TRUST USER REVIEWS It is unjustified to judge a movie based on
your own hatred for what Hollywood has ”done” to animated movies in the
previous years, but to write a review before the movie is even out
acting like you have watched the film is blasphemous. In the four
minute released clip of Ghost in the Shell (2017), it received praise
and changed the minds of many once philosophical questions WERE
inserted into the scenes, along with a more modern way of taking the
original scenes and Americanizing it which isn’t necessarily a bad
thing to do. Most of the people are mad at the actors race, and the way
the trailer was formatted. But in order to form your own opinion on it
you should go out and purchase a ticket. I personally via early
screening enjoyed the movie, the mechanics & detail put into the movie
is very fitting for a 2017 film, a good chunk is not CGI either. It is
very hard to talk about the film without spoiling, but with Scarlett
Johansons style of acting it fit the emotionless Major even if it’s not
a blank stare. I truly suggest viewers to go out and purchase a ticket
like I said before and form your own personal opinion on it.
They lost the substance in all the CGI effects
When you read this review, keep in mind that I had expected Ghost in
the Shell to be a solid 10/10, and that it could quite possibly be one
of the best movies of this decade. Instead, it’s tepid. I didn’t hate
it, but it was a bit like a nice, but not great roller-coaster: nice
entertainment for the moment, but nothing you write home about.
It has lots of great CGI effects, but the characters are seriously
lacking. It’s like they didn’t want to give the characters any texture
or depth because that could detract the viewer from the special
effects. I think this is more a question of direction and editing
rather than acting.
Typically, I feel I can re-watch a good sci-fi movie a couple times.
Whether it’s more action like Minority Report or more drama like
Interstellar, the rewatchability factor to me is more a question about
the feeling I get from watching the movie. Sadly, the rewatchability
factor for this movie is basically 0 on my part. In the end, it’s like
watching a very long movie sequence in a video game – but in a video
game, the film sequences are just a small part of the whole experience.
And that’s how this movie feels in the end: like it is lacking a big
part of the experience.
Some great visuals but sadly the story deviates too far from the original
Under a different name there was potential for this to have been a good
movie. Unfortunately since this is a so called Ghost in the Shell movie
it completely missed the mark. Because if you change something too much
from its origin, after a certain point it is no longer that thing
anymore – such as it is.
Scarlett Johansson was terrible choice as Motoko Kusanagi. (ProTip:
MAJOR is a rank, not a name) The studio exes simply wanted a ”Black
Widow” to sell movie tickets instead of accurately portraying the
character.
The character Motoko is supposed to know exactly who she is, where she
comes from and her purpose, she is strong and cold, focused and brutal,
a great leader part of an elite team, hardly sexual or feminine at all
unless required for tactical reasons but instead we this typical
generic mediocre default female lead version of Motoko.
Pilou Asbæk is also a very bad representation of Batou, hes nothing
like Batou physically or in character or even acting.
Another case (and very typical recently) of the director not
understanding the mythos, the very point and heart, of the thing they
are trying to recreate and instead inflicting the audience with their
own shallow misguided interpretation.
Essentially the meaning and spirit of the story is completely lost in
the ‘hollywood washing’ of the original concept, the characters
thoroughly misrepresented and incorrectly portrayed.
Unforgivable. Epic Fail.
A Sci-Fi Cyberpunk audio-visual orgasm
A Sci-Fi Cyberpunk audio-visual orgasm, must watch at the theater in
3D. Trust me, is an experience you don’t want to miss. Scarlett does a
great job and transmit the emotions of the character. All the cast is
fantastic and the combination of the great score by Clint Mansell and
the views of the Cyberpunk Tokyo makes it a jewel in the Sci-Fi genre.
Don’t list to the SJW and basement dwellers, the movie is great.
Too many people crying about ”Whitewashing” in this movie yet
applauding when actors of non-white ethnicity’s get ”white roles”(Will
smith as dead-shot for exp).
This film was great, amazing visuals, great story adaptation, Scarjo
was amazing as The Major, go see it for yourself!
Ghost in the Shell definitely has a soul.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Reviews for a movie that isn’t even out yet?!?
Its amazing how a movie that has not even been released yet already has
user reviews, all from anime fans that can’t handle the fact that their
niche hobby is being introduced into the mainstream as live action.
Obviously the movie won’t be as good as the 1995 original mainly
because the studios want to reach more people instead and also because
it is easier to do a lot more for less in animation vs. live action. If
you are angered that it isn’t as good as the 1995 movie, then please
stay home and watch the original and not ruin the movie going
experience for normal and new fans who will look at these ratings and
decide the movie isn’t worth watching.
Please take all your complaints to anime forums instead of those used
by the general public.
Just not good, sorry.
Not good. There are some nice moments, but in overall it is bad and
dull. Won’t go into details, but if you are a Ghost in the Shell fan or
expect a movie that is not aimed for 12-year olds, then it is probably
not for you. Not for me, for sure. Scarlett Johansson is beyond
criticism, she is really good, but the movie makers are not. Weak plot.
Ghost in the Shell happily ruined.
McDonald’s version of Sushi
If I had to do an analogy, I’d say this movie is to the original
whatwould happen if Mc Donalds tried to make sushi.
Story wise, the movie is both a dumbed down version and has major plot
changes (it’s about the same magnitude of difference as between the
book ”I am legend” and the ending of the movie that shares the same
name. If you know what I mean, and are a fan of GITS, I just crushed
your hopes hard).
Also visually, when I thought about GITS (1995 version, which I loved),
I picture something aesthetically pleasing and beautiful. For the live
action movie, aside from the restaurant scene, which looked great, I
didn’t like the visuals much, felt kinda cheap (esp. the city). You can
tell the director tried a bit, but all in all, it’s lacking a soul. On
a side note : The guy playing Batou was a good cast for the role , he
got the job done.
PS : And what was this BS with Kitano’s dialogues ?!? Either have his
dialogues in full Japanese, or in full English, but what they did here
screams ”Takeshi did not want to speak English, and the cast didn’t
want to learn 3 words of Japanese”, it just felt plain awkward.
Great visual experience…The story deviated but still retains the essence of the source material
I just watched the movie in 3D on the opening day here in the
Philippines.
Visuals & Cinematography: It was an anime brought to life. Every
sequence is a great experience. I think the live action was on par or
even exceeded the visuals from the anime movies before it.
Pacing: They just simply did it right. It did not bore me.I am
satisfied.
Plot & Story: I really appreciate how they deviated the story but still
were able to retain the essence and themes of the source material. I
hold section 9’s unity and trust with each other with a high regard.
Actors: Scarlett Johansson delivers in this movie IMO. Beat Takeshi as
Aramaki is badass and a awesome leader. Batou is great and complements
well with the major. Kuze is freaky as hell. He is as they initially
described as a combination of the Puppet Master & Kuze of the anime
series.
Music: The movie could have been mind blowing if they try to tap into
Kenji Kawai’s Iconic sound track and Yoko Kano’s ”Inner Universë”and
”Torukia”. It is still good though. I still gave this movie a 9 out of
10 because of the musical score that could have been a lot better.
Final Thoughts: Go see it in 3D and be immersed into a futuristic world
where technology and humanity become one. Its a movie that stands on
its own. A must watch movie!
PS: Hoping for a sequel. ^_^
11/10
i must say i did not have high hopes for this film, but it was amazing!
not only does it shine light on the original series/movie(s) it has an
original plot with added themes from the original movie made in 1995
and NAILS it! if you have watched the anime you will find nice little
Easter eggs that to be honest made me tear up. i highly recommend this
film (even if you haven’t see the anime) 11/10
The worst Hollywood adaption in recent years…
I’m a pretty generous critic I believe, I will gladly give out points
for trying and failing. Sadly the Hollywood creators did not even try,
judging from the script, it’s likely they didn’t even understand the
source content. It reminds me of the days where Hollywood use to adapt
a book changing everything about it except the name. Hollywood sigh, I
thought we were over this bad behavior.
Every character expect for batou’s dog got a serious downgrade in
intelligence and depth making for a group of highly skilled idiots
jumping from one scene to the next. It’s such a pity because each
character in the original could easily uphold a film for themselves.
Visually it’s fairly similar as they have taken shot for shot views
which can look gorgeous. Scenes not directly in the original can look a
bit flashy and unrealistic. They have attempted to imbue some
philosophy in here and failed big time. The heart of ghost in the shell
was ripped apart and we got a below average sci-fi thriller.
Review: Ghost in the Shell – A little uncomfortable, but looks and sounds great.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Vibrant futuristic world and basic plot, it’s a simple sci-fi wearing skin of Ghost in the Shell, beautiful it may be.
Looking at the highlights of Ghost in the Shell, one can see the spirit
of the original series from the quirky scenery and heavy eye candy.
Fans and casual audience would appreciate the effort, but Ghost’s world
is notoriously riddled with complex, even philosophical undertone, and
in attempt to make it simpler, the movie became a streamlined sci-fi
thriller.
First spotlight falls on the Mayor (Scarlett Johansson). This is a very
daunting character to translate to big screen as she has barely shown
any emotions across the series, yet there’s a sense of guile, charm and
slyness within. Conveying underlying emotions while looking stoic, also
in runtime of a movie, can be a challenge. Not to mention she has
makeover across animation series, so there will be most likely any
disagreement regardless of whoever cast.
Fortunately, Scar Jo provides more than just the big name allure. For
most she carries herself well, there are occasional faint glows of
hidden humanity, they are not as pronounced or often yet
serendipitously fits the character. Still, content doesn’t help much
with the usual self-doubt and mundane thriller troupes. That being
said, Scar Jo dons the main heroine’s suit as effectively and
captivatingly as possible.
This futuristic world is not without its charm, a trait the movie
showcases with high rise building and holographic ads plastered across
the horizon every time it changes location or scene. Thankfully, the
angle, little details and cinematography for major set pieces stay true
to the original vibe. If anything, the occupants of this world are not
fully fleshed out. The villain is lacking in sense of dread and perhaps
only a couple of characters aside Mayor get any significant
development.
Action might remind audience of The Matrix, rightfully so as the two
are inspired by one another. It provides undoubtedly stunning visual,
one on the wetland is especially impeccable. The cosmetic, gadgetry and
suits offer enhance futuristic world even more. It’s appreciated that,
at the very least, the studio went to such extend to honor the original
source.
The impressive visual trinkets and the cast of Scarlett Johansson help
elevate the movie adaptation, one would find something charming in the
damp futuristic world. However, with basic plot and crude development,
the movie feels like an ordinary sci-fi wearing the skin of Ghost in
the Shell.
Unfortunately another Hollywood remake that did not need to be
We learn three things watching the brand spanking new Ghost In The
Shell (this is supposed to be a remake of the original feature length).
1- Hollywood computer graphics are advancing all the time 2- Hollywood
really needs to layoff all the remakes, sequels, prequel, remakes and
side shoots and we need to stop paying to see them (I was at an early
premier and did not pay to see this having free passes) 3- Japan does
not have actors or actresses and so they need to get actors from
Hollywood (clearly or all else why not get a Japanese actress to star
in a Japanese tale??) With that said, I went into this movie with an
open mind hoping that it would not be bad and adds to love for the
series and my collections. I glanced at my GITS DVDs as I left the
house excited for the possibility. I really wanted this film to
surprise me, but did not want it deviate from an already exciting and
innovative plot too far. It failed to achieve that however. What I saw
was a shoddy story, a lack of understanding regarding the morality of
GIIS, a lot of impressive graphics and an actress who does not belong,
is of the wrong ethnicity and really does not know what the original
story of the film she is in is about. For her, it is a pay check. The
music, in particular was disappointing and fails. I honestly can’t
think of any redeeming qualities that this film has other than as a
showcase of how soulless impressive CGIs could be. . hopefully the
Japanese will continue the series on their own.
Good Storyline…
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
If you’re a fan, go and see it. If you’re not, go and see it.
I have just seen the movie at an advanced screening. I’m writing here
because, somehow, there are already 34 baseless reviews from people who
haven’t seen the film. I registered immediately to rectify that
situation.
I was truly concerned that this movie wouldn’t satisfy me as a fan.
Even though the accusations of whitewashing were baseless to begin
with, I was concerned that they may have westernized or washed out some
of the GITS flavour that I know and love.
To me, this film was fantastic. I went in expecting to be disappointed
and I came out grinning ear to ear. I laughed as I watched Aramaki be a
down right bad ass. The relationship between Major and Batou was
freakin’ spot on. There’s a lot of philosophy to represent, and that’s
not easy to do in a movie designed to capture and keep attention, but
they did it. The fan service was brilliant and I loved it. It was
visually stunning. The soundtrack was wonderful. Scarjo was an
excellent study of the Major. It was not tacky or cliché at all.
Please, do not listen to the inevitable vapid borderline insulting
”critiques” that you’ll no doubt uncover by the various news media who
were targeted with pumping out a review for a movie they genuinely
don’t give two shits about. This movie won’t be for everyone. It’s
scifi. It’s intellectual. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
But it’s good. It’s a classic. And I, for one, am genuinely gratified
and impressed. Good work.
Enter Blade Runner, mix with Matrix, beef up with state-of-the-art special effects: Introducing Ghost In The Shell
Enter Blade Runner, mix with Matrix, beef up with state-of-the-art
special effects. Introducing Ghost In The Shell: stunning
cinematography, though not totally original; loads of action, though
with a feel of deja-vu; a few nice in-the-nude sights of Scarlett
Johansson, which do not harm. This is today’s cinema folks, where
relatively easy access to digital manipulation can produce amazing
visuals which can fill the void left by weak storytelling. Chapeau to
the brave directors and producers of the originals, made 30+ years ago
when image technology was at stone-age levels; yet they set standards
copied still today. Considering that Blade Runner 2049 is going to be
released in fall this year, I am just wondering what tricks mr. Dennis
Villeneuve has in his sleeves to avoid the paradox that this re-make is
not made obsolete by its copies.
Movie released early in my country so…
Ghost in the Shell was I thought going to disappoint me. It didn’t. In
fact it improved on the vague points of the original making it tight
but stayed true to the spirit of the anime. Action is fast paced,
characters were well acted out and all the subtle nuances were there.
my complaints: they changed the beer and there are no tachikomas. do i
recommend it? hells yes
Not lost in translation. A very competent addition to the franchise.
Off the bat, this film isn’t perfect. Batou is flat and lacking the
cocky charm many of us have come to love. And some of the character
changes out-right counter the key themes of this film. And sadly it
does wander down the road of American tendency to spell themes out to
the audience.
That said, this film had an unexpected level of depth. The trailers for
the film appear to have been intentionally deceptive, creating an image
of the plot and characters which the film progresses to shatter.
‘The Major’s’ character is fleshed out with additional substance.
Scarlet’s version of the major stoops unnecessarily, and poses
awkwardly while not moving. It seems odd at first, but realized as
intentional later on.
While the film lacks something akin to the ‘intermission’ scene from
the 1995 film, it still takes time to explore The Major’s moments of
self examination. It is in theses scenes where the film slows down and
allows the audience more time to read.
The action scenes are mostly fun, but they too don’t stray too far from
the central premise and don’t overwhelm the story. So much so that the
re-creation of the garbage truck pursuit is cut down to a fraction of
what it was, giving more time to other plot elements.
As for the cultural appropriation? Well, the film uses that controversy
and turns it into a major plot point. I’m a little uncomfortable with
how they achieved that, but it is very inventive.
Early reviews not that early
The movie premiered in Japan on 16 March 2017, and in South Korea on 17
March 2017. So, yes, you can have reviews since 16 March. And no, GitS
is no whitewashing, because the major didn’t look very Japanese in the
original manga either. A reviewer called it ”cosplay” of the 1995
anime, which is a nice way to put it: cosplay is all about looks, and
as good as nothing about content. A cosplayer only hints at the
content, but does not itself contain the content.
He is very loyal to anime and I was amazed at the whole look and picture of the movie.
I expected less from an adaptation of Hollywood for such a devoted
anime. But, I was amazed at the whole look and picture of the movie. He
is very loyal to anime and is one of the strengths of this live action
adaptation. In addition to the visual fidelity, several scenes are
practically the same as those of the anime. It warms the hearts of
fans. As for the existential questions and the philosophy that are the
forte of anime, in this adaptation does not deepen so much, but it is
still there but superficial some existential questions. More than she
hoped she would have. I think that in the face of Hollywood’s historic
adaptation of Japanese works, Ghost In The Shell is a welcome surprise.
I hope in the sequel bring the Puppet Master with questions about
consciousness and non-organic life.
Nice Fx and CGI, not much on story
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Love it
I loved the original anime and sequels (movies and series). Opposite to
some SCIFI sagas (recent Star Trek movies for example), there is
respect with the source material.
This movie takes the great scenes of the original movie and makes them
the ”live”, and successfully. There are great CGI scenes but not too
excessive. And also the story is different than the anime. So no remake
here.
Scarlet Johansson plays the title character perfectly and the other
supportive actors and actresses are excellent too.
I hope there will be U.S. sequels !
So yes, go watch it. It is worth !
Full-Loaded Story
Outstanding!
I just watched the movie today, and it’s very amazing. I love the story
and the characters on it. I know it’s very hard to describe each
character in less than 2 hours, but this one is more than enough.
Scarlett Johansson once again shows her best performance, and of course
her sexy appearance.
Most of all, I enjoy the story. A full-package story that I never
regret to give 10 stars. Though the idea is not original, but overall
Rupert Sanders, the director, can successfully make it enjoyable.
It’s worth to watch in cinema!
Cheers (Y)
There’s no Ghost in this Shell. Should just call it ”Generic Cyborg Action Film”.
Firstly, let’s get the metaphorical elephant out of the room by saying
Scarlett Johansson did OK playing the Major. Next, the guy who played
Batou did a better job.
In some aspects, a decent live-action re-enactment of all the iconic
scenes from the 90s anime. The effects guys, the camera and lights
guys, set creators, make-up artists, costume makers and this Sanders
fellow got the looks, feel and mood of the original GITS environments
of the manga and anime series absolutely spot on. It’s eye candy for
fans who’ve wondered how GITS can be visually represented in a
live-action film. That’s all there is to have; everything else is just
utter rubbish.
This film is not worthy of the title, Ghost in the Shell, because apart
from the visuals, there is no semblance of it to the source material
that one can consider it generous to call this ”a generic cyborg action
film inspired by GITS”. If we are to just listen to the dialogue, and
all the character names are changed and Section 9 is called something
else, we wouldn’t have a clue that this film is adapted from GITS. The
essence that makes GITS what it is in all its different incarnations
(various manga and anime) is missing and we are left with bits of
shallow musings about what it means to be human in a robotic body.
So all in, if you’re unfamiliar with the source material, it’ll be a
mildly interesting plod through a pretty but rather boringly paced
sci-fi. Fans of GITS would probably wonder why bother to make a
live-action adaptation if you’re not going to put the spirit of the
source material into the movie.
It is beautiful to look at…that’s about it.
Ghost in the Shell is arguably one of the most beloved anime films of
all time. Approaching nearly 22 years old, the original film still
holds up as, not only a great film, but a thought provoking one too.
Fast forward to 2017, we’re introduced to the CGI spectacle that many
believed was going to be the first great live action adaptation
especially when the first trailer was released. Instead of appeasing
fans of the original, this film decides to clip its own nuts and wants
to be seen on a broader spectrum. Throw in some heavily edited fight
sequences, a PG-13 rating and Scarlett Johansson, we get 2017 Ghost in
the Shell…and it is downright painful at times.
The film is, more or less, a shot for shot remake at times and then
other times it tries to do its own thing. Truthfully, Rupert Sanders’
erratic direction and Jamie Moss’ lackluster adapted script make this a
very hard film for a fan to watch. While it may be easily looked over
because of the wonderful use of CGI and cinematography, under the
surface the film is superficial and very idiotic at times. Scarlett
Johansson as Major is a major miscast (no pun intended). She is wooden
and feels like she is sleepwalking through this role. While it is clear
that after Lucy and The Avengers, Johansson is wanting to be an action
hero icon. She is a tremendous actress in every way but it is hard to
buy her as Major.
Overall, this film is yet another remake that misses the mark. Walking
out of my screening, I kept hearing the comparisons to the remake of
RoboCop from a group of people. I must say, this was an accurate
comparison and I couldn’t have made a better comparison even if I
tried. The film suffers from blatant studio meddling, a poor script,
and a very erratic director, much like that remake. These are three
things that are too hard to ignore. Hardcore fans of Ghost in the Shell
will probably be massively disappointed by this blatant cash grab. The
young teenagers might get a kick out of the action sequences and CGI
but the adults will be left watching the original for their enjoyment.
Remake? – Well sort of.
You can’t make a classic better by altering the story and still make
everybody think you make a (storywise identical) remake.
Besides from that it is nice that the story get’s a different twist.
It’s no change for the better, because it’s a much to »expected« change
when you watch the movie and the movie is not half as menacing as the
original. But at least you don’t know the whole plot, and it’s
entertaining to watch. There is enough to see and find to watch it
several times.
I’d like to give it a 7.5 – because visuals are stunning – even though
the aesthetics of the original aren’t met. These visuals represent new
ideas, created for a science fiction movie that becomes more and more a
possible reality.
It’s not dull, it’s far better then your average Hollywood Action
Flick. I hope that people get curious and watch the original as well.
Story: 6.5 Visuals 8.5 Ending: 4 Relevance: 9
Great disappointment for anime fans, but also nothing special for people who haven’t seen anime/graphic novels etc
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Fantastic adaptation of GITS!
Just got back from the cinema and… I thought the film was superb.
Definitely warrants repeat viewings at the cinema.
I really liked the Majors new backstory, I found it especially poignant
as she started to remember who she was before her ghost was placed in a
synthetic body. Scarjo was great as the Major, and so were all of the
actors that comprised Section 9, with a special nod to Kitano & Asbæk,
really hope to see them all return in a sequel/s.
The visuals were stunning although I would have liked to have seen a
real model of the Spider Tank in some of the shots.
Fabulous soundtrack too.
9/10
Great movie! Why all the negativity?
I just saw Ghost in the Shell with my wife. As a fan of the 1995 anime
movie I have been looking forward to this film. I thought this
adaptation of the story was very intriguing both visually and
philosophically. Sure, some of the complexities from the original 1995
version have been simplified, but let’s face it, the 1995 anime film is
not for everybody. Johansson appears to have really taken her character
seriously and I felt more depth to her character than I felt with the
anime Major. I think this new adaptation will reach more people and
hopefully get folks interested in the source material.
If you are looking for a live action copy of the original, then go back
and watch the original. If you enjoyed the 1995 GITS and the thought
provoking concepts and issues it illustrates, then I believe that you
will love this film as much as I do.
I will be taking my kids (teenagers) to see this movie and enjoy an
evening of discussion that this film will stimulate. Well done!
A drop in the ocean of Cyberspace
Having watched, enjoyed and re-watched the films and TV series over the
years I was intrigued to see how a live action film would come out.
It’s not a bad film. Standing alone it’s an OK action/sci-fi film. As a
live action recreation of the GITS universe it falls flat. Why?
1. It somewhat misses (or ignores) the point of the original Ghost in
the Shell even though the term is used in the film.
2. It has none of the rich backstory of the universe in which GITS
exists. With all the material which has gone before a better picture
could have been painted of this future world and how it got to be what
it is.
3. The Section 9 team were not a team. The banter and humanity of the
section was lost in the glare of the spotlight on The Majors story.
Motivations were also unclear partly because of the lack of backstory.
A cynical view says the story may have suffered from being dumb-ed down
and then being passed through an internationalising process to remove
anything which could potentially have caused offence.
Being optimistic there is so much material from the original stories
that there is opportunity to correct the errors in the sequels.
Oh yes.
As a long-time fan of the original Anime I have four words to sum up
this live-action adaptation:
* They got it right.
It’s not often you watch a film adaptation and shivers go down your
spine as you see scenes from the original adaptation recreated
perfectly.
And to top it off Scarlet had obviously studied the original herself.
She captured the melancholy air and expressions of the Major admirably.
Yes, the story has been changed somewhat, but that’s fine. It’s a
different film, with a different story. It’s more a shift in
perspective with a shift in the story to accommodate it.
Disappointing – Sadly
With such high hopes that Hollywood would get this right I was left
bitterly disappointed with the effort created here.
If you aren’t a fan of the original this may be bearable but for those
who know the anime, this will fall way short of expectations.
Direction – Very poor. Unsure if this was art, action, syfy, thriller.
The jumps between action scenes to badly crafted ”pigeon flights” made
it very difficult to watch and a clearer direction would have helped.
Casting – Really poor. Channel 4’s ”Humans” offered a more watchable
performance. Very difficult to like anyone in this other than the
Japanese cast.
Action – This was a poor mans Matrix.
Visual – While stunning it was over played and complicated. Compared to
Colin Farrell’s ”Total Recall” it was a very weak showing. Keep it
Simple!
Music – Outstanding, I will be downloading the Soundtrack ASAP.
However, in line with the Direction all the music was played at the
wrong time and wrong scenes.
Ground Breaking – I was hoping to put this in the genre of Blade
Runner. Sadly I don’t think this will go down in history for anything
other than a hashed out movie.
My girlfriend, who is Japanese, liked it though. read into that what
you will.
Sorry Scarlett – You were right for the part but this was bad.
My fear was validated.
I was afraid the U.S. live version of one of my beloved classics might
not turn out good and sadly it happened exactly the way i expected. I
was slightly surprised in what glory it fails.
Pretty much everything semi-important of this movie works amazingly
well. The visuals are fantastic, the effects are great, the atmosphere
is beautiful and the music is very good. But in the central points of
what made the original hauntingly beautiful, this one lacks: Instead of
a delicate view at what it means to be human, this movie rather goes
for a weak action plot. The screenplay does a mediocre Matrix
impression. The dialogues are just blunt and miss the grace and
sensibility of its 20 year old reference. I stopped caring after 30
minutes.
As such the action scenes don’t carry any weight and all the citations
from the original anime come across as hollow and weightless. Which is
a shame, as they are executed great! What a waste. I really wanted to
like this movie, but it hardly anything but another well made yet
ultimately boring action flick.
Disappointing
This film tells the story of an android which is built to be a warrior.
She is dedicated to stopping and eliminating dangerous cyber criminals,
but through exactly this process, she discovers her true identity and
questions her existence.
The poster looks really cool so I have high hopes for this film.
Unfortunately, I was thoroughly bored by it. A person sitting behind me
admitted the whole way through as well. The problem with the story is
that it starts off looking really cool, but soon seems to have run out
of money for computer graphics. Choosing to shoot many parts of the
film in run down parts of Hong Kong doesn’t enhance its glamour or
appeal. I know this aspect is staying true to the original anime, but
since they are changing so much of the story, they could have made the
whole thing more glamorous. The mix between simplified Chinese,
traditional Chinese, Japanese and even Korean texts on street signs is
simply dizzying.
The story is not very engaging for me. It doesn’t convey our explain
the plot points well. I find myself hoping it to end, and I thought it
was way longer than the 97 minutes of runtime. One thing that is good
is Batou, he gives off the fearless warrior vibe which is vital for
this film. I am disappointed by this film. I thought it would be
stylish and intelligent, but it isn’t.
Good adaptation to a Hollywood type movie
Hi,
I have to give a score 8 out of 10 after just watching the movie in
IMAX theater. The visual effects were astounding, especially if you
consider that the movie was based on the cartoon in which there are no
limits. In this regard the movie is even 9 or 9.5 out of 10. But I gave
the overall score of 8 just because in the end it is a rewritten and
adapted version of the original and the Hollywood always considers
larger masses and not just the fans. I believe that most of us that saw
the original years ago had the more time for the story to settle in and
as time passed the connection to the story got stronger. So when we
watched the movie it is perfectly normal that not everyone has the same
opinion regarding the movie since most of the opinions are subjective
and not objective. Personally for me the adaptation was done pretty
good, considering all things that they had to put into the film to pay
tribute to the original and to appeal to larger masses. In the time
that the movie goes on (a bit under the 2 hour mark) they squeezed
pretty much all the important parts and made the scenery from the
original very real with the visual effects. Watching it in the IMAX
surrounding was great and all the city scenes were like nothing seen
before. That is pretty much it regarding the movie story and scene. Now
a little about the main character… Scarlett was great, and I really
mean great. I think (and I may be wrong here) that she didn’t read the
manga or that she saw the original animated movie but she captured the
personality of Major pretty damn good. In playing a character that is a
cyborg and in the same time a first of it’s kind she gave a great
performance. It was just so in line with the Major from the original as
I wanted it to be so maybe I’m a little biased.
In the end, go and see the movie, I promise that you won’t be
disappointed. In the sea of Hollywood mainstream movies lately I found
it quite good and fresh. If you’re a type of viewer that doesn’t care
too much on a movie giving an homage to the original you will
definitely find it interesting since the story like this didn’t came
before and all the Hollywood things like good acting and stunning
visual effects are there.
Waste of Time
This film is lucky to get above the minimum vote from me. It is dull
and boring .A failed attempt to mix up Japanese style with Western
style, resulting in a dull and goofy mess.
Nothing original in the story. Evil company mis-uses robot technology,
blah, blah blah.
There are no charismatic characters in the movie; nor any decent music
and certainly no humor.
Awful!
2/10.
The best ”cyberpunk” movie in recent years
After seeing the movie I have to admit it was better than I expected
from the Trailers. Having seen all of the anime and manga source
material it can feel a bit weird to watch some of the scenes, as they
took a lot of iconic scenes and character names from the previous
movie/series and incorporated them into a new plot.
I think the most noticeable change from the previous adaptations is the
way in which the story is told. They basically shove the plot into your
face sometimes! Which I expected from Hollywood. I can forgive that, as
I know this movie needs to appeal to a much wider audience as the anime
series/movies.
The acting is solid, but nothing extraordinary or Oscar worthy. The
visuals and soundtrack on the other hand are really well done and make
the dystopian city believable.
All in all I think this is one of the better if not the best anime
adaption made by Hollywood until now. And surely the best cyberpunk
movie that has been released in recent years. I would recommend this
movie to fans of the anime as well as lovers of sci-fi and cyberpunk in
particular.
Perfection
I’m not sure what I expected, I read bad reviews, I read good reviews.
I’m a great admirer of the original anime, I thought ‘Ghost in the
Shell 2’ was great as well, maybe a bit too sophisticated, but still
great. And now here’s the live-action remake.
In an era of lukewarm remakes and reboots, here’s a movie from someone
who not just understood the original anime, not just made by a fan or
admirer: It breathes ‘Ghost in the Shell’. Actually, to call it a
remake is insulting. What can I say, it was perfect (and if you don’t
already know, movie ratings represent the average opinion of a bunch of
kids).
The plot is somehow a mix of the two anime films, centering around
anti-crime investigation team Section 9, lead by the fearless Major.
They are entangled by a mysterious omnipotent hacker, who holds a
grudge against the industry of Cybernetics. But then the Major begins
to remember her past.
The story doesn’t quite have the cold perfection of the original anime,
instead it manages to add an emotional dimension, that wasn’t there
before. It’s like the animation was brought to life (I know it sounds
tasteless).
I thought no matter what, the ending couldn’t be as epic as the anime.
But I wasn’t quite right, well, see for yourself. Scarlett Johannson
was damn cool, and so was the movie.
Ghost in The Shell is Ghost in the Shell, nothing more nothing less
The producers of this film decided either play it safe or maybe there
were too many fans on the production team… As someone who has seen
Gits, Gits2, Gits3 and 1st and 2nd Gig all I can say – IT IS GHOST IN
THE SHELL…
To find out what is Ghost in The shell one needs to look for it’s
cyberpunk inspiration roots a bit deeper, maybe look a bit at Blade
runner. The original Manga of Gits was written in 1989 and I do believe
the author was inspired somewhat by Blade Runner…. What did these two
had in common? It was Atmosphere!!! An atmosphere of this computerized
robotized future world where people are very similar to robots and
robots similar to people.
Now if you look at this new film as an old GITS fan – it does not add
anything new to the story, but it keeps the main elements intact with
quite a deep precision. I think pretty much every key scene of the
original anime film was added to the new film, the story had some
differences however, but overall feeling stayed the same.
Scarlet is a perfect actress for this role, the funny thing is though
it is not a role or character which required to show deep emotions…
The only scene that disappointed me was the spider tank battle, it
simply lacked the dynamics that the original anime had…
Overall it’s a nice sci-fi action film with neat looking cyberpunk
environments, even in 1997 it wasn’t revolutionary ideas wise, but the
sci-fi elements felt much fresher back then, if you go to watch it as a
GITS fan you will be OK with it, if you go to watch it as someone new
to GIST universe, well that’s a decent introduction…
Yep! It blows, what a surprise…
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Quick Non Spoiler Review from a GITS fan…
As a massive fan of the original films as well as stand alone
complex.. this film disappointed me.. it tried to be clever but just
constantly comes off as too simple and too self explanatory.. the
changes made make it into a pretty simple and generic story.. it
wasn’t a bad film nor was it as terrible as some other adaptations
are.. but it certainly was disappointing for a GITS fan.. its a 6 at
best… maybe a 6.5 for the visuals.. which were the best thing about
this movie.
It’s not Hong Kong on a bad day
The title was from an interview of Blade Runner, on setting the 2019
Los Angelas as ”Hong Kong on a bad day”. Both movies has trace of
connection to Hong Kong and China, with funding from The Shaw Brothers
(Blade Runner) and Shanghai Film Grp/Huahua Media (GITS) (Ref: Wong Kin
Yuen (2000) On the Edge of Spaces: Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell ,
and Hong Kong’s Cityscape –
http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/80/wong80art.htm).
If you did read on how GITS 1995 Anime was produced, the anime has
strong influence on Blade Runner of how the cityscape reflected the
mass flow and excess influx of information – neon signs, messy town
planning, dark alleys, rainy days.
So GITS anime then utilised Hong Kong as base of set for Niihama-shi,
or New Port City in the manga, and so the movie does.
The ultra complex and crammed cityscape of Hong Kong truly fits a
dystopian world and set – but you have to see and create beyond that.
The movie inadequately stuff these elements into the already-there
Central, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan, Sham Shui Po, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kwun Tong
Harbourfront, Lai Tak Tsuen and Causeway Bay, while I couldn’t feel a
sense of disorder, or how it was linked to information deluge – they
are only futuristic sets, no more.
As Hongkonger, the set rather likes Blade Runner and filled with
wrongly typed or meaningless Japanese wording like ”high” ”so high”
”Innocence”(Ok it actually refers to the second anime in same font). In
the anime, there was even a rightly sang Cantonese song! It’s shot in
Hong Kong, yet not even Hong Kong or anywhere else in a future world.
The disconnection to the set’s cultural background is misplaced.
Beyond the set, all I have in mind is Total Recall and RoboCop. The
manga was a 1991 rightfully done cyberpunk work with extended footnotes
on the technology mentioned. The 1995 anime however, indeed twisted the
plot into a discussion of oriental side of identity, self, existence,
Buddhism & Shindao & Zen. In this movie? Major sounds like Murphy in
RoboCop…
Overall, I liked it
Gotta admit, I went into the cinema without reading anything about the
movie and without any high/low expectations, guess that helped too. So
I appreciated for what it was, really liked the effects and the
environment too, what I absolutely didn’t like ..surprise surprise..
was the Hollywood touch to it, no need for that, but its Hollywood so
yea..
Guess real fans of the original will not be that happy with it but you
should give it a try.
Very superficial review I know, but didn’t want to spoil anything.
Cheers
Fan of the original. Exactly how live action adaptations should be!
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
We’ve Seen it All Before
Surrounded by casting controversies and mediocre reviews, I wasn’t
expecting a lot going into Ghost in the Shell. I’m always down for
original science fiction, and although this is a live-action remake of
a beloved anime, it seemed original enough for my liking. While every
frame is gorgeous, there isn’t a ton under the surface with this
adaptation.
Putting casting controversies aside, Scarlett Johansson provides a
compelling performance as ‘The Major’ amidst plenty of other talented
actors and actresses. Takeshi Kitano and Pilou Asbæk are particularly
good, rounding out the cast in this futuristic sci-fi. The acting is
superb, the visuals are intricate, and the action is visceral, but you
need more than that to win over an audience. The one thing this film is
really missing is heart and humanity. There are small attempts to
polish the characters with human qualities here and there, but nothing
to make me truly care about the characters. Sadly, the only reason I
was invested in Major was because it’s Scar-jo being a bada** action
hero. It’s kind of like ‘Lucy’ in that way, though it’s much more of a
focused and controlled story than that.
Much like ‘Power Rangers’ this past week, there’s nothing overtly wrong
with Ghost in the Shell, but there’s not anything that will come across
as overtly memorable either. It’s one of those action- revenge films
that you’ll find on cable or Netflix down the road and you may watch
bits and pieces, but you won’t watch the entire film because you’ve
seen it all before. The classic ”everything they told you was a lie” is
written all over the story, as is the trope of having the A.I. go rogue
on her creators. You see it in every movie like this, so I can’t say
the film’s originality is its greatest quality.
With that said, I haven’t seen the original anime, so perhaps this was
just a faithful adaptation of a film that’s been copied over and over
throughout the years. I wanted to go in fresh with this one, and I came
out pleased that I saw it, but far from impressed. Although colorful in
its appearance, the dark brooding tone washes away the chance of
re-watching it a few times. Having said all of this, I’m still game for
sequels and more stories in this world. I find these types of movies
fascinating and usually beautiful to look at, I just wish the
characters were fleshed out with more humanity. Hopefully, this film is
successful enough to get more anime’s adapted.
+Scarjo kills it as always
+Gorgeous
-Not much to these characters
-We’ve seen it all before
6.6/10
Superficial – looks good but not much substance, trailer is the best part
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Good
Me and my wife went to the movies today to see this, we both saw the
anime movies and were hoping it would not be bad since many of the
anime remakes in Hollywood are bad.. We both liked it , definitely one
of the better movies to come out these days and we had a great time,
I’ve seen people talking trash about this movie even before it was
out.. most hatred is probably from social justice warriors hating it
because scarlett isn’t Asian, nevertheless if you can see past that
bullshit I recommend to see it because it’s nice and god knows we can
use more good science fiction movies instead of the superhero and
beauty and the beast bullshit they make these days..
More Shell than Ghost
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Nothing new
In a nutshell, if you’re a fan and have seen the original Anime 5-10
times, then you don’t have to watch this.
Entire movie follows the Anime (minus the cool soundtrack). Easiest job
for the director Rupert Sanders if you ask me. Some points during the
show , i’m wondering whether the director just turned on the Anime and
told the actors & actresses to mimic what they saw.
Thats it. Nothing much to review, because there’s nothing new
5.5/10 Empty shell sadly
I really wanted to like this , the combination of Bladerunner and
Robocop with A Chinese financed American remake of a Japanese Manga
classic – it should be amazing 🙂 it should have been amazing – it
wasn’t – it started off really well but just went downhill once the wow
factor had gone it may have reached 7/10 in 3D but in 2D it was just
average .
Make up and CGi was expectingly top notch though Scarlett’s recreation
of a manga wig made her nose look like the child catcher from Chitty
Chitty bang bang minus the top hat . The cars looked strangely fake and
square , not sure it that was purposeful . I found myself questioning
the guns and cigarettes but that’s typical of a dystopian future film
recreation the bladerunner type of nuclear weather film noir .
If you’ve seen the trailers the giant billboards look as amazing as
you’d expect but these fade after a while and the story isn’t really
substantial enough to sustain the interest .
I am willing to give it another try in 3D but looking at other reviews
it seems I’m not the only one who was expecting more , this has been
planned since Spielberg bought it 2008 but it doesn’t match up to his
fantastic track record in SciFi .
Shame really .
a good version but not the best
This is Rupert Sanders’s Version (every GITS have different way of
story telling) and it’s looks promising from the start to the end, but
the soundtrack and ScarJo’s act could have been better, perhaps not as
great as the first Momoru Oshii’s version (1995) but everything is good
especially for action anime/manga adaptation where most of the time
action anime live action adaptation always fail to impress people.
This Movie, the first Rorouni Kenshin and Gantz live action movie are
the best example action manga/anime can be faithful for live action
adaptation movie
Better than what I expected
9/10 for the cinematic, 10/10 for Batou actor, 9/10 for Major, 1/10 for
Aramaki, 6/10 for the story.
Same as some of my friends who have seen the anime I walked in the
theater expecting it to be bad, but it turns out to be watchable. The
story is not perfect but good enough to explain the setting of the GIS
world.
THE GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT IS: Aramaki’s actor, Takeshi Kitano’s face
looks more like a gang boss who’s cunning and ruthless, whereas Aramaki
is a loyal protector of justice and you can see the righteousness even
from his eyes. I think the only reason they chose Takeshi Kitano to be
Aramaki is they both look calm, BUT THAT’S NOT ALL TO THE CHARACTER,
they missed the more important characteristics.
It is very much its own thing,
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Solid Amalgam of Classic Sci-fi and Action Films
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Wish it was a little more spectacular, but very cool looking movie.
Give it credit, anime is a hard genre to adapt into live action, and
they did a better job visually than in it’s narration. The visual
effects were good. Straight out of the manga (and Anime) it was based
on.
So there is a bit of controversy about Scarlett Johansson as the lead.
Me personally, I just don’t click with Johansson as a movie star. Would
think that a hot chick would make me run to the movie theater, but she
does not do it for me.
It’s a step up form a movie like Avatar which like Ghost in the Shell
had visuals that were mind blowing but a so so story. The Manga was not
the greatest story to comprehend and this adaption does a lackluster
job of trying to fix that.
You can blame Johansson for that as it was important to focus on the
movie star therefore expanding the lead characters background story
beyond that of the comic book, and adding the stuff that explains why a
white woman is playing an Asian charter.
So not that impressive of a movie, but definitely not bad too watch,
literally. I can’t think of another live-action anime adaption that was
done better.
http://cinemagardens.com
A beautiful upgrade
I went to this film expecting it not to be very good since Hollywood
tends to spoil everything nowadays. However, IT’S AWESOME! I watched it
on IMAX and I was amazed with what I saw, it’s just gorgeous.
The film pays a tribute the the original GITS and brings new things to
the table. Scarlett and Pilou are great… Even the way Major walks is
identical, everything is great. I can’t talk bad about this one cause
there’s no reason for it.
The only thing I didn’t like was one or two dialog scenes where they
dumb it down a little. I don’t understand who are these super extremely
smart people that decide that viewers are dumb. Apart from that….
I think it was great, I highly recommend IMAX for this one (this coming
from someone finds IMAX a waste of money).
Forget the bad reviews, haters gonna hate.
Wasted opportunity for iconic Japanese Sci-fi Franchise
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Short and Sweet
Pros-Aesthetically stunning and very engaging (one that should
experienced in theaters)
Cons-Lack of dialogue and a bit too much action (very Americanized)
Fake Cons that you’ll see in reviews -Cliche’d and borrowing from films
like the Matrix (even though the Matrix was directly inspired by Ghost
in the Shell) -White Washing (even though the creator of Ghost in the
Shell said it’s an irrelevant and bizarre claim) -Not good compared to
the original
Conclusion: It’s a good film and certainly worth the watch. The
original was always a big shadow to overcome, but people have
deliberately made the film look much worse than it actually is. It
certainly isn’t a masterpiece but one that should be respected as a
quality cinematic piece.
A nice upgrade with no Major issues
Mamoru Oshii’s cult-classic anime Ghost in the Shell (1995) holds a
sacred spot in my heart. This together with Akira (1988) are the
epitomes of cyber tech-porn, the crowned jewels of apocalyptic Japanese
animation. The future world depicted in Ghost in the Shell is alluring,
but sad. It is uber-violent on the surface, but a deep melancholy runs
beneath that surface. Its themes of alienation and identity beat with a
strong pulse. Coupled with a superb atmosphere, dense plot, kinetic
action sequences, dizzying ideas, opaque characters, mystical
spiritualism and an outstanding music score, the anime earns its place
as a much beloved cult-classic. Do we even need an Americanized live
action version?
Thankfully, this Rupert Sanders film isn’t just a simplistic money-grab
exercise. There is meticulous care in recreating the futuristic world
designed by Oshii and it is a nice move not to transpose the world to
some Neo-Los Angeles or NYC. In that sense, the film honours the spirit
of the anime. It didn’t stop there – some of the iconic action scenes
are replicated, almost shot for shot. The story is updated and feels
entirely understandable now with a crystal clear resolution; it feels
almost dumbed down especially with the heavy expositional second act. I
don’t know about you, but for me this updated story reminds me so much
of Robocop, a cyber-policeman haunted by residual memories of his human
past.
Yes, this is one watchable movie filled with technical and visual
wizardry, but it couldn’t carry forth the sense of melancholy so
evident in the original. Yes, Scarlett Johansson does cut a fine figure
as Major Motoko and she channels an extension of her cypher alien
character from Under the Skin (if the mention of this movie makes you
cringe, consider it fair warning that you won’t see empathetic pathos).
Yes, the music borrows heavily from Kenji Kawai’s evocative original
(why touch an awesome original which is an identity itself). So why is
there a remake if it is just content to languish behind the glossy
sheen and not want to push the envelope further with a story feels so
familiar. This feels deceptively like one giant homage to the original
and I am sure it will make money by the truckloads. I had one worry
playing on repeat in my head as I walked out of the cinema – am I ready
to be bombarded by Hollywoodized versions of Akira, Trigun, Cowboy
Bebop, Patlabor, Appleseed…… I don’t want to ponder this scary
thought anymore. Thankfully, I will always have the animes. That’s it;
I am so watching the Oshii classic again right now.
Excellent Movie
I’ve seen the original several times, and I felt the live action really
captured the futuristic landscape, the characters and the central
themes of the original. The main problem with the original was that it
felt a bit inaccessible and the content was quite dry. But I felt the
movie fixed this, I cared about the characters more. It had the style
of the original also.
The things that I thought might bother me that came up in the media
such as whitewashing and the suit she wears really didn’t, because
Scarlett pulled the character off and it was a good movie. I’d
recommend giving it a chance!
Thank you, film makers and writers
I would like to extend my great thanks to the film makers and writers
for producing such a good film. Masamune Shirow, Jamie Moss, William
Wheeler, Ehren Kruger really had their work cut out for them when they
all wrote the story as it was shot in the movie, each of them working
independently. I am not here to give any spoilers so I will just try
and keep to the original content. The movie is excellent, the actors
really portrayed their characters well. Scarlett Johanson really did
well and all the other actors really made me believe I was watching the
original of so long ago. The CGI is just as good and I could easily
believe what was produced was truth and not CGI. To comment on the
story itself: (without giving spoilers) there was some things left out
from the original content, which would have been nice to see if it was
there, (but it didn’t take anything away from the storyline).
The different story-lines, time-lines and content of the originals had
way to many things that clashed and it is nice to see the way that the
movie was produced, was where a lot of detail was actually left murky
and that gave the story a chance to flow into each other. The movie
also had a proper intro, body and ending, which left me as the watcher
feeling complete. So this movie is a complete movie and could be left
as is, but it also built a platform, so that more movies or story-lines
could flow from here… So all in all I would say WELL DONE!!!
l cannot see what the fuss is all about
l cannot see what the fuss over Scarlet Johanssen’s casting is all
about. Don’t people realize that as a cyborg, she could choose any
physical appearance or gender she wanted? Moreover, don’t they realize
she could be anyone she ever wanted to be? l just can’t believe people
could get upset over a damn cyborg!
Just downright excellent.
Where do I start? The movie was perfect. Extremely clean. Graphics,
acting, sound mixing, score, plot, everything was executed perfectly.
I’m not really sure why everyone is all upset over ”whitewashing”
considering that there was a great mix of all ethnicities in the movie,
and also considering that the main character is supposed to look white,
when she really… well don’t want to give that one away but you’ll
understand why everyone calling it ”whitewashing” is just cringe-worthy
after seeing the movie. Ghost in the Shell better win multiple awards
for all of the mind-blowing work that was put into the movie even on
just a 110 million dollar budget. Coming from an anime fan, manga fan,
music fan, movie fan and film composer, this movie is an absolute must
see.
First major anime adaptation
For the first major budget anime adaptation, I’m really pleased. I look
forward to the Netflix adaptation of Death Note as well. Maybe we will
see more adaptations now and adaptations from other production houses
that will do a truer to the anime/manga. There was some ‘whitewashing’
as everyone seems to want to point out, but as someone who is half
Japanese, I was impressed and pleased.
No depth
Movie was disappointing it had no depth. Almost like watching a
childhood cartoon. Characters were all difficult to relate to and the
outcome is always predictable. Actions scenes were un-moving, like oh
”she is just gonna kill all these guys right now, cool”. Script had
minimum creativity, like the writer followed some sort of template. I
would recommend you skip this movie, go watch Ex-Machine instead.
The character Major was well played though, the body language and
movement was noticeably robotic like. Talented actor who took a
horrible role, leaves me wondering why.
No Comparison, but stunning!
I saw the original anime a long time ago, so I can’t really tell the
differences or compare the two movies adequately. But to be honest, I
think it serves for objectivity. Nevertheless, i’m not a fan of
recreations of great movies. I know one example where I liked the
remake more then the original: ”Girl with a dragon tattoo”. On the
other side, I could not finish movies like the remakes of ”Let the
right one in”, ”Oldboy” or ”The Experiment”. I’m also not into the
recent life-action adaptations of Disney movies like ”The Jungle Book”,
”Cinderella” or ”The Beauty and the Beast”. Not that they are bad
movies, they just add nothing new and therefore I kinda watched them
unemotional.
But let’s get to ”Ghost in the Shell”. Maybe I’m lucky by not having
the original in mind, but i kinda liked the movie. The world was
depicted very well. I liked all the characters and their motivations. I
enjoyed the action-sequences and the plot. Probably the biggest flaw in
my opinion was the little underwhelming finale of the movie. The movie
has a run-time of approx. 150 minutes, but it didn’t feel that long. So
I was kinda surprised of the ending. I would have liked a more
meaningful ending.
So to say praises to the director and art director, I really loved
every little visual detail. And for that reason alone go watch this
movie in the theater.
Amazing remake, but not worth the IMAX ticket price
This is review for the IMAX version of Ghost in the Shell.
I just saw ”Ghost in the Shell” at the local IMAX theater. I expected
stunning 3D cinematics and so on and so on. Basically the bar was set
way too high, as this is one of the two super-cult mangas of the 90s
(the first one being ”Akira” 1988).
Well, in short – the movie is great! Worth every cent seeing it on a
big screen.
Now in detail – I probably had to first see again the original, so I
could compare them, but I didn’t. Maybe for good, as I watched the
movie without way too much expectations and honestly enjoyed it.
Stunning visuals – yes, great music – yes, great play – yes, Takeshi
Kitano – YES, YES, YESSS!! (Who does not love Beat Takeshi?? 🙂 Yes –
and Scarlett Johansson. Well, she’s great too, but can’t beat the Beat
😉
The only two things I do remember from the original are the first scene
and the last scene, and these two do match, as of my memories. The
other thing is the music – the hypnotic vocal theme. The music of the
current version is great, but no match. It’s just different. However,
they included the original theme as well, just it’s in the end credits.
The only problem with this movie is the IMAX version – honestly, it
does not worth the price of the IMAX ticket. Just there is nothing
really worth seeing in the IMAX version! Yes of course – great picture
quality, but hey I go to IMAX for stunning 3D visuals, not just great
picture quality and ”Ghost in the Shell” 2017 version is simply not
enough 3D-enhanced for IMAX, so don’t bother yourself going in there,
unless you are just a fan of IMAX. In the last 5 years there was just
one movie not created for IMAX, but really stunningly 3D-enhanced for
IMAX and that was ”Dr.Strange” 2016. No other movie IMAX version really
got me so much, as ”Dr.Strange” for IMAX. ”Ghost in the Shell” 2017
looks great on IMAX, but not so great to worth the money for. At least
my opinion.
Oh and one more thing I didn’t liked – no post-credits scene. Not that
the original had one I remember of, but just letting you know there is
nothing to wait the end of the credits for, unless you are one of these
fans who wants to read the small notes.
Good thing is – they mentioned that the soundtrack is going to get
released, so check it out! It is not as stunning as Daft Punk’s music
for the second ”Tron”, neither ”Stranger Things”, but still it’s great.
I would give it like 8/10.
So final words – go see it! But in case you can’t see it on IMAX –
don’t be sorry.
Surprisingly, not all is Lost in Translation
The most surprising aspect of ”Ghost in the Shell” for me was that the
live action remake actually tried to deviate from the original’s
storyline considerably. This film, like the original, does deal with
the same philosophical dilemmas about identity, and memory, but here
the focus is more on the central character than those bigger ideas. The
writers attempt to flesh out Scarlett Johansson’s central character by
giving her a backstory that is partly interesting, and somewhat clunky,
but they do absolutely try and make the film as distinctive as
possible. As the writers make the film more character-driven, a lot of
the film relies heavily on Scarlett Johansson’s performance and I
thought she pulled the role off rather well.
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the ”whitewashing” of
the central protagonist in the film, and I do think these are
legitimate complaints raised by some people who would have preferred
the film to have a Japanese actor portray the central protagonist.
However, the makers of the original film and fans of classic Japanese
anime have continuously said that the original film did not specify the
particular race, and ethnicity of the central character, which is an
equally legitimate counter argument in my opinion. Though one can
easily mull over this controversy and disregard Johannson’s
performance, it would be entirely unfair of me to be dismissive of
Johannson’s performance regardless of which side of the debate I fall
on. What I can confidently say is that Johansson’s performance did
largely appeal to me. Johansson has done roles similar to this in the
past, most recently in 2013’s extraordinary science-fiction drama
”Under the Skin,” and here again she plays the role of a conflicted
cyborg really well through her facial expressions, and dialogue
delivery. Johansson’s intentionally blank expressions and slightly
stilted dialogue delivery complemented the conflict of the cyborg very
well and made me care for the central character. While Scarlett
Johannson’s performance and the intention to take the remake into a new
direction were the most surprising aspects of the film, the most
impressive aspects of the films were undeniably its visuals and music.
The best thing I can say about the visuals of ”Ghost in the Shell” is
that they feel, for the large part, original. There are a few scenes in
which the film does pay homage to the visual brilliance of the
science-fiction films preceding it, particularly its original source
material, and Ridley Scott’s 1982 science-fiction classic ”Blade
Runner.” But director Rupert Sanders, cinematographer Jess Hall, the
visual effects team, and the production design team do a stunning job
of creating a cyberpunk aesthetic which is loaded with over-stylized
technology (think New York City Times Square multiplied by 100), but
also with extremely narrow streets, and urban decay (think New York in
general then). There are significant touches of Japanese culture
included in this design with a particular scene set inside a restaurant
with a Geisha being an absolute standout. The cinematography from Jess
Hall almost throughout the film is elegant, and tidy with the camera
slowly panning in towards characters in some moments to create a sense
of eeriness. This cinematography combined with the subtle, almost
Zen-like score from Clint Mansell and Lorne Balfe, does give the movie
a lot more heft in scenes which have flat supporting characters just
conversing in exposition heavy dialogue with each other, or giving
answers to these abstract philosophical questions about identity.
This is exactly where the problem for the live action remake of ”Ghost
in the Shell” lies for me. Whereas the original film was about raising
these questions about human identity, the live action remake believes
in raising them and answering them for the audience. As a result, the
remake for me loses a lot of the haunting, and melancholic lingering
quality of the first film and though admirably it tries to replace it
with it’s own original story, the screenplay feels a little dumbed
down. The supporting characters, moreover in the remake are not nearly
as impressive, with Batou’s character, and the central antagonist’s
characters, in particular feeling grossly underdeveloped. The dialogue
of the remake, like the original, also ranges between interesting to
dull, pretentious monologues, except here it feels worse because a lot
of the characters are actually giving answers to the philosophical
questions they raise in the film. Unfortunately, the remake suffers the
most from the inevitable comparisons to other science-fiction films
like ”The Matrix,” and ”The Fifth Element” that the original had
inspired, making the story of the remake never feel fresh or new.
Despite the fact that the live-action remake of ”Ghost in the Shell”
does not possess the quality of its original, the film did leave me
pleasantly surprised by the way director Rupert Sanders decided to
tackle the remake. I am exceptionally grumpy when it comes to remakes
of classic films, even if I do not possess the nostalgic love for them,
but the 2017 remake of ”Ghost in the Shell” for once did not feel like
an unnecessary retread of the original. It has enough visual panache,
respect for the original, and enough of a difference to the original
that it does justify its existence.
Potential for more. But anything more must be different.
I am an avid Ghost in the Shell fan, so my experience was always going
to be overshadowed by the anime that came before. But I did not expect
such cinematic splendor and costume/set design.
Story: Dead -It is dead because it chopped up story from the previous
movies and tried to Frankenstein them together, whilst adding in new
backstory that only made fans cringe. There was no life there, Rupert
should have tried to move forward with new content instead of trying to
play it safe like Star Wars Episode 7.
Characters: Dead -The life that was brought into the anime characters
was lost here. There was an attempt to give ”The Major” and emotional
core that amplified her so called ”Ghost”. However in reality (Anime)
the majors ghost was not highlighted by any emotions whatsoever, only
her observance as to the lack of said feelings. Her philosophical and
analytical nature was what gave her the notion of a ”Ghost”. So in a
sense, they restructured the very definition of who the Major was.
Batou attempted to be a good buddy like he was in the anime, but he
never really had the chance, the story moved too quickly and his
connection was lost. I think the Major had too much baggage going on to
allow anyone else to show themselves.
The side characters (Section 9 crew) were all just background fluff and
didn’t even matter, which is good because I don’t think I could handle
any more characters being misrepresented.
Aramaki was alright, I think Kitano was just used for novelty purposes,
and these days he is just like a Japanese Harrison Ford, grumpy and
only around for the money.
Set Design: -Alive. Alive in every way, the world they used was full of
cyberpunk goodness stripped right out of the heart of the anime. Every
detail was accounted for and it truly was the highlight of the entire
film. I will include the background characters and extras into this as
well, they were all very much apart of the world and the state of
society was quite evident.
Sound: -Alive, but misplaced. The music was fantastic, but never seemed
to show up on time, it was always late for the party. Even the music
for the into sequence(for the anime) didn’t arrive until the credits.
For them to leave out the song was advertise with the new intro out of
the new intro…….there are no words.
I like this movie a lot, I will be picking it up on 4k Blu-Ray asap,
because I am only going back for the beauty of the cinematography and
CGI. The story in this movie will be forgotten and left out of all the
ancient tomes of the Ghost in the Shell universe.
Shallow as a reflection
Everything felt very forced. The movie lacks a story. To me it feels
like the cherry picked the awesome scenes of the movie/series and made
a movie out of it.
Unfortunately, they butchered everything and missed the entire point of
the Ghost in the Shell series and turned it into a lame action movie
with zero substance. What happened to all the thought provoking ideas
from the movie/series? I can’t wait till someone does a comparison of
the original scenes vs these remade ones, what a joke.
5/10
Cybernetic agents fight super hackers in cyberpunk classic remake
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Excellent translation to live action
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Visually Stunning
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I liked it.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A great adaptation of the anime! do not go into it with a negative mind!
I saw the original, and I believe this is a good adaptation of the
anime. Not all the thought provoking meanings and themes are in the
movie for the viewers who don’t like to think deeply during/about a
movie but the movie does add a lot to Major’s character. I disagree
with the reviews that talk about ”white washing”. It is a very western
thing and shouldn’t be a reason for disliking a movie; the creator of
GitS said he didn’t mind that she was cast because the Android body
doesn’t have a race, it’s not a natural human body. It had great
visuals, action and plot.
A surprisingly good character exploration
Pretty good, actually. It was better than I expected. I found the story
to be neat. It wasn’t just about the action or figuring out this case.
Yes, it’s set in a futuristic world and yes, it’s full of beautiful
visuals. But, what surprised me the most was that it evolved to
something more than just an entertaining Blockbuster. There’s a lot
more exploration of what the Major character goes through compared to
the original 1995 anime film. She has a personal quest that I actually
cared for and it did get a little emotional. I never thought I would
get that invested. So, that’s something I have to give the movie props
for.
Of course the action can be underwhelming at parts, but it’s still not
bad. Maybe I just expected them to take action to a ”Matrix” level of
excitement. But, I can forgive that since, I do prefer a good emotional
story rather than a hollow story with amazing action. It does spell out
things for the audience at times. It’s expected because it has to
appeal to a wider audience. Although I think it could have gone without
the slight Dumbing down way of explaining things.
Performances are good. Scarlett was great as the Major. Sometimes when
you get a really famous actor to play a part like this you can just end
up seeing the actor instead of the character. This is one of those
occasions were I didn’t see Scarlett anymore, I saw the Major. I mean
it, I was very positively surprised by this film. I was afraid it was
one of those situations when a studio adapts something that’s very
popular to earn some money. But, I could tell the people behind the
camera cared to make the best live-action adaption they could. It works
as a stand-alone thing. You can go in without knowing anything about
the anime or manga and enjoy this. Sure, it might be a little weird at
the start, but it’s easy to get into.
Not amazing, but a good flick with stunning effects and a surprisingly
nice character story.
The Future Is Here
Technology, a useful resource that has contributed to mankind and
evolution for many years. With time man and machine start to become one
with unlimited possibilities to create and evolve.
Sometimes fiction is not that far apart from reality.This is what Ghost
in the Shell brings us with this live action adaptation that explores
the meaning of being human.
As a big fan of the Ghost in the Shell universe I have to say this was
my most expected film of the year, counting the days for its release
and finally it is here, but did it leave up to the hype?
The Story: For those unfamiliar with the 1995 anime film Ghost in the
Shell fear not, the story is well paced and easy to understand for
newcomers and for fans this was a very special experience as the story
has a new but at the same time familiar feeling that makes you say This
is Ghost in the Shell.
Art: The futuristic world portrayed in this film is absolutely
beautiful to look at, the CGI is so good that sometimes I forgot it was
CGI, in my opinion they represented the world of Ghost in the Shell
perfectly.
I was very happy with Scarlett Johansson performance in this film, she
became the major and did an amazing job at it, not only is she
beautiful but very talented to make one of the most well known
characters in the history of the anime industry her own.
If you still have doubts about going to the movie theater to see this
movie, please do yourself a favor and go watch it now you will not
regret it. It is definitely an experience not to be missed.
Awesome, just like the original!
A wonderful movie, for those that have seen the original, this one
keeps 95% of the actions, people, locations and most importantly, the
major scenes.
There are small changes from the original but they did a great job
reviving this movie. GG!
There is No Ghost…Just a Shell
Oh, Major!
Where did they go wrong?
A visually captivating shell of a movie that lacks a soul.
Ghost in the shell is a mockery of the anime its named after. Scarlett
Johansson delivers a performance as awkward as the bop her character
walks with. The film lacks the depth provided in the anime and manga.
And, while it will prove a let down for fans of the series, those
seeking a visual spectacular will not be disappointed.
Ghost in the shell + Matrix + Robocop.
Seems like this movie doesn’t sure what it wants to be. The plot is
weak and more inspiration from Robocop then the ghost in the shell.
While the action scenes have some great moments its lack of emotion I
feel very dry. I seems like try tried more scenes from The Matrix and
not the original material.
The city is full of holograms and eye candy stuff that have nothing
practical or really interesting in it and looks just like some place
holders so its really hard to connect to the set.
oh and the characters… well they suck. besides Batou that have some
depth to his character and good acting the Major is on the other hand
is boring, lifeless and emotionless. and I really tried to connect to
her but I just couldn’t and most of goes down to the poor performance
of Scarlett Johansson that makes me feel like she tried too hard and
this makes this feel very fake.
any why the movie is OK if you looking forward for some action scenes
and simple story with good looking visuals and effects.
BUT this movie have nothing to do with Ghost In The Shell.
”This is Major…” fun, at the very least.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
We shouldn’t support white washing
That’s very easy to say as a caucasian. We should be doing our part to
fight for the rights of minorities, in all regards, including the film
and television industry, which influences the lives and opinions of
many, if only on a subconscious level. Replacing a Japanese female
character with a caucasian blonde is not only unnecessary, it’s
insulting. This is one of those times when every white actress
approached should have suggested they cast a Japanese woman instead.
The Most Important Trans-humanistic Film Ever
While it did not stay true to the Japanese script, with Elon Musk’s new
startup related to the neural interface, I felt this movie would be an
important watch.
Nothing could have prepared me for the immersion and dystopia of the
senses that brought home so many important issues of the technological
age. The acting was far better than expected, the script was believable
and the visual effects were stunning.
I’ve not seen a movie about the future that touched me so much since
Her. As we are nearing the age of cybernetic enhancement this was the
perfect psychological thriller of how our consciousness might be
transported in the future.
The urban landscape created by the film was haunting and the story
built up to an amazing 2nd half of the film, with not poignant but
colossal insights into the very core of the human condition. The movie
retained some of it’s ”Asian feel” that greatly improved the overall
impact. While it had elements of ”Hollywood”, it’s core features
transcended any transhumanistic vision Hollywood could spawn.
I have not been philosophically moved by a film of this magnitude in
quite some time, an instant classic in my sci-fi obsessed voyage into
the future. The layers to this movie are deep and other-worldly and yet
so intimately near when we consider how fast technology will
exponential change the human condition post 2025.
Dlow Sci Fi Drama Masked As An Action Film
Without a musical score to carry the drama, you’re left watching a
lovely lady that never smiles, kick and shoot a gun every 35 minutes,
under a future Tokyo skyline. There are elements that blow your mind,
but there’s no chemistry in the cast. Think; Law and Order meets The
Matrix and a dry spoon of peanut butter, with no water.
Overall, pretty good.
I liked it. I have seen the original and, unfortunately, many of my
friends found the main character to be emotionless and boring. In my
opinion Scarlett Johansson did a good job acting out this machine-
human. Her pose, her (missing) facial impressions and her regular
speaking voice is well done, judging from the background and the
character.
To the person who has seen the original, there are some elements that
are more fleshed out than in the original, probably for the western
cinema viewer who would probably have difficulties reading between the
line of the original Japanese predecessor. Most of the scenes are
however very close to the original with a lot of love for detail.
The visuals are stunning and it feels very retro-90s futuristic. If you
liked the Japanese original, i think you will not be disappointed.
If you have not seen it before, the story-line seems a bit absurd and
hard to follow, but then, so was the original Japanese version to me,
too.
What if Blade Runner Was Bad? And Filmed During The Day?
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Just the shell…
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I have never been more insulted by a movie in my life
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Under-appreciated by the hypercritical.
We live in a society that assumes being overcritical means showing a
display of intelligence. Don’t let this film be tarnished by that fad.
I will do my best to make this short and sweet. (Probably not)
READ: (For those who HAVEN’T seen the original films)
This film is a fantastic example of a film that is complex yet simple.
I expected the worst from the film and I received more. I won’t lie to
you and tell you this film is on par with something like The Matrix
(the original was) but it is well worth seeing and stands out as
unique. We all know that’s nearly impossible to do these days. Please
take this into consideration and go to see the film with no
expectations. You’ll be surprised that way.
READ: (For those who HAVE seen the original films)
I’m sorry this film wasn’t everything we dreamed it would be, but can
we honestly act surprised when Hollywood screenwriters avoid immensely
complex story arches? They have simplified this story for the masses in
the same way The Lord of the Rings was simplified for the masses. If
you spend your time comparing this film with the originals you will
come up short, every time. This is NOT the original film, this is its
own film that you need to appreciate as it stands (I know that is
difficult, believe me). If you haven’t already seen it, please take my
word for it and go in with no expectations, go in cold (like it is a
new experience).
(Final Comments)
I take user reviews to heart for movies. I appreciate the opinions of
the people more than I appreciate the opinions of the paid critics.
Seeing a 6.9 as the current user score (as of March 31st) is
unfortunate, because this film captures EVERYTHING that Ghost in the
Shell was and thanks to this film IS CURRENTLY. As a film it stands
strong in the Sci-Fi genre and does manage to still be
thought-provoking. Please consider taking your time before giving it a
low rating.
Understand that the talents that put this film together adopted this
baby from its original developers and they did NOT destroy it, as some
over-exaggerators may proclaim. ”The Last Airbender” – THAT is an
example of something being destroyed. GHOST IN THE SHELL stands still
intact. Of course it isn’t as fleshed out and philosophical as the
original film (which paid an immaculate amount of attention to detail
and information) but it DOES live in the same world and it DOES tell
the same story. I promise you that if it HAD stayed completely with the
script of the animated film, it would be getting attacked for being an
unnecessary remake or overly complicated.
I’ve given this an 8 out of 10 because I see 6 as mediocre and 10 as a
perfect film. 8 is somewhere in between. I do not believe this is the
best adaption or sci-fi film I’ve seen, but it was enjoyable and much
pain-staking work was put into it… that shows when you watch it.
Don’t be entirely emotional about the way you view this movie. Watch it
for what it is, not what it is in comparison.
Thank you for reading, I appreciate it. Take the time to see this movie
and take your time before rating it. Really chew on it first, because
it deserves better than it is receiving.
”Ghost in the Shell” is visually stunning, exciting and deep.
Like many big budget Hollywood productions these days, 2017’s sci-fi
actioner ”Ghost in the Shell” (PG-13, 1:47) comes from a long and
diverse background. The title was originally inspired by the phrase
”the Ghost in the Machine”, which was 20th century British philosopher
Gilbert Ryle’s derisive description of 17th century French philosopher
René Descartes’ concept of mind-body dualism. From Ryle’s phrase arose
the Japanese entertainment franchise ”Ghost in the Machine”. Originally
a seinen manga series (comics targeted at adolescent boys and young
men) that appeared in 1989, the comics were adapted into a 1995 feature
film (which reportedly helped inspire ”The Matrix”), followed be
several other films, a television series and video games. The American
live-action adaptation is clearly designed for wider international
appeal and features a diverse cast, but has been criticized for
”whitewashing” because of casting a white actress (Scarlett Johansson)
in the lead role of this Japanese property (although many Japanese,
including the director of the original anime films, said that this was
a non-issue). Besides all that, this film also seems influenced by the
visuals, mood and plot of films like ”The Terminator” (1984), ”Total
Recall” (1990), ”Minority Report” (2002) and the ”Bourne” series, but
with an identity all its own.
In the future (in mid-21st century Japan, according to the manga, even
though the film is less specific), technology allows for the
enhancement of human beings with cybernetic limbs and organs so they
can function better and live longer but it doesn’t stop there. Science
has now gotten to the point where a human brain can be placed in a
completely cybernetic body, allowing for the creation of a virtually
indestructible super soldier with human intelligence and sensibilities
(which, by the way, can be technologically manipulated too). Major Mira
Killian is the first of her kind the first completely successful
implantation of a human brain into an artificial body (and a very
shapely one at that covered only with a skin tight silver/grey
spandex-looking suit). Sure, Major has to regularly take medicine to
keep her human brain from rejecting her manufactured body, she
sometimes experiences disturbing and unexplained memory glitches and
she wishes she could remember more of her past than the story of
childhood tragedy she has been told (and she wishes she knew what it
was to feel), but, hey, she’s a Hanka Corporation success story and the
Hanka CEO (Peter Ferdinando) wants more just like her.
The action takes place in a crowded cosmopolitan city with
unusual-looking buildings, bright lights of many different colors and
giant holograms of people doing various activities (which aren’t
explained, but are probably some form of futuristic advertising
campaigns.) Major leads a team called Section 9, which includes an
enhanced human named Batou (Danish actor Pilou Asbæk) and which finds
and neutralizes the criminals that ordinary law enforcement can’t
handle. Under the supervision of Chief Daisuke Aramaki (Takeshi Kitano)
and with Dr. Ouélet (Juliette Binoche) and her high-tech machinery
”healing” Major when a mission gets too physical, the whole thing is
working like a well-oiled machine (or well-programmed computer) until
mysterious hacker Hideo Kuze (Michael Pitt) shows up. Kuze seems to
know more, be more elusive and more determined than most criminals.
He’s killing Hanka scientists and repeatedly leaving behind a cryptic
holographic warning, ”Collaborate with Hanka robotics and be
destroyed!” Even as Major pursues Kuze, she’s wondering if that
statement is a threat… or a warning.
”Ghost in the Shell” is visually stunning, exciting and deep. The
images that director Rupert Sanders (”Snow White and the Huntsman”) put
on screen are almost too much to take in, but it’s a lot of fun to try
and you can’t help but marvel at their Oscar-worthy quality. The
assembled work of screenwriters Jamie Moss (”Street Kings”), William
Wheeler (”The Lego Ninjago Movie”, ”Queen of Katwe”) and Ehren Kruger
(three of the ”Transformers” movies, ”Arlington Road”) combine to give
us an interesting story and a few moments of reflection about what it
means to be human and the nature of reality. The diverse cast fits
together well, without a weak link, and Johansson is so good that I can
almost forgive her for 2014’s utterly ridiculous sci-fi actioner
”Lucy”. Johansson’s 2017 enhanced character actually makes some sense
and is much more interesting to watch and the movie is much more fun.
You should check it out. I mean, you might as well, before the
inevitable sequels. Regardless, this one makes for an enjoyable two
hours at the movies. ”A-”
Waste of time and money
Do yourself a favor and take a nap instead. This is a terrible movie
inside and out. It is slapped together with special effects and bad
acting. The story line is ridiculous and forced. Scarlett should have
passed on this one. You should do the same. I had high hopes for this
movie but had to force myself to stay until it was over. Thankfully, it
ended.
One of the best endings ever – ruined in remake
Leaving aside the accusations of ”white washing” everyone agrees this
film is visually stunning, and it is there’s a certain depth to the
images the original didn’t have. At some points it felt like the
skyscrapers had skyscrapers on them! This is where the majority of the
6stars go.
But there seems to be loads of other sci-fi influences chucked in there
too. In the original 1995 film I don’t remember any of these
holographic overlays on the dystopian cityscape. Maybe they featured in
the GitS TV series but for me it had much more Blade Runner DNA in it.
The whole film felt a lot more Neo Noir than the original ever did. One
scene (entrance to the Hanka building) felt like it was straight out of
Robocop. Another had all of these swishing lights and very similar
noise to a light sabre. Were they all influences on Masamune Shirow or
just chucked in for a bit of Hollywood ”depth”?
Where the film really let itself down was that it fundamentally rewrote
the film. In the original it is cyborg and human vs AI. In this version
it’s cyborg & human vs cyborg. This diminishes the whole philosophical
content and distorts the context. May be I’m being pedantic but the
movie is weakened when you change the story line, from an AI who wants
to experience mortality and procreation to one of a Cyborg love
interest.
My final gripe is the ending. In the original it is one of the most
interesting and thought provoking scenes. The remake features most of
it but misses out on the best part of the scene; the Spider Tank
shooting up the dinosaur fossils and a stone masonry tree of life.
Stopping just shot of the highest branch (Hominis). It’s this lack of
richness where the film lets itself down. Of course a lot of the
changes will be so that they can Make a trilogy out of the universe and
do a spin off trilogy for Badou too. #ihatemycynicism still worthy of a
watch I guess but don’t build up your expectations.
perfect remake!
From the moment the trailer popped out for the remake (Americanised
version) of Ghost in the Shell (2017) featuring Scarlett Johansson and
Pilou Asbæk, we were excited. We’ve always been huge fans of the
original Anime and Manga and the thought of seeing Ghost in the Shell
in this type of setting was looking to be a beautiful thing.
Once the marketing started on the film instantly the movie caught a ton
of heat due to Majors role being performed by an American, specifically
they seemed to target Scarlett Johansson. Being a fan of Ghost in the
Shell, I believe the way they pieced this remake together using
Scarlett Johansson as Major was done beautifully and respectfully.
Like all movies that get a lot of press they tend to get bad ratings
right off the bat, typically this isn’t because the movie is good or
bad; it’s due to the ignorance and drama going on in the media to try
and slow down the popularity. Ghost in the Shell 2017 remake is one of
those films that are just catching bad press from most who either
didn’t watch the movie, some that are basing what they think is going
on in the movie so they won’t watch it; and then there’s those who get
paid to post negative press.
This remake of Ghost in the Shell was done very well! I love how they
kept true to the scenery of the anime. This is, however, an
Americanized version so like all US based media it has those twist and
turns for marketing value that no film-goer enjoys, but for the term
entertaining; this film takes all. The cast in Ghost in the Shell
played their roles very well, the scripts were right on point, and from
the moment the film started we were suddenly engulfed as if we were
inside of our Manga Collections seeing it all in real life form.
As for Scarlett Johansson’s role as Major, she did a very remarkable
job. Major’s story as to why she had an American body held it together
with strong. The action scenes were on point throughout the movie, we
didn’t find one item in this remake that we felt wasn’t properly to
par; wonderful remake.
Disappointing and Unsurprising.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This isn’t ghost in the shell.
(I’m going to ignore the controversial issues surrounding the movie in
the review)
The movie’s visuals while great don’t capture the deep mysterious
beauty the original did in 1995. The movie felt like it was just pieced
together and thrown on screen.
It lacked the tonality you had from ghost in the shell. I was
constantly being taken out of the film.
Scarlett Johansson didn’t express the same deep thought or the
questioning nature the Major has in the anime.
The plot of the film was the biggest insult of all. REAL FANS know that
the ghost in the shell always has a engaging and enthralling story
line. That was not present.
do yourself a favor and watch the Ghost in the shell arise movie from
2016, it at least has some remnant of ghost in the shell.
”Blade Runner” + ”RoboCop” + ”The Matrix” = ”Ghost in the Shell” 2017
In many ways, ”Ghost in the Shell,” the 2017 live-action film
adaptation of the Japanese Manga series of the same name by Shirow
Masamune, represents how the film industry has come full circle.
Mamoru Oshii directed the original 1995 Anime’ ”Ghost in the Shell,”
which was one of the earliest Anime’ films I ever saw as a teenager in
high school and is one of my all-time favorite films ever, and one of
my all-time favorite science fiction films. The Wachowskis cited ”Ghost
in the Shell” as one of the key cinematic and visual influences on ”The
Matrix” (1999). And we all know ”The Matrix,” with its groundbreaking,
time-bending ”bullet time” effects, would influence many action films
afterward.
(Is it also a coincidence that today marks the 18th anniversary of ”The
Matrix”?)
And now ”Ghost in the Shell” has been released, which employs many of
the same slow-motion special effects that ”The Matrix” pioneered. It
only seems natural that the source material would return the favor in
some way. That, and the obvious cyber-punk visual influences borrowed
from Anime’, William Gibson’s 1984 novel ”Neuromancer,” and also Ridley
Scott’s landmark sci-fi picture ”Blade Runner” (1982) are about the
only things really worth mentioning here.
Like many others, I was concerned with the obvious Hollywood
white-washing of a uniquely Japanese film and Manga property. Rupert
Sanders’s take on ”Ghost in the Shell” tries to remedy those concerns
by having a multi-national cast of actors – some of whom are Japanese
themselves (but are still short-changed for screen-time, anyway) –
playing characters who were originally ALL Japanese. The biggest sin of
all, of course, was the casting of Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko
Kusanagi.
To be fair, and as I’ve commented many times in the past when news of
this film first broke, Scarlett Johansson’s career has probably led up
to this point. After her roles in ”Lucy” (2014) and as The Black Widow
in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ”Ghost in the Shell” seemed like the
next logical career step for her. In fact, I kept thinking throughout
this film how her portrayal of Major Motoko Kusanagi was just a
cyber-punk-influenced variation of her role AS The Black Widow from the
MCU, complete with dazzling, ”Matrix”-inspired gun-play and martial
arts action sequences.
(And as I’ve ALSO stated plenty of times before, they should have
gotten actress Rinko Kikuchi, who IS Japanese, to play the Japanese
Major Motoko Kusanagi, but alas.)
It’s a shame, because I ”Ghost in the Shell” did have the potential to
be something good. Of course in translating Masamune’s work to
English-speaking American audiences, some things inevitably get lost in
the translation. For instance, the original 1995 film was a great
philosophical and quasi-religious meditation on the human soul and the
meaning of individual identity and the impact that rapidly advancing
technology has on either one, as well as the integration of computers
and ”’Net” into nearly every aspect of society. This film make does
some odd references to the role memories play in forming individual
identity (one’s ”ghost,” if you will), but it gets muddled by a spotty
script and performances, and weak simplifications of Oshii’s ideas for
the American mainstream.
”Ghost in the Shell” 2017 follows very closely to the 1995 Anime’, and
also borrows a few ideas from the TV series ”Ghost in the Shell: Stand
Alone Complex” (which I also love, and the film’s opening action
sequence reproduces the opening moments from the first-season episode).
One of the only things it does retain is the profound seriousness of
the 1995 Anime’ film, and none of the humor that was present in the
original Manga series.
Using a story set-up that will strike fans of the American sci-fi
satire ”RoboCop” (1987) as oddly familiar, Johansson plays the ”Major
Mira Killian,” instead of Major Motoko Kusanagi, who as a child was
badly injured in a terrorist attack and whose brain was then placed in
a cyborg body, the first of its kind. (The film also treats us to a
opening credits sequence that’s reminiscent of the opening credits of
Oshii’s film.) A year later, she is with Public Security Section 9 as
their top operative. She’s investigating a series of ghost-hacking
incidents that are being perpetrated by a master computer hacker named
Kuze (Michael Carmen Pitt), who is somehow connected to Killian’s past.
Together with her cyborg partner Batou (Pilou Asbæk) and her supervisor
Aramaki (”Beat” Takeshi Kitano), they go about trying to track him down
and bring him to justice.
Fans of the original 1995 ”Ghost in the Shell” or Shirow Masamune’s
Manga may be sorely disappointed with Rupert Sanders’s take on the
material. The film looks dazzling; it’s a perfectly realized
live-action cyber-punk fantasy inspired by the not-so-futuristic
visuals of ”Blade Runner” and action scenes that seem like something
out of ”The Matrix.” But die-hards may have a hard time buying Scarlett
Johansson as the Major, and just may see her playing another version of
The Black Widow – or hell, even Lucy. She can deliver the goods in the
action sequences, but when it comes time to meditating on her
cybernetic existence – like her Japanese Anime’ counterparts were prone
to doing on their downtime – she’s kind of a bore and quite wooden.
”Beat” Takeshi Kitano, a legendary figure in Japan, is the only other
real stand-out here. As the paternal father figure in the Major’s life,
he speaks all of his lines in his native Japanese (though the
filmmakers could have forced him to speak English, which I know he can)
– which is about one of the most authentic things about his
performance, and the film, period.
In short, I would suggest seeing ”Ghost in the Shell” 2017 just once to
satisfy your curiosity and to say that you’ve seen it. And then you can
go back and re-watch Mamoru Oshii’s masterpiece or re-read Shirow
Masamune’s original Manga series.
6/10
Typecasting & Whitewashing is an issue.. but I still enjoyed it.
Double edged sword- something that has or can have both favorable and
unfavorable consequences.
The problem with studio system logic is that is sacrifices originality
for marketability.. That, my friend, is a double edged sword.
What happens when you take the Actress from Lucy, Avengers and Her,
then place said name actress in an already established series?
Character residue. Simply put, as a fan of the Manga, the previous
Ghost in the Shell movies, and SAC, I can’t get this ”Lucy” taste out
of my brain. In terms of Art Direction, it’s Great. In terms of
referencing source material, they did a good job. But at the end of the
day, casting was DEFINITELY AN ISSUE (& not from a whitewashing
standpoint). In the movie Gravity, George Clooney was very distracting
for me. Why? Because even as an Astronaut, he was basically ”Danny
Ocean in Space.” ScarJo did a fantastic job, but TYPECASTING is my
issue. As a fan of this Series, I am now stuck with this amalgamation
of ScarJo characters in my favorite anime. Thanks. Thanks a lot.
*insert straight face emoji*
Good film for fans of the series, but custom made for fans of ScarJo.
Irony: A film about stripping self identity, while the actual film
strips self identity. Filmception.
Grades:
Art Direction 10/10 (but I’m partial to futuristic dystopia stuff)
Reference material 8/10 (Using exact scenes, loved it)
Casting 7/10 (Not bad, just redundant)
Overall 7.5/10 (See in IMAX)
Flat Tire
The best thing I can say about ”Ghost in the Shell” is that it was not
as bad as Suicide Squad. I hated the fact that this movie used CGI to
create scenery that tried (very unsuccessfully) to emulate ”Blade
Runner.” The movie also tried unsuccessfully to borrow elements from
”Max Headroom,” ”Wolverine,” and ”RoboCop.” So here we have a modern
day movie that does not meet the aesthetic and thematic standards of
movies decades past.
Blade Runner had grit not antiseptic CGI with mangled shots of Hong
Kong. If you have ever been to Hong Kong you will immediately know that
Ghost in the Shell was shot in Hong Kong. Why then would Japanese
people (and cheeky and cheesy cyborgs alike) be living in and
dominating the street of Hong Kong.
As to cyborgs, why not 3d print a plastic jawbone or Victorian
clockwork eye sockets of your own. That is how cheesy the non-cgi
effects were. Why would a modern day robot have steam-punk eye sockets?
Why?
This movie had phony special effects but lacked any kind of social
commentary or science fiction story whatsoever. Death Race 2050 lacked
special effects but had a totally incredible level of social commentary
that used a science fiction story to talk about current issues. Death
Race 2050 made people uncomfortable, it hit home.
If you want science fiction your best bet is to watch TV. ”The
Expanse,” talked about the fragility of human designed (and thus
simplified) complex systems. A show with no budget, and minimal special
effects, hit upon an issue that great thinkers such as James Lovelock
have identified as being a very important part of our future.
Ghost in the Shell is not science fiction, its milieu is cheesy and
unbelievable, the action is flat, does not talk to the ethics of
technology, and the action sucks.
Perhaps sensibilities of Chinese production companies has killed yet
another movie. When I see Chinese production companies take credit for
a movie I about to see I shudder.
Amazing visual, and overall above average SF.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Entertaining Flick
As a person who has not seen the original films, I thought this was a
good if not great film. I must say that seeing a film like this in IMAX
3D certainly makes a difference and I would recommend that. Excellent
graphics, good story, Scarlett Johansen in tight outfits. Go see it. I
had no preconceived expectations, so I thought it was good.
Scarlett’s take on the major was interesting
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A good new interesting sci fi
This film has had a lot of controversy surrounding it but the trailers
looked alright and I ended up enjoying this film even though it does
fall short of being a great movie. The premise of this film sees a girl
who has her brain transplanted to a cyborg body and become a soldier.
Also I have never seen the anime so I will not compare anything from
that to this film. Scarlett Johansson plays the major in this film and
she does a great job in the role, she is great in the action scenes and
you totally buy her as an action star. Also she was a really
interesting character as you see her learning more you really do end up
caring about her character. Also when it comes to the controversy I
don’t believe it is truly merited and it definitely isn’t whitewashing
especially given the quality of her performance but that is just my
opinion. I really liked the character of batou, I thought there
chemistry together was great and I ended up caring about his character.
I liked all the performances whether it was the doctor who helps her or
her team leader or the terrorist hell bent on taking down her company.
The performances were solid across the board which is nice to see in a
film like this. The story in this film has some interesting character
depth in this film, I loved the way the film dealt with the major and
her development across the film. However, especially towards the third
act of the film it changes a bit in its story element’s and is a very
predictable which is disappointing. The script has some good dramatic
dialogue as you see the major deal with the dramatic circumstances in
this film. However, I think every film should have at least a couple of
humorous moments in it and this film really fails to have any humour in
it to help flush out even more depth to the characters. The style is
absolutely breathtaking in this film, the CGI world created looks
perfectly suited for this world and I loved it. Also there are some
decent action scenes in this film, but there is just way too much slow
mo used in this film like it is trying to homage the matrix and 300 but
in this day you need more to your action scenes. Overall this film is a
good solid sci fi that I recommend seeing and if they look to create a
world for this I will be there for the next film.
Five Stars for Scarlett ONLY!
To be honest, the only highlight part of this movie is about the main
character Scarlett. Super sexy in this movie. However, this movie is an
over-simplified version of Japanese 95 film. The all charming part of
original material is gone. If you are a big fan of the original film,
you do not have to spend your money into this movie. For this movie, I
spent almost 60 bucks for two VIP tickets. Very regret to spend my
first VIP experience into this movie.
Opulent 3D SF – Do not believe Fan reviews
I you like SF, if you like colors, 3D, opulent pictures, if you liked
The Matrix, and you are no hard core Manga fan, but just a normal movie
and action fan, than see this movie: you will love it and feel highly
entertained. I am sure that you might feel disappointed if you have
seen the anime movies, but if you have not, just go and see it.
The Shell is better than the Ghost
The cinema is an incredible way of art, because it always relies on
good storytelling first. And after that on visuals, sound, design,
performance, etc. It is surely a mix of them all, but the essence is
and will always be to relay an important set of messages through an
impressive story. And this is the reason why improvisation will always
be a milestone in creating good movies. Because repetitiveness is
always going to go into oblivion.
For example ”Ghost in the shell” – the anime movie from 1995 will
always be this cornerstone in the lives of many young before and now
not so young people. It is an essential part of my life too. And I
can’t just pass on seeing what Rupert Sanders has done with these
incredible set of characters, with this great set of ideas and story.
You see, people get inspired by stories which tell them something new
to them, which teach them something they don’t know about themselves
and about the surrounding world. And at the same time these valuable
fiction pieces show that we’ve had this valuable information in
ourselves all the time. We just had to dig deep and find it. To
acknowledge it. To accept its existence and then to use it in our
lives. To be better people, to live a happier and more fulfilling life.
This is the kind of art piece the original ”Ghost in the shell” is. At
least to me. So it’s important to stress out what a big task this
director took.
Now, I want to say that I truly believe that cinema is an eternal form
of creation because it refreshes itself by inspiring the film community
within. This anime is a beautiful example for this. I cannot give a
better example for film inspired by GitS than ”The Matrix”. There we
see a seamless transition of groundbreaking ideas from one form (mind)
to another. This is the living tissue of cinema itself. Ideas about
information flow, purpose of life in cybernetic society, gender
identity and the future of the human soul flourish from anime to movie
life the first breath of a new born baby! And this is exactly what I
love.
So seeing the new Scarlett Johansson’s new movie was a test. An awaited
test, but still a test. And it performed more or less as expected. The
story was dummed down A LOT. I don’t even want to speak about it. It
was interesting to see the script writers discussing a fresh look into
Motoko Kusanagi’s origins, but this idea seemed not thought in details
enough. The performances of the actors weren’t bad. But the characters
are part of the flawed story. So yeah – it wasn’t a very good movie.
But it was a decent one, because…they did hire some of the best
design, music and graphic artists available on the market. And the
atmosphere, sound, costumes, CG were GREAT! It sure looks expensive,
but it is for a reason. I really enjoyed what WETA did in this movie.
These people put up so much effort into interpreting and creating from
the original content, that I want to recommend watching the movie if
not for something else, than just for their work. It is worthy of
appraisal. And let’s not forget Hong Kong…the main landscape which
inspired the original is seen in this movie as well. A future city it
still is!
So overall I would like to ask you all – do you prefer to have a shiny
shell or a thoughtful ghost? I personally prefer to have both!
A Mediocre SF Movie, slapped with GItS Label
First of all I have to make it clear, I’m one of the original GItS fan,
so I don’t think that my POV could represent everyone. However I feel
like I just got scammed that’s why I’m compelled to make an account
just for this movie.
Next, I have to say that putting aside the GItS label this movie are
just your usual mediocre SF with crisp visual, the setting of GItS has
inspired so many works over time, which ironically resulted in said
GItS re-adaptation 22 years later seems cliché by comparison. However
to this date there’s hardly any adaptation that managed to be as
thought provoking as GItS, which is why I had hopes for this adaptation
could capture that essence. In reality?? I bet 10 bucks that midway
through the movie most of you guys will have a general idea as how the
movie will progress, the story are just that generic.
Now that I got that covered, let’s get to the main dish. First the
casting, I’m not bothered by whitewashing and honestly SJ done great as
Major, and Pilou Asbæk are perfect at his role as Battou. Honestly the
casting are perfect. however I found the name change to be unnecessary
but that’s my opinion. Next Visual, I found no fault in it, and I love
their car selection which are quite accurate with the original GItS.
Now.. time for main part, the plot or rather the theme. I’m sure
there’s billion fans already grumbling about the plot which is why I
won’t repeat it, however I must say that the biggest fault of this
supposedly ‘adaptation’ is that they throw all of the original’s soul
or rather ‘ghost’ out of the window to make it simpler and more
appealing to western audience; which arguably are unnecessary
considering heavy movie like interstellar and Inception are widely
received as positive, while trying to market it as GItS. If I were to
write in detail why this movie are not Ghost in The Shell then I doubt
that 1k words will be enough however I must raise this fatal one, this
movie failed to address the question of Evolution in cybernetics
society, it instead offer us a cheap justice and bad romance to fill
the hole that such heavy theme left us.
Conclusion? Another Hollywood attempt to sell us garbage by attaching
shiny label. At the very least it’s way better than DBZ and Avatar,
however it still lose to Edge of Tomorrow in term of adaptation.
P.S Once again I have to say that this is a subjective review from
original GItS fans, I’m sure someone who never touched the originals
will have different opinion from mine.
A great western take on a Japanese classic
I’ve watched both GITS films, Stand Alone Complex series and read the
manga. As expected, things didn’t reach so far into a philosophical
sphere and at times spelling out the ”dilemmas of existence for
dummies” took a little from the atmosphere of the film.
But, as far as bad things go, that’s about it. CGI were mostly spot-
on, only one or two scenes pulled me out of immersion. As a big plus,
the film took some time to actually present the world itself without
jumping to action. Side characters were great, I enjoyed Aramaki and
Batou the most, Togusa, Saito and Ishikawa didn’t have much screen
time, but still delivered.
Now, Johansson as the Major, I know a lot of fuss was there about
whitewashing, I don’t care about SJW thing, what matters to me if an
actor/ess can act the role and IMO she was a great choice. In most
scenes she behaved exactly like her character should, it didn’t feel
forced or overacted to me.
And for the plot itself, I’m not saying it was fresh or never seen
before thing, but it was a nice take and it brought something to the
franchise. IDK if it makes official canon, but in my head it already
is.
I hope this review helps you, it is my first and I’ve done it because I
feel that 6.9 stars is a lot less than this effort deserves.
Lack of intense action sequences
Actually this movie got a lot of space to be a huge blockbuster hit,
the point is because of director is more focus on the original anime
and future effects for the scene despite of making good action
sequences. The action sequences in this movie is a failure because all
are not very short and limited.They should create intense and longer
action sequences for this to make the movie more watchable..
And the music composer music just not fit the movie as well..For
conclusion, they should create big action sequences to pleased
audiences.
stop hating on an amazing film
there was way to much hate circulating around this movie. I knew this
movie was going to be amazing and it turned out to be more then that.
people kept blaming this movie for white washing and not staying true
to the anime ….well you know what who cares it’s an adaptation of an
adaptation that’s the point. each ghost in the shell anime has been an
adaptation of the original manga and that’s something ”true fans” would
know. if your hesitant on seeing this GO see it if your new to ghost in
the shell you will enjoy this beautiful sci fi world, if your an artist
you will love every frame. if your a hardcore fan of the anime looking
to point fingers stay home and don’t bother to bring down a great film.
my last note is this movie is truly a beautiful movie with amazing city
scapes, costuming, music scoring and vfx. loved it !!
What a flop…
Ghost in the Shell… What a great movie it was… in 1995…
This new iteration has taken away EVERYTHING that was great in manga,
movies and series… There is bad casting followed by bad acting. There
is bad animation [ deep-dive scene?! wtf?! ] and bad writing… There
was another proof that a background is more important than skill in the
way #RupertSanders executed this production and by execution I mean
slaughter, decapitation…
None of the brilliant atmosphere is there, no consideration of sound as
an integral part of the story, no attention to detail at all [ grave
]… It’s just a sad, sad, westernised, washed away action movie with
branding that probably costed more than that poor CGI.
As a final stab-wound, we have one person speaking Japanese and a bit
of soap opera at the end… Almost like it was made in UK…
Both me, who grew up on the good-old stuff, and my friend who I
introduced to the franchise recently through previous movies – left the
cinema disappointed and wanting to re-watch the original.
Do not pay for cinema… It’s not worth it. Wait for torrents… Don’t
give them money to do this again, please!
Loved this movie!
In the near future, Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her
kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be
a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous
criminals. When terrorism reaches a new level that includes the ability
to hack into people’s minds and control them, Major is uniquely
qualified to stop it. As she prepares to face a new enemy, Major
discovers that she has been lied to: her life was not saved, it was
stolen. She will stop at nothing to recover her past, find out who did
this to her and stop them before they do it to others. Based on the
internationally acclaimed Japanese Manga, ”The Ghost in the Shell.”
I Loved the anime and I loved the live action version, fantastic
visuals and a truly immersive world, I haven’t enjoyed a sci-fi movie
like this in a long time, yes.. some lines are cheesy but look at the
source materials dialogue. This is a very well made version of that to
me, especially to appeal to western audiences. It blends the feeling of
The Matrix with the landscape of Blade Runner. The only issue I have
with it is that I think it would have benefited from a R rating but I
can understand why the studio wanted to go with what they did.
8/10
Literal White-Washing
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Michael Pitt Stole the show
Seriously there has been a lot of attention on the voice of villains
the last few years, Michael Pitt absolutely nailed it! For me he stole
the show, his performance just elevated the whole movie. Definitely
worth a watch, obviously its never gonna be better than the og but what
was people expecting.
Forget the 1995 movie and think about Stand Alone Complex instead
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
All Shell, No Ghost
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Bad cinematography made an original Sci-Fi legend turned amateur
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (1995) is one of my favorite science fiction films,
and I admit that it was impossible for me not to make constant
comparisons with this new live action version. However, to be fair, the
end credits of Ghost in the Shell (2017) clear out the fact that it
isn’t based on that masterpiece directed by Mamoru Oshii, but on the
manga written by Masamune Shirow, which I read once many years ago, and
therefore, I don’t remember it with too much precision. So, for the
sake of objectivity, I will make an effort not to compare both films in
this review… as much as I can. The premise of Ghost in the Shell
(2017) is interesting, and it invites us to question technology as a
double-edged sword; on the one hand, improving our lives, and on the
other one, earning too much influence over every aspect of humanity…
including its nature itself: Where does the human end and the machine
starts? What really defines us as persons? Those are fascinating
questions which, unfortunately, co-screenwriters Jamie Moss and William
Wheeler are unable to answer; and when they try to do so, they just use
clichés and recycle concepts we have seen in uncountable science
fiction films during the last 30 years. In other words, Ghost in the
Shell (2017) doesn’t add anything substantial to the genre… with the
exception of its elevated visual values, so over-designed and
ostentatious that they feel like a desperate attempt to compensate the
weak screenplay. The main pro of Ghost in the Shell is the solid
performance from Scarlett Johansson, whose conviction helps us to focus
the diffuse story and obtain a few slight emotional moments. There has
been a lot of talk about the decision to hire a North American actress
to play an eminently Japanese character; however, I think that’s one of
the least important problems of the film (besides, there are some
details which explain the change of race). What I did find an important
mistake was the rigid structure of Ghost in the Shell (2017), which is
developed without too much imagination or suspense; the screenplay
seems more like a mediocre ”origin tale” of some generic super- heroine
instead of a mature and relevant story about the intersection between
technology, biology and philosophy. And I now have to talk about the
comparisons (at least briefly): the problem of Ghost in the Shell
(2017) isn’t everything it changed from the original movie, buy why it
did it. What are the reasons? I guess that Ghost in the Shell (1995)
seemed too dense and complicated for a North American blockbuster; or
maybe, its innovative (back then) transhumanist proposals were
interpreted as ”mistakes” which were necessary to be eliminated in
order for a wider audience to watch this new film. Anyway, the spirit
of Ghost in the Shell (1995) was fundamentally altered, changing the
message, tone and Oshii’s indescribable vision in order to be replaced
by the insipid ”Hollywood style” which solves problems with money
instead of creativity. Those who haven’t watched the original movie
might be left more satisfied by Ghost in the Shell (2017) than me. It
personally didn’t bore me, but I found it mediocre, and I definitely
would have preferred to re-watch (for the umpteenth time) the original
film.
Sci-Fi Thinker, Action Stinker
Robbie K here, back with another review. This time we review the latest
comic book inspired film ghost in a shell starring leading lady
Scarlett Johansson as an ”epic” cybernetic cop trying to stop
terrorism. With a large cult following, this movie certainly has a lot
to live up to in terms of quality, and if you’re not familiar with the
series than you are probably hoping action. What is the verdict? Please
read on to hear my thoughts on the latest film.
LIKES: Decent Sci-Fi Plot Cool visuals Nice character design
Okay acting
Summary: I’ll lay it out now, I haven’t read nor seen any ghost in the
shell media, so I can’t justify how it matches. However, from a movie
perspective, this film has a decent Sci-Fi plot that fits into the
genre where anything can happen. A dark plot about cybernetics, Ghost
in The Shell again diverts from the fantasy train, and takes a more
realistic (albeit theatrical) turn into science territory of humans
becoming robots. The more realistic plot is not much of a stretch and
provides an ample medium to create awesome visuals to sell that
realism. And that, my friends, is the best part of this movie. Ghost in
the Shell’s visuals are impressive, overlaying futuristic advertising
onto a real life setting that doesn’t look cheesy. In all honesty, it
is like taking a look at what Japan can look like in the future and how
our desire to ”progress” can ruin it. Outside the city look, the
characters themselves look like something out of a comic, each with a
flare that scream Japanese animation. While some looks are certainly
worth a chuckle, a few characters like Major (Johansson) and Kuze
(Michael Pitt) are well developed, looking sleek, deadly, or horrifying
and standing out in terms of the realistic design you are seeking. But
while visuals are impressive, you also hope the actors can bring their
characters to life in a way that will meet expectations. Happy to say,
the cast did a decent job in their goal, though again I’m uncertain how
the characters are supposed to act having not read the comic. If Major
is supposed to be very monotone and hardly reactive, Johansson nails
that approach, hardly diluting from the calm, stoic battle mode of the
robotic assassin. Pitt having to act like a tortured (albeit
enlightened) terrorist wins points for gruesome tactics, prolonged
speeches, and many other things that a cyberterrorist is expected to
have. The rest of the cast is decent, but we have limited space and
more to cover, so let’s wrap and say the rest aren’t bad given their
little screen time.
DISLIKES: Little involvement with other characters Plot is very
predictable and dragged out Action is sub-par most of the time
Summary: My dislikes start with the lack of involvement in other
characters. Johansson carries most of the film as major, taking much of
the screen time and stunts this movie requires. Her team ”helps” out at
certain points, and her director certainly gets some good jabs in, but
overall the other characters are almost pointless. For being an elite
team, Section 9’s agents did little to impress me and that team
approach could have amped up the movie. This is especially true given
how lackluster the plot was. While realistic, Ghost In A Shell has
little in terms of uniqueness to justify the nearly two hour run time.
Even if you haven’t read the books, the ending can be seen from a mile
away and the delivery wasn’t spectacular enough to wait for (at least
for me). The dramatic flare and character development are certainly
nice, don’t get me wrong on that, but the ”exciting” climax I was
waiting for just wasn’t there.
This brings me to the action component. Ghost In the Shell was promoted
as action packed and exciting, but for me it was mediocre at best. A
nice Matrix style opening shows promise for the movie, but it doesn’t
take long for the stunts to be diluted to quick, unimpressive bouts
that last mere minutes (if not seconds). There is little challenge to
the fights, and little technology used, which is disappointing given
the movie is all about technology. And after all the waiting you would
think an epic fight at the end, but no, it’s just Johansson running
from CGI bullets until a very dramatic finish occurs. This boring
display of technology just made the nearly 2 hour run time seem
worthless, given the promise the trailers made.
The VERDICT:
Ghost In The Shell is a visual display that certainly representative of
its comic book origins. Unfortunately, outside of these impressive
visual displays, the rest of the movie doesn’t live up to what I
expected from the trailers. The story is mediocre and the execution is
flawed, to promote a boring mess with only character development as its
redeeming grace. Despite the impressive design of the movie, this
reviewer does not recommend this one for the theater, unless you go in
with low expectations. Instead hold out for home rental and instead
read the comic book it is based on.
My scores are:
Action/Crime/Drama: 6.5 Movie Overall: 6.0
Awesome – But Not the Original
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A treat for both fans of the original, and new initiates…
FOREWARD: First off, I was exposed to the original film back when it
was only available in a very small Anime section in BlockBuster. It
could be bought in limited outlets like SunCoast Video, MediaPlay, etc.
I was in love with the original film not only for it’s action,
attention to detail in weapons/gear, and appreciably grounded view of
future tech…but also it’s deep view of existential questions, the
pitfalls of technology, social/political themes, and character
development in the movie and following series.
Of course, like today, it was widely regarded as too complex and
cerebral for those who had no exposure to other types and styles of
film, and regrettably dismissed by those who considered an animated
film to only be suitable for children’s stories.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to take some air of superiority in
my tastes, I like a good brainless or mainstream film just as much as
anyone, but the original GITS was a landmark and a very cherished
memory of my teen years.
THE MEAT AND POTATOES: I went into this film with an understanding that
adaptations of franchises like anime and video games, have often failed
to meet the expectations of fans and newcomers alike. Lets face it,
most of our beloved franchises are deep and vast. And to take the best
parts of those and wrap it into a film that tries to honor the original
work is no small task. Not to mention please typical moviegoers who are
used to films that lay out the plot in a very predictable or even
simplistic way.
This movie touches on all the amazing parts of the original. The story
in this movie is lifted from several parts of the movie as well as it’s
episodic versions. I personally think they did a wonderful job of
faithfully preserving the best of the best.
The plot may not be as ”sexy” as modern films go, but for those who
suspend their typical expectations, it’s a wonderful dive into ideas of
what it means to be human when the technology of the time may be at
odds with individuality. While most of our lives are inexorably
connected to technology and networking, there were definitely parts
that drew a comparison of being ”too connected” to technology (i.e.
social media, phones, computers, and corporate advertising), whilst
seeing the inherent value of ”disconnecting” from such trappings
occasionally in order to discover oneself so to speak.
I thought the running time was a little short. Even 30 more minutes
could’ve developed the story better to folks who are viewing this with
fresh eyes. However I can also understand the need to trim ”filler” for
the sake of giving the film a broader appeal.
Though I really wished for more development of the characters aside
from the Major, (Togusa, Saito, Ishikawa, Borma, Aramaki), I felt like
the other roles were portrayed faithfully and yet breathed new life
into their characters. I really hope this will not be the end of the
series if nothing else but for the sake of exploring these characters
more and seeing the actors flesh out their roles. Unlike most films
with a central character, the movie and the series really took time to
make each of these characters very unique and made me love each of
their personalities and quirks.
The tech, weapons, gear, concepts that were of course laid out in the
first movie, were mostly well preserved and adapted.
In closing I personally loved this movie and am glad to see it
directed/produced/casted/created in a manner that stayed true to it’s
roots. Make no mistake, you are not seeing a film that is trying to be
like most major blockbusters. And it is also not a direct clone of the
original. But don’t mistake this for an indication of avoiding it. Get
lost in it, let it have your undivided attention and I think most can
appreciate this wonderful dive into the unknown.
Fantastic movie…don’t listen to the hyper-analysts.
I love the Ghost in the Shell animated series (1&2) and can honestly
say that I thought this movie was fantastic, all things considered.
You won’t find the laughing man, or the Individual Eleven here, but you
will find a faithful representation of the heart of the series.
You don’t need to be a fan of the original to follow the movie.
Contrary to other reviews on here, there is a plot, and it is
enjoyable.
It might not be as complex and nail biting as some might expect, but I
thought overall, the story was intriguing and the action/effects were
great as well.
My wife, who cannot stand Anime in the slightest, sat through the
entire move with me and agreed afterward that it was really good.
Best of all, this could absolutely have a sequel, or even turn into a
trilogy, (please let this be a trilogy) as this installment is mainly
about the Major discovering who she is, how she came to be, and what
part she plays in the larger picture of the world. At the end of it, I
felt like it would be a shame to end the story where it left off.
(Sequel could start right at the laughing man story)
Go into this just expecting a fun time, and you’ll be satisfied.
That’s about as fair and balanced as I can be.
Well…..
Well I had high hopes from the previews. They definitely played to the
fan base on the trailers by only showing mirror images of the original.
I expected so much more especially from this adaptation from anime.
They did do a decent job on the visual aspect but the story was by far
lacking! I mean come on! You try to integrate a backstory into the main
plot and just roll with it…. Ass hats!!!!
Entertaining at Least, but Two Major Flaws
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Great adaptation!!
One of the best comic adaptation to the silver screen. Great visual
effects and just pure imagination of the future of human. As a 1.5
Asian American, I appreciated the inter-language barrier break without
restraint. It reminded me of an updated version and a cleaner one at
that of the legendary Bladerunner, which means Bladerunner sequel has a
lot to live up to. I appreciated some changes, but some changes to the
flow the original story was little distracting. I really hope there is
whole series and sequel to this one!!
Did not resemble the story line from the original. Way off
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Old fan and new fan will like this
Ghost in the Shell (2017) probably is my most anticipated movie of
2017.Not like most people grew up watching the original anime from the
90s I’m just recently got into the franchise and get hook up really
fast.Go to this movie despite hearing so many negative feedback from
movie critics and fan of the series i very surprise for how much loyal
the movie to the source material while adding some new twist of their
own but still managed to pull out not only a good sci-fi movie in
general but also a solid anime live-action adaptation i ever see from
America after witnessing what they did with DBZ and Speed Racer(Let
never talked about those movie again).Follow a very similar plot as the
original anime the movie is about Major Motoko Kusanagi with her team
from Section 9 solving and fighting cyber crime in a futuristic city at
the time when the line between human and robots is becoming blurred.The
casting choice of this movie is perfect every actors in this movie nail
their characters very well.Major played by Scarlett Johansson and Batou
played by Pilou Asbæk is easy my favorite from the wonderful chemistry
between them to some movie aspect that directly from the anime even
make me appreciate the anime more.The movie is very eyes candy and
visually stunning at the time but sometime it get a little style over
substance.The action scene is your typical gun fight with a lot of
slow-mo moment but for the most part is well handle so there not much
to say.The plot does sometimes suffer from some dumb- down subplots but
i have to give the movie writers credit for doing some ballsy move with
history of some characters that will get a lot of hate from now on.Some
will love it,some will hate it but you can’t denied this is the right
way to introduce the series and possibility a whole anime live- action
franchise universe in Western
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
This was definitely one of my most anticipated films of 2017. I found
the trailer amazing and immediately checked out the film from 1995. I
thought it was very entertaining and thought provoking. I was hoping
for something even have as good with this 2017 installment. Ghost in
the Shell is fairly faithful to it’s origin source and is beautiful
cinematically. While I don’t say the film is fantastic, I don’t see it
disappointing many.
The story takes place in the future where a cybernetic android with the
brain of a human tries to come with grips with the glitches she is
seeing recently. On top of that The Major (Scarlett Johansson’s lead
character) tries to uncover the mystery behind her past and the dark
secrets that he creators are hiding. First things first, I definitely
understand when people ha e grievances about whitewashing in Hollywood.
I understand that concern but also realize that these films need a
really marketable actor to appease audiences and make bank. I also love
ScarJo and think she’s perfect for these badass heroic protagonist
roles she’s had in recent years. She’s great in this. The supporting
cast also works, nice to see Michael Pitt here.
The visuals are stunning. Like gorgeous. The world of Ghost in the
Shell was brought to life in a fantastic way, and then some. It’s up
there with some of the most beautiful city scenery I’ve seen in a film.
If there is CG in multiple places, It’s hard to notice. The action
sequences and opening scenes are seamless, crisp, and sleek. It’s made
to be seen on the big screen.
Rupert Sanders takes liberties in some areas but this film is mostly
faithful to that of the 1995 film. I wish the film had an R rating just
because I think more could have been accomplished in this universe with
a more mature rating. It’s still perfectly fine as the films futuristic
tones are so alluring. The film doesn’t really drag anywhere and the
concepts are thought provoking.
There’s really not many things I can think of that detract from this
film. It’s great however isn’t phenomenal as a whole unit, which is
perfectly fine. It’s on par or slightly above with expectations. The
film should have enough legs for a sequel though I’d rather this be a
one off deal. Final thoughts, see this in the theaters as it’s visually
glorious. It’s very reminiscent of sci fi films of the past, like a
cross between Blade Runner and The Matrix but Ghost in the Shell
definitely respectfully stands on it’s own two feet. Pleased with this.
7.5/10
It’s Worth Watching For Free On Your Fave Chinese Site
I had many reservations going to see this. I assumed of course it was
riding on the tail of the 1995 anime and its sequel and was going to be
either brilliant or stinky. I was not wrong. Ghost In The Shell: 2017
is what a typical Hollywood offshoot movie usually is. Darn it. It was
entertaining in a CGI kind of way but the best part about this story
about technology and humanity’s stance towards it is missed. It is well
done in some part (hint: eating out) but boy look at the city and they
even missed out on good special effects. I know that seems strange to
hear but watch it (for free) and you’ll see. Scarlet should pretend she
is cool or she gets what this story is about or anyone could imagine
her as either cyborg or whatever!!!! I am sure a Japanese actress would
have been better (they have those, you know)… Thank you Hollywood!!!
3/10 stars, easy decision!!
Okay for a anime adaption.
Just watched this movie today (April 1st). I loved the fight
choreography, special effects, and production value. What I didn’t like
was the multiple story lines crammed into one 100 minute movie. You
have stuff from the first and second animated films. Dunno if there was
anything from the original manga. I have only read man machine
interface. Ms. Johansson was definitely trying to hard to be robotic.
She needed to relax a little. Being to stiff takes away from the
character. The Major was not that stiff in the first film. It is worth
a look and you can draw your own conclusion on it.
Ghost in the shell does not have a ghost at all.
Motoko is reduced to a whining little teen girl. The art team did a
solid job but it’s completely wasted on the complete lack of story and
depth. They should have had plenty of content to work with to be able
to carveout a decent movie but more or less the removed the rough and
interesting edges. It’s a cliché Hollywood movie wearing a ghost in
shell costume with some iconic scenes throw into the blender from the
animation. I would avoid this movie if you are a ghost in the shell fan
you will be bored to the maximum. Scarlett Johansson is as dull as a
rock as usual.
Ghost In The Shell (2017) Film Review
The new action sci-fi thriller film Ghost In The Shell which is a live
version of the Manga animated film Ghost In The Shell from 1995
starring Scarlett Johansson.
Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, ”GHOST IN THE
SHELL” follows Major (American actress Scarlett Johansson – Avengers
films, Captain America films), a special ops, one-of-a-kind
human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted
to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is
faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s
advancements in cyber technology.
Amongst the actors / actresses in Ghost In The Shell include Danish
actor Pilou Asbæk (Ben-Hur 2016, The Great Wall) as Batou Major’s
sidekick, Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano (Battle Royale films, Johnny
Mnemonic) as Aramaki Major’s boss, French actress Juliette Binoche (The
English Patient, Chocolat which is French for chocolate) as Dr. Ouelet
who looks after Major, American actor Michael Pitt (The Village,
Finding Forrester) as Kuze, Singapore actor Chin Han (The Dark Knight,
Independence Day: Resurgence) as Han, English actress Danusia Samal as
Ladriya, Australian actor Lasarus Ratuere (Australian TV Series Ready
For This, The Mule) as Ishikawa, Yutaka Izumihara (The Great Raid, The
Railway Man) as Saito, Zimbabwe actor Tawanda Manyimo (The Rover, Slow
West) as Borma, British actor Peter Ferdinando (High-Rise, Starred Up)
as Cutter, Romanian actress Anamaria Marinca (Fury, The Girl With All
The Gifts) as Dr. Dahlin, Australian actor Daniel Henshall (US TV
Series TURN: Washington’s Spies, The Babadook) as Skinny Man, Andrew
Stehlin (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny, Killer
Elite) as No Pupils, Japanese actress Kaori Momoi (Emperor, The Sun) as
Hairi, Rila Fukushima (The Wolverine, TV Series Arrow) as Red Robed
Geisha, Joseph Naufahu (TV Series Game Of Thrones, The Last Saint) as
Police Commander Johns, Peter Teo (Stretch, Call If You Need Me) as
Tony and Shinji Ikefuji (The Wolverine, The Railway Man) as Kinsana.
Ghost In The Shell was shot on location in New Zealand, Hong Kong and
Shanghai, China.
Overall Ghost In The Shell is a good action sc-fi thriller film filled
with action, shooting, violence, shoot ups, explosions, virtual reality
stuff, incredible stunning effects, things happening in slow motion,
things getting blown up, wrecked, destroyed, dark scenes, sci-fi stuff,
cool looking cars, motorbikes, big trucks, loyalty, friendship, team
work, togetherness, sadness, heart felt moments, incredible technology,
robots, baddies with guns, robotic human beings, Japanese or Chinese
language, tall skyscrapers, colourful catchy holograms, some weird
bizarre stuff, fast paced stuff, thrills and spills and many other
things throughout the film. So I will give Ghost In The Shell an
overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars and I will say Ghost In The Shell is
worth seeing if you like action sci-fi thriller films like Ghost In The
Shell the Manga animated film from 1995, The Matrix films, Akira the
Manga animated film, Metropolis the animated film from 2001, The Fifth
Element, The Terminator films, the Total Recall films, Blade Runner,
Tron, the Judge Dredd films, Elysium, District 9, Chappie, Battleship,
The Raid films, Romeo Must Die amongst others. So if you get the chance
to see Ghost In The Shell in the cinema then you should go and see it
sooner than later and believe me when I say this you will like it from
the action to the sci-fi stuff to the virtual reality stuff to the
incredible stunning effects and so on.
Can Be That Great
This movie actually has a lot of potential. It could be the greatest
movie of the year. But seriously, this movie only contains animation
and camera plays. The plotting and dialogue was really bad. You have
great actors and great story line but you really turn it so bad. When
the trailer came up, this movie became the most movie I anticipated to
watch. So disappointed.
Hollywood’s take on Ghost in the Shell, that is more of a shell lacking its soul. Pretty to look at but weak on story and characterization
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Great Movie
I gave this Movie a 10 simply due to the Low ratings it received prior
to having even come out by Ghost in the Shell anime fans that simply
watched the Trailer and hated on the movie before even having seen it.
Such is the anime community sigh*. That being said i’d give the overall
rating of this Film an 8/10. It’s absolutely visually stunning with
great special effects which really give it a similar/same atmosphere as
the original ghost in the shell although a bit brighter and colorful.
Having seen Both Original Ghost in the Shell series and Movies, I think
this live action adaptation did the best job possible in terms of
bringing the anime to life. Much of the live action is very much the
same as the First 1995 animated Movie a few tweaks to the storyline
made but with the MAIN Iconic action scenes still intact. Anyone who
gave this movie under a 6 was simply coming in with expectations
waaaaaay to high as there’s no way we were gonna get an exact replica
of the 1995 series to think that would be naive. Overall i would
recommend you see the movie for yourself and gain the best experience
viewing it in 3D as i found it more immersive for this particular
film/genre.
It’s Holywoods best attempt to adapt a good manga so far
Let’s be honest. Hollywood adaptations of books, comic books, video
games etc are usually mediocre. Sometimes we have some exceptional
ones, and sometimes we have some horrible ones. But usually they are
watchable. Japanese pop culture on the other hand (manga, anime, and
Japanese original movies) is always adapted horrible in Hollywood. Well
this one is not horrible. It’s not as good as I expected it to be,
given that I am a Ghost In The Shell fan, but it is a passable, Sci Fi
action movie with very good visuals. For me this movie is a solid 6 and
gets an extra point for visuals and faithful recreations of specific
scenes. Worth the ticket price but don’t expect the deep and
philosophical story line and dialogue from the original.
it is good
I didn’t follow the original one. But this one is simply good,
specially for the visual effects. For the story, I think it little bit
complicated. It standard and I didn’t feel a climax here. The acting is
good overall. Scarlett Johansson act well, but i felt like she is not
feel the character (major). Overall for me who not follow the original,
this movie is good for someone who adore visual effect.
Warning to fans and newcomers: pointless and awful remake. boring.
Why? What was the point? The original Japanese franchise upon which
this film is taken from was intellectually engaging, had memorable
characters, beautiful art, and intense action.
This remake starring Johansson had none of that at all.
It was like budget ”The Matrix”.
Fans of the original should skip this one. It’ll ruin your memories.
It’s that bad.
The crazy thing is I wanted to like this too, but some things are
better left untouched.
LOVED IT. 100% would recommend
Honestly I loved it. This Has to be the best anime live action movie
adaption I’ve seen. Loved the new modern take that they went with,
there was so much information to cover from the anime. And I feel they
nailed it. Obviously the main story was different, but condensing it
into an hour and a half movie I was happy. Hope they do a sequel.
The first good Hollywood attempt at translating an anime/manga
I had to come here and leave this review. I saw the movie yesterday and
i was impressed at how they actually managed to translate the anime
into ”real life” stuff, this is no small achievement.
People are overlooking the great qualities of this movie for the sake
of criticism and ideology. As an anime and manga fan, i have to say
that i recognize what we are supposed to get if we expect it to come
from Hollywood: we get what we got for ghost in the shell 2017.
Did the story lose depth? Its actually a questionable complaint… i
have watched many anime and ghost in the shell always stood out as one
of those who belonged to a niche. If anything, i feel that if there is
anything that will impact this movie’s performance, its exactly this:
its directed to a specific public. And this actually should account as
a sign that they actually hold loyalty to the source material when they
wrote the script, because they could have made this a movie that
appealed to other fan bases, depending on the direction it took.
I have mixed feelings about this choice, i want the movie to perform
well, because i want more anime/manga movies… but to perform well,
sometimes you need to make more marketing, you have to destroy it a
little. I expect people to blame the wrong things here, when the only
thing to blame is the story itself.
Ghost in the shell was new when it was new, now that everybody copied
and created other stories inspired on it, critics will call it
”unoriginal”… how unfair.
”Major” Disappointment
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
So Scarlet portrays an Asian?
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Perfectly fine, just proves anime does it better
Marred by whitewashing controversy ever since Scarlett Johansson was
cast in the lead role, Rupert Sanders’ adaptation of the Japanese
manga, Ghost in the Shell, has been released and has a lot to live up
to with the 1995 anime version being one of the most influential anime
of all time.
In the near future, Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her
kind: a human who is cyber-enhanced, designed as the perfect soldier to
stop the world’s most dangerous criminals. When a new terrorist threat
reaches a dangerous level, Major is the most qualified to put a stop to
it however, the more she investigates, the more she uncovers about her
past.
Right off the bat, I’ve got to say that Ghost in the Shell is a truly
visually stunning example of sci-fi, Rupert Sanders’ film brought to
life with some mightily impressive special effects and Jess Hall’s
cinematography, some of the sweeping shots of the city really wowing
me. The score from Clint Mansell and Lorne Balfe suits the visual style
of the film to a tee and aids this adaptation in bringing the manga to
life.
As impressed with the visuals as I was, some of the action sequences
such as the water fight or the spider tank finale, in comparison to the
1995 anime, don’t have the same energy levels to them, which is
probably because you could never capture the same vividness that exists
in the animation of an anime. It does make me wonder how they’d even go
about making a live-action adaptation of something like Akira.
The story has been fleshed out some more and changes have been made for
this adaptation, which led to film becoming a little weighed down for
me. It’s an interesting story but there are some serious pacing issues
at times, making the film feel a lot longer than it actually is.
Coming to the performances, Ghost in the Shell features a quietly
impressive lead in Scarlett Johansson, whose emotional range perfectly
reflects the progression of both the story and her character’s journey.
Her performance will most likely be overshadowed by the whitewashing
controversy, which I’m sure will lead to some boycotting the film
overall but she does give a good performance. Out of all the supporting
cast, I’d have to say I enjoyed Pilou Asbæk’s performance as Batou the
most because, aside from Major, he’s the coolest character in this
film.
I tend to avoid the politics of a film upon release and when looking
back on it after. With that in mind, Ghost in the Shell is a perfectly
fine adaptation that suffers a little with additional narrative yet
serves as a real treat for the eyes and ears.
I am probably biased, but I liked it more than the original 1995 anime…let the angry comments commence.
I just want to give a slight bit of background as to where I was coming
from when I went into this movie before I say how I felt about it. I
have only recently seen the original animated 1995 film; I haven’t seen
any of its numerous sequels or spin-off shows or read any of the mangas
that were linked to its source material or anything like that. How I
felt about the 1995 anime though is pretty lukewarm honestly. I thought
it had interesting ideas and a relatively cool aesthetic, but was way
too heavy on exposition dialog and had a very limited about of
character development as well as humanity. For a film that is supposed
to be delving into the questions of what makes us human to feel so
lifeless, to me, is a major issue. Objectively speaking, it is a fine
movie, but subjectively falls short of being anything that great.
This movie is one of those rare cases where I found myself enjoying the
remake far more than the original film that it is based on. This cut
out a lot of the mind-numbing, on the nose, irritating dialog that
padded out the anime and replaced it with some characters that I could
get myself invested in and a story that I was actually interested in.
It didn’t spend large gaps of its run time so it could go on a lecture
about what makes us human, instead it minimized that to play out more
in its themes and implications. The characters have ten times more
personality in this which was also a glaring problem from the anime for
me. I liked a couple of these characters and wanted to see their
personal arches. Scarlett Johansson, I think, does a pretty solid job
as ‘The Major’. I don’t have nearly the problem with her in the role as
much as everyone else in America seems to with the whole
”white-washing” thing as of late. Admittedly I was concerned about that
when the trailers for this movie did hit the internet, but while
watching the film itself I was totally fine with her in this role as
well as her performance.
The story isn’t a 100% faithful adaptation of the ’95 movie, so I don’t
know if it borrowed anything from the rest of its original franchise.
With that said, I liked this narrative a lot more as well. I thought it
had a satisfying beginning, middle and end. It flowed fairly well and I
was intrigued as to where it was going the whole way through. With a
movie like this, it does run the risk of feeling extremely derivative
of other sci-fi films that have explored these themes or world
aesthetics before, but luckily that never happened for me. I did get
hints of familiarity occasionally of other films such as ”Blade
Runner”, ”RoboCop”, and ”Dark City”; however it never became too
distracting so I was able to brush it off or even find myself to enjoy
the experience more so. Beware thought that this film is a pretty slow
burn; think less of this being a straight up action film, but rather a
downtempo styled mystery with action beats every so often.
The CGI, for 99% of this movie, is top notch and is absolutely
gorgeous; even mind blowing in some instances with its cinematography.
I thought this was one hell of a spectacle, I think the film was aware
of how good it looked as well because there are plenty of establishing
shots of the city. Which I did find to be a bit much, but it wasn’t too
bad. And the soundtrack was fantastic, really synthesizer heavy and I
am a true sucker for a good synth score to a movie.
All around I found this to be an enjoyable film, does it have its
problems? Sure, character development for some of the leads could have
been fleshed out much more. The pace of the film could have been
tweaked to its benefit, whether that to be speeding up through certain
story threads or slowing down in others. ‘The Major’ could have had
more humanizing moments instead of feeling more robotic. For me though,
I didn’t mind this relatively minor gripes I had with it. Maybe that’s
because I see an improvement from its source so that may have blinded
me some, but I still had a good time with this film. I liked it and am
actually looking forward to exploring this universe more in hopefully
future installments. If you’re a fan of the original then I don’t
really know how you may end up feeling about this remake, for all I
know fans will end up hating it and I will be in a very small boat
about this topic. But if what I said interests you at all then I say go
check it out. If not…”Boss Baby” is probably playing down the hall,
have at it.
Looks great, anyway
I confess I can’t say more than anyone else has. Visually, this is a
tour-de-force, but the plot is clichéd.
Pros:
The movie looks great. Seriously, I feel that visually this is one of
the top ten best-looking films of all time. I feel that the director
and the visual production guys spent a lot of effort on world building.
Especially, just in the background you see tons of citizens in future
gear and future technology and this level of detail keeps you immersed
in the world.
The action is as good as the visuals. Every fight scene is clear and
enthralling.
I liked the entire cop squad that backs up the main character. You
don’t spend a lot of time with many of them, but for the little time
they do have they feel fully-developed and likable. Special kudos goes
to Pilou Asbæk as cop partner Batou, you just want to get a beer with
the guy, and Takeshi Kitano as the boss, calm, firm, and tough-
as-hell. I also liked Michael Pitt, as the hacker Kuze.
Cons:
This is an Americanized and dumbed-down version of the original. The
intellectual musings and dialogue from the original film are missing
here. Attempts at philosophy are rather trite.
Though I commend the writers for not using the exact same plot from the
original. Unfortunately, there is nothing in this film you haven’t seen
before. The main villain in particular is really cookie cutter.
As much as I like the supporting cops, most of them are barely utilized
in the film. I’d rather spend more time with them than listening to the
main character’s faux existential musings.
I watched this as a matinée. Ultimately, I don’t regret seeing the film
in theaters. The spectacle was worth it.
Is the ‘Ghost’ still here in this remake?
The original was a seminal film, and so hugely influential to many in
the arts. I’m a major devotee of the original (and have watched it
countless times), and this is the third incarnation of this film (I’m
including the redux version), so it was always going to be hard to see
this as a stand-alone. It was inevitable that this would be marked
against its peers, and meant a hiding to nothing for the creators.
From the off, it’s clear that they decided to not play it safe, but
opted for a loose recreation of the original, preferring instead to
make their own parallel storyline which little seems to mirror the
originals. That is a major loss in this case, and what was most
celebrated about the first movie was its existential arc (which was
like an extension of what Blade Runner had been attempting). I don’t
even think the existentialism that is even in this film matches the
original’s attempts in any way.
This film instead relies on the action and special effects, and even
though the action is enjoyable, it’s the philosophical touches that
made the original interesting. They even cut out the realpolitik and
espionage stories which were intriguing in the first film. In
reflection there were many strands in the first film that have not been
carried over.
The action and special effects are good, but in this day and age of CGI
it has been much copied since the original came out long back. You even
just need to see the opening credits of the recent ‘Westworld’ TV
series to see where it got its influences from this film.
The backdrops, the meandering flights through the cityscapes and the
academic dialogues. All that seems to be lost (although the city views
in this are still beautiful). Granted the makers of this version wanted
a more accessible movie, but a bit of courage would have meant that
they could still have kept those elements listed to introduce the
universe to the viewers, and then expand on them in later films (this
should have had the legs for further).
As for the choice of actors, the ‘white-washing’ furore has been
covered in detail heavily already by many others, and I do sympathise
with it. Regardless, even without that charge, I just don’t feel that
some of the actors fitted their roles well, and some of the newer
characters were poor. The chief was nothing like he was in the original
but more just Takeshi Kitano, and I’m not sure that Cutter was anything
but a ‘Robocop’ style cut-out corporate executive villain.
I could say more, but best leave it there.
As a standalone it’s not a bad movie, and has points to commend it for,
BUT it’s not a standalone movie. It has the uncomfortable act of
following on from a well watched and respected anime classic. It very
much misses the mark for me.
Many who are watching this without having first known or seen the
original will likely accept this more than those who have watched the
original. We’ll just have to lump it, but if you did like this version
then please take my advice and check out the original, you’ll be blown
away by it.
Moments of visual brilliance don’t fix a nonsense script and utter boredom
Full disclosure: I haven’t seen nor know anything about the original
Ghost in the Shell movie. But, looking at this utter train wreck, I
don’t think it would add much.
Let’s start with the good: the visuals are gorgeous. Sometimes. This is
contrasted with them being bland and uninspired. Most of the time. And
the bad robot guy is a good actor. And that’s it.
Seriously, this movie left NO impression on me. The acting was
non-existent; the script made me cringe within the first minute (”she’s
not a person to me; she’s a weapon!” So original. So well- formulated);
you get NO feeling for any of the characters at ALL, as they are given
an almost explicit lack of any type of backstory; speaking of story,
was there any? What was this movie really about? I don’t know. I’d
basically forgotten I’d watched it while I walked out the theater.
Scarlett Johansson is terrible. She has this frowny, stupid face
throughout the movie, which makes NO sense: she has a human brain: she
can emote however she likes. But she doesn’t. And she looks ridiculous
trying to look stoic and serious.
Anyway, this is a complete and utter waste of your money on every
level. Don’t see it.
Excellent setting, poor story
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Amazing movie!!!
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Ghost in a Shell takes us to a city with Bladerunner feel spiced with the Borg ideas, all wrapped up in anime legacy
I expected a sci-fi sitting down in that chair at the movies. I didn’t
know the anime heritage, until after the movie, when the person, next
in the seat to me, told me that the movie was based on a anime with the
same name. The person recommended that I see the anime. I haven’t, but
here is the review. The film has some Bladerunner feel to the design of
the city they are in. The city has the same colors, the same darkness
and the same technological noise and flickering really. There is also
one Borg moment for the Star Trek fans, when the Major hibernates in
Major’s apartment. The Major is the lead character, played by Scarlett
Johansson. Also Alan Walker’s video ”Sing me to sleep” has the same
feel as the whole movie design set really. In the music video the
environments fade and so they do in this movie to. The hacker in the
movie also wears a hoodie, so stereotype for a hackers ”image”. So this
movie doesn’t deliver something new in the design department, but since
i happen to think the references to the design are great, so is this
movie. The designs are interesting and beautiful, but not new. Scarlett
Johansson plays the lead role as Major. Someone ripped her brain out
and placed it inside a robot body. The Major hasn’t much memory of the
past, so Major lives in the present. Major is a expensive machine, just
like Robocop, out fighting for the Japanese government with the help of
a private company named Hanka Robotics. This brain in a robot body is
just as the Borg queen in the Star Trek Next Generation series, the
Borg queen has her spine still though. But just as the Borg queen has
access to the Hive, so does the Major, the Major can talk
”telepathically” with the team(with the help of technology of course).
Either anime was first, or this movie has a lot of references to Star
Trek. However, even though Star Trek also takes up the ethical
surrounding the Borg hive and individuality, so does this ”Ghost in a
shell”, but still this movie doesn’t feel as the ”Borg”, it has the
feel of ”Irobot”, but since the Major is a human, Major doesn’t phase
the same issue of not being considered human. Major is the next step in
evolution of humanity. So what is the story really? Well, some earlier
reviews said the story is shallow, but I happen to disagree. It is
about finding out what really matters for you and what you could do for
your beliefs when you do. So with that said, this is a sci-fi movie,
that isn’t boring in any way. It has a artistic feel to it and in the
end we get to know the Major just a little bit more, enough to want
more episodes of this film, even without action and murder. Just to
explore the cyber human, that most likely will be possible, due to the
more artificial stuff we invent. So is this the future? Cyber humans?
With body parts of technology? So are the new threat the hackers in
this universe? Those that can hack into the cyber humans technology?
What happens to free will, if your mind is hacked? I think this movie
addresses some of the fears hidden inside the development of cyber
humans. The Major has no privacy, since all her thoughts can be read.
So is this a possible further step for mankind? Are we gonna be
connected to hives, in a neural network? This movie doesn’t tell us
what it would be like. This movie seems to be pro for cyber humans. It
seems to be anti-hackers, but at the same time glorifies and demonizes
them. Major has a special walking style through the film, so it doesn’t
come off as a human body in fully. I think Scarlet does it well. I
actually like this film and in the genre of sci-fi I would like to give
the movie a strong grade. This movie might disappoint anime watchers,
since it didn’t feel anime to me in the designs. It is a very Japanese
movie, with feelings of Japanese designs all over it. I wasn’t bored at
any time and time flew fast. There is no sex in this film, so if you
like love scenes you are going to be disappointed.
Ghost trapped in the Shell
From a technical standpoint, the world of New Port City is well
transcribed. It’s a tribute to the film that it takes quite a long time
before the first minor inconsistencies arise. But the spirit of the
original has been replaced with the spirit of a police procedural. The
shell however is well executed – and suffers only from the inevitable
feeling that this should be a series not a film.
The Japanese original material was far more technical and much less
emotional than this adaption – where you get the feeling that most of
the characters are the usual Americans with mummy issues. Most of what
is good is almost certainly dragged in from Beat Takeshi (who gives not
a f*ck about Hollywood).
In some ways this is both reasonably faithful and perfectly watchable.
That it is a squeezed into the formal corset of a studio picture you
already knew and can’t seriously complain about. Watch, enjoy, forget,
and keep the original on DVD.
At last… Hollywood did what’s should have been done a long time ago
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Ghost-less in the shell
Oh Hollywood, perhaps you should just have left the damn thing alone. I
guess when profit is your main goal, this is what happens. The story is
totally bastardised. Granted, the original GITS plot borders on
impenetrable at times, but they’ve taken out all the intrigue, mystery
and complicated ideas, only to replace them with a standard action plot
you can find anywhere. They also weirdly mix in some minor elements of
the 2nd GITS anime. They showcase a lot of the iconic scenes from the
original but that’s about it really. Why even bother calling this GITS?
O wait, money, that’s why. The result is quite frankly a soulless
(ghost-less?) exercise in style over substance. Don’t get me wrong, I
love a bit of gorgeous stylish eye candy but there wasn’t enough
originality even in that regard.
Good points: Scarlett Johansson and particularly Juliet Binoche are
very watchable actors. Though Johansson sometimes was too
robotic/emotionless at times – she was still supposed to be human
right? The Yakuza bar scene is tension filled and original to this
version (even though ultimately pointless). The only other interesting
change they made concerns the Major’s back story, who she was before
she was made into a cyborg. It’s unexpected, affecting and emotional.
The music isn’t half bad.
Overall, it really should have been edgier, artier and taken more
risks. They should have tried to stick to the original plot – extending
it and clarifying the vagueness. Instead they took out vast chunks of
difficult material in order to appeal to a mass audience.
Disappointing.
Ignore the negativity
I hadn’t watched the original animated film before seeing this so I had
no expectations. The film was great, a good flow, balanced structure
and looks beautiful. The sound track is brilliant and compliments the
imagery. I have now watched the anime and have to say I actually prefer
the structure and plot of the 2017 version however this new version
does lack the depth and philosophy in the dialogue that the original
was loved for.
Boring, dull and stupid
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Good movie, more worth than the low scores from the fanatics
This is my first review. I had to because the movie is rated too low.
It should be above a 7 so I give it an 8. I find it worthwhile to warn
others not to follow the opinion of the fanatics. It is said that the
plot is dumbed down, but in truth, the fanatics should understand that
the anime is not as deep-layered as they think it is. You don’t need to
see the original anime to understand what ghost in the shell means, as
long as you know that this movie is about cyborgs. It’s a recurring
theme in any cyborg movie…even the one with JCVD. Yes, the original
is good, but don’t exaggerate. The fact that they don’t explain
everything in the cartoon doesn’t make it better.
What I really liked in GitS 2017 is the setting that was created on the
screen. Nothing I’ve seen in the cinema before and it really gave me
the feeling that I was watching something original, even though this is
a cinematic remake. The visuals are very good. You don’t go to a movie
like this for the acting, it will not win Oscars, but the acting is OK.
It’s not an action movie, it’s sci-fy, but there lies my main problem
with the movie. If you don’t make a film for the acting or the action,
than least give more thought on the underlying message about what
defines a human being. Still, GitS is worth your time. The message
should have been brought clearer, but the story is still there and
visually it is quite unique.
Ghost in that Shell ?
My feelings and thoughts towards this movies are heavily influenced by
my knowledge and appreciation of the anime film from 1995 and pretty
much all other anime content from Ghost in the Shell. With that in
mind, let’s go.
I was quite pleasantly surprised by the cinematography, visuals overall
and the soundtrack. I truly enjoyed that part. Apart from that and a
few moments that I really liked, the rest of the movie felt like a
major let down. Compared to the original anime it’s pretty much an
empty shell (puns intended).
To me, the 1995 anime also had this beautiful mix of visual and sound
but it felt much more deeper than the live action movie. In a nutshell,
this film stripped the original content from its core to replace it
with some simpler, stereotyped plot lines, character traits, plot
twists you can see coming from miles away, going as far as changing
fundamental elements of the main protagonist’s identity and
motivations. Now, all these changes might be appealing and satisfactory
for a lot of people and I don’t blame them, it just doesn’t really work
for me.
There will probably be mixed feelings about this adaptation, as for me,
I’m honestly a bit sad when I think about how amazed I was when I
watched this anime as a kid.
So yeah, as I said, I’m influenced by the original anime but setting
the source material aside, I still enjoyed the movie even though it
really gets cliché at times and I give it a 7/10. 1995 anime gets a
9.5/10.
Ghost In The Shell (2017)
Saw this yesterday been looking forward to it for ages. Very good
remake/reboot (which is uncommon haha) cool characters and
costume/weapon design and action scenes also defo some of the best
visuals I’ve seen in a movie for sure. only real issue is that it
should’ve been a 15 to make the action scenes more bloody and
entertaining and go with more of the darker themes of the original…
Also can’t go wrong with Scarlett Johansson as Major haha
Who Could Possibly Live in This Hallucinogenic Hell?
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Hey, it is not THAT bad, considering the goal
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Pretty decent
Having watched a gazillion adaptations that either failed or were
mediocre, I was wondering where GITS would land. Well, it landed pretty
well, but maybe not as well as most fans of the anime had hoped, or
maybe it landed better than some people wished it would, because, you
know, haters gonna hate.
To be frank, I haven’t ever watched the anime completely, mostly in
parts when it was on TV when I was a kid, but I’ve known all about it
from popular media. So this would probably disqualify me to judge a
movie I haven’t been the biggest fan of? Nope, just like never having
read The Lord Of the Rings wouldn’t disqualify anyone watching the
films and thinking they’re pretty amazing. If you like movies and
sci-fi, you shouldn’t have to be a full-fledged anime or GITS fan to
appreciate this one.
People who watched it with me said it was a verbatim copy of the anime,
with certain scenes being identical to the original, and then some
scenes were added because you can’t make a 100 min movie with 80
minutes of anime. But still, if you didn’t watch the original, you will
not miss anything, because the movie is packed with action, car chases,
cyborgs killing humans and other cyborgs, big guns, little guns, and
more BIG guns – I don’t wanna spoil it for you, but there will be a lot
of guns.
There are a few reasons you wouldn’t want to watch this adaptation.
One, you don’t like anime. The other being the controversy about white
washing this one, with Scarlett Johansson starring as the the main
protagonist. I find it interesting that people complain about this, but
almost never complained to all the non-Asian characters in anime, and
there are a lot. How else do you explain blondes in animes? The whole
white washing was rubbish brought forth by people who didn’t even watch
the final product but chose to voice the inner insecurities in the
worst way possible.
I suggest you see for yourself what it’s about and either try to enjoy
a pretty decent flick which does not hold back on action and good story
telling, or you can watch it and then complain about all the things
that annoyed you. I’m not a fan of Scarlett Johansson and I still
enjoyed it (although I’d rather seen Karen Gillan in this role, but
that’s just me) because it had Takeshi frickin’ Kitano in it, one of
the most amazing Japanese actors ever.
Decent execution, but rather simplified for my accustom
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Almost there
It has almost everything it needs to be a 9 out of 10 (and still can be
in a good re-cut), but the soundtrack needs some work, a little bit of
additional side story for a character or two that could be added in,
and a few bridge scenes to make the whole thing come together more. The
story wasn’t disjointed but the overall product was. Every time it
approached an immersive experience it would lose it. It felt like
watching a series of great scenes that added up to a cohesive story. I
think the cast was amazing, the story was great, the visuals were
awesome, and the scenes were great. They just didn’t tie together the
way they should have for the final product. All in all I enjoyed it and
am optimistic that a directors cut or extended cut have great potential
to solve most or all of the issues that kept me from giving a much
higher rating. I’m happy I watched it but will wait for a re-cut before
purchasing a home copy in the future.
A Remake That Only Gives 10%
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This movie is fantastic, people are being obnoxious, as per usual
Before you start judging me (I’m kidding, I know you have already done
that) I need to inform you that yes, I have seen the original anime and
I am a fan. Not of the franchise, I wasn’t that involved, but I really
did love the films.
So, this film was visually stunning, -stunning- I can’t stress that
enough. And I’m not talking about fancy CGI here, this was an amazing
piece of art. You could watch it even without a script and it would
make sense! Also, amazing soundtrack -of course- and a true nod to the
original (aesthetically).
The only difference I found in the script (in general, not the plot),
was that this film was a character driven story. All the philosophical
stuff stemmed from the protagonist’s experiences. It’s a good way to
keep an audience interested, it’s the go to of Hollywood and it is
something I expected and honestly, really didn’t mind. Major has an
interesting story to tell. Plus I went into the cinema and expected to
see something that could stand on its own feet and not just recreate
the anime. What’s the fun in that? Plus, guys, this is Hollywood, if
they took the ”lets talk about human nature” way, we’d be simply
telling them not to play with things they don’t understand. This is the
kind of film that Hollywood makes, and this particular film is actually
a good example of that kind of film.
I didn’t give it a 10 because that’s kept for real masterpieces and
this film just misses that special something. As if it reached the edge
of what was achievable but in the end, didn’t take the leap. Still a
great film though.
As for the casting, I think they were all wonderful. Scarlett too, she
did a great job making her movements robotic, everything she did was
calculated and her stillness in some shots was really eerie but her
eyes were so freaking expressive, as if all that was left of her
humanity was hiding there, well done Scarlett.
Speaking of whom, I feel I need to address this subject. Is there
whitewashing happening in Hollywood. Duh, of course there is. Is it
normal to want an Asian actress to be cast in a film taking place in an
Asian environment? Sure is. Is it a stretch to say that Scarlett
freaking Johansson was cast in a role because she was white? Eeeeh, it
kind of is. I mean, she’s not some random white girl, she’s the highest
grossing actress of all time, the A list of Hollywood’s A list, who
wouldn’t cast her? And for a film that would be criticized by fans
anyway because ”it’s a Hollywood production of a Japanese title again”
why not bring in the big guns to attract the general populace? I’m not
going to go into the ”Major is a cyborg so she can be of any background
because she doesn’t have one” debate, because I think it didn’t play a
part in the casting decision, it was clearly a marketing choice to cast
someone who is already famous and popular. Plus Johansson is THE action
girl these days, I mean, who else would Hollywood cast?
Awful: Insult to classic series
The movie had no idea of direction.
It was just a generic cyborg film/Lucy mediocre cash grab, but with a
GITS label to sell it.
Take your favorite homecooked meal and imagine if walmart tried to make
it. That would be this movie.
scarlett johansson acting was soooo wooden, I didn’t believe her as the
major for a second.
The plot was extremely bad for a ghost in the shell film. Most people
will realize that a GITS film or ANY decent movie would have an
interesting or creative plot to follow.
This did not. I want my $7.50 back because that was a waste of 2 hours.
top notch action sci fi
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Very true to the anime. Amazing rendition.
Amazing movie, it was a perfect rendition of the setting in the series:
dark, gritty, cybernetic, futuristic, metropolis and cyberpunk.
Perfect. The story was as expected, slightly simplified, compared to
the anime, but it is catering to a mainstream audience. I particularly
loved batau and the Major. Scarlett played her so well. ANd the
characters were true as can be to the anime, so anyone disparaging the
characterisation is obtuse IMO. It’s way better than my expectation of
a Hollywood remake of an anime like this. A lot of anime has totally
random and disjointed story lines anyway, so standard Hollywood
scripting is fine. I loved this movie, I want to re-watch it, just
because Batau is so badass. Nothing would be good enough to please all
the fanatic basement dweller nerds, and self-satisfied armchair critics
who think being hyper- critical makes them intelligent–they obviously
can’t understand the uniqueness of this film. If you hate the film you
should also hate the anime, because the film was so accurately true to
the anime–either/or you only like the anime for it’s intellectualism,
and for no other reason.
Disappointment
— Its always sad when something gets Whitewash. Bland movie, better
cinema then DragonBall but you kan still see the US and its style of
krapping on minorities to replace them with their own. It’s like
looking at a picture of a Blonde Haired Blue Eyes Jesus. America go no
chill.
An SF Masterpiece, if you’re not expecting the remake to mirror the original anime
Many reviewers seem to have downgraded this movie because it does not
slavishly follow the original anime version from 1995. I celebrate this
movie for its own originality. It draws from the earlier anime and
manga material but is its own story. In the same way that ”Bladerunner”
created a unique, dark, dystopian Los Angeles, the new ”Ghost in the
Shell” creates a unique, dark, dystopian city of the future (New Port
City or Hong Kong if you wish although the city is never named in this
film) inhabited with all manner of people, augments, cyborgs, and
robots. Many of the characters are familiar from the earlier movie.
Some of the scenes are the same. Some adapted. Many all new.
The story is the same but quite different at the same time. The imagery
is unique to this movie. The question is the same in this movie as in
the original (and in Bladerunner): What does it mean to be ”human”?
Philosophers have been asking this question for 10,000 years, so do not
expect an answer from this movie. It’s all in asking the question.
I was drawn in. My disbelief was suspended. The movie moved along and
never dragged for me. After all, that’s why I go to see a movie. If I
want to see the original version, I have it on DVD and can watch that
any time. You can too.
Why has this been so harshly criticised?
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Hard to review without dropping spoilers
So all I’m going to say is, as a fan of Ghost in the Shell for over 20
years, they gave it a valiant effort.
Some of the casting was amazing. The guy cast as Batou stole every
scene he was in. And visually, it gave us all the touch points we’ve
been seeing for two decades.
The story… they were too busy trying to mash together 20 years of
stories into one movie. They had the Puppet Master, Laughing Man and
Individual Eleven story lines in one room, tossed in some Robocop and
then put turned on the autotune. As a result, it was trying really hard
but never quite got there. They could have done better coming up with a
new story rather than this hybrid.
I do think that Ms Scarlett wasn’t the right person. She doesn’t have
the chops to carry a GitS storyline, which by nature should be complex
and more than a little deep. When compounded by the weak script.. Yeah.
She never played the Major, she did a hybrid of Faye Valentine from
Cowboy Bebop and Natasha Romanov.
So all that said, it was not a waste of time watching it. It was very
pretty. Very pretty. They built the shell. But they didn’t find the
ghost until the very, very end. And even when they did, it didn’t speak
to us.
Fun Action Packed Film
The film itself is straight forward and simple. Everything you need to
know is laid out to at the start of the movie. Whats not so simple is
the stunning special effects that are throughout the whole film. My
brother and I saw the film in IMAX 3D and were absolutely blown away.
Especially with all the cool street art in the backgrounds of the scene
and the vibrant billboards of the future. My personal favorite was the
surprisingly vibrant detail in Ms. Johansson seemingly plain jumpsuit.
Overall this was a fun, start to finish action movie. I recommend
seeing it to anyone who wants a visually gripping movie at the
theaters.
Don’t Listen to the Haters, You’ll Miss Out
This was actually such a solid movie. I will admit, sometimes the
acting was a bit wooden, and the dialogue sometimes was a bit forced,
but damn, the atmosphere, the sets, the movie felt extremely extremely
immersive for the viewer. All this talk about white-washing denigrates
a pretty solid movie IMO. Its brought the Ghost in the Shell series to
an audience who normally wouldn’t be interested in anime. I am now
interested in checking out the series. For that in and of itself I
think the movie has succeeded in its purpose.
Why do I feel so broken inside
Ghost in the Shell is undoubtedly the best American anime live action
film. But that is the highest praise I can really give this film. As
much as Ghost in the Shell tries to recreate its original source
material it just can’t live up to it. And saying that really breaks my
heart cause I really wanted to love this film so much more. But it just
is not what it needs to be and instead feels like a hollow shell with
no ghost inside.
To start off with the positives. You have heard it before, but visually
this film deserves soo much love. I wouldn’t even be shocked if it got
a lot of technical awards at the the Oscars. Cause this film defiantly
deserves that much. And the visually speaking it is very true to what
Ghost in the Shell was. I got goosebumps whenever I saw a scene
recreated from the original manga, films, or ovas. It made me quite
giddy with happiness seeing them. The film has a visual flare to it
that makes it so strong and even helps many of the scenes.
Scarlett Johanson also despite all the controversy I do think still
thinks embodies the role of the Major in a amazing way, I enjoyed her
character quite a bit. She does go revert from having a stale
performance for parts of the film which could be seen as Rupert Sanders
not really understanding how to give a performance with nuance, but
there are more scenes where I feel Scarlett really does come out as the
major who desires to learn more about who she is.
As for story to tell you the truth there were some parts of the story I
actually really liked. No it wasn’t as complex as the original, but the
basic ideas where still there. I was really enjoying parts of the story
a lot I just wished the went a bit further on some of the points laid
out and tried to be a bit more complex.
Towards the negatives of the film is the fact that as I said why the
basic ideas are still there they never really expand upon them and try
anything really different like the original did. Honestly Blade Runner,
All of the Matrix films and many other sci fi films feel like they did
a better job on the ideas that Ghost in the Shell (the original)
created.
The film just tries to be to safe. It doesn’t go as deep on any of the
ideas it presents. I won’t say it feels Hollywood cause as i said the
ideas are still there and the film isn’t as action focused as it should
be.
Now people talk about the whitewashing of a Japanese character and
before this film came out I was pretty OK with it and through the first
half of this film I was OK with it, but this film does something at the
end that makes me feel wrong and strange. There is a choice they make
at the end that will undoubtedly be the deciding factor on if u like or
hate this film.
Overall as hard as Ghost in the Shell tries to honor its source
material and be engaging it in the end falls short of what could have
been something truly magnificent.
best Anime Live-Action Movie by Hollywood so far
I read people complaining about Scarlett Johansson being casted for
this role because of her race. It’s kind of ridiculous. The Major in
the Anime never really looked like an Asian woman. And both the movie
and the anime the ghost(brain or soul, however you wanna see it) was
put into an mechanic body. In the anime of 1995, the major could choose
any body she want. So far to the controversy.
Ghost in the Shell (2017) is the most solid Anime Live Action movie
made by Hollywood so far. The visual is stunning, especially if you
watch it as IMAX 3D. It feels like the movie was made for 3D viewing.
You feel like that you are in this futuristic cyberpunk world. And you
see the world, the people through The Majors eyes.
The acting is pretty good. Scarlett Johansson is a very talent actress,
so is Pilou Asbæk who played Batou. The dynamic between the two actors
makes you feel like, if Batou and the Major have been working a whole
life together. Johansson acted exactly like how her character ”Major”
should have behaved in all situations. There is no overacting. It
doesn’t feel like forced.
The Plot isn’t completely new, but it still fits in the universe of
Ghost in the Shell. And i like the fact that the movie is no 100% copy
and paste from the anime. Usually people always want an adaptation be a
100% copy of a book or anime or whatever source they use. But for me a
movie is still kind of an art, an expression about how we (or the
director) interpret the source material. There is not only one way to
do it.
The actors, Rupert Sanders, Clint Mansel and the rest of the team did a
great job to adapt a very complicated source material. That’s why i
think Ghost in the Shell (2017) deserves a lot more than 6.9.
And as always a review is just a subjective view of a person! 😀
Sexy Cyborg Johansson is smart and human, magnetic to watch.
”Everyone around me, they feel connected to something. Connected to
something, I’m not.” Major (Scarlett Johansson)
It is less about hybrid human android Scarlett Johansson kicking ass in
cult manga tradition than it is about her character, Major, finding out
who she is. The fascinating Ghost in the Shell has the typical sci-fi
tropes with enough grave philosophy underneath to raise it toward the
transcendent level of a, say, Eugene O’Neill drama.
In a dystopian future, cyber-enhanced humans have an unusual makeup of
body parts and that elusive ghost in that shell, the soul. While the
good guys prefer the borgs just do their job of eliminating dangerous
criminals and saving empires, the complex of character emanating from a
head, for instance, that has not lost its desire for freedom, is a
”major” problem, so to speak.
Another intriguing difference from other current sci fi is its
unwillingness to litter the landscape with destructive shells, the
explosive kind. ”We cling to memories as if they define us, but they
don’t. What we do is what defines us.” (Major) Gunfire is at a minimum
while the search for soul is pre-eminent. Although Major can shoot and
fight with the best of them, the film seems to be anchored by identity,
more about the human elements of androids than even the individual
identity.
Credit should be given to the darkly-beautiful design of Jan Roelfs and
costumes out of this world by Kurt and Bart. Cinematographer Jess Hall
evidences the influence of the memorable Blade Runner landscape.
In the end Major finds like the rest of us she’s made of many parts
that if you rely on the corporeal only are just as soon to evaporate.
It’s the soul that makes the difference, the soul that promises
immortality, the ghost in the shell of an evanescent body.
”Well, maybe next time you can design me better.” Major
If you like Blade Runner, you’ll like Ghost in the Shell
In the same way movies are set in the Marvel or DC ”universes,” Ghost
in the Shell exists in the same universe as Blade Runner. The city
looks like the one in Blade Runner and the social structure feels
similar. Even the story feels a bit similar.
Having said that, the movie is a visual treat and for once the
substantial CGI serves the story rather than replaces it. And, while
the story is somewhat predictable, it’s packaged so well!
Scarlett Johansson plays a young woman whose brain has been placed in a
mechanical body, or ”shell”, and is having a bit of an existential
crisis while serving in an anti-terrorism quasi military unit. Taheshi
Kitano, Pilou Asbaek and Juliette Binoche are excellent as her boss,
partner and doctor, while Michael Pitt shines as, uh, well, that would
be giving it away.
The film continues to face some controversy because while it was
based on a Japanese manga, financed by Chinese companies and
essentially set in Hong Kong it featured Western actors in three of
the key lead roles.
This movie may be a bit of an acquired taste, but if you like Blade
Runner, see it now. And, given the poor opening weekend, see it soon or
you’ll have to wait for the DVD.
I did not like it!
I am sorry but this film did not connect with me. Yes there are good
visual effects, and Scarlett Johansson is trying very hard to act well.
That is one of the problems about this film, she was trying too hard,
and it shows. Other actors, well I can hardly mention their
performances since they did not act that well. Visual effects are
excellent but they are in the most Hollywood blockbusters so there is
not much to say about that it would help this film. I would not
recommend this film to my friends. This is as much as I have to say on
this film.
Not perfect – but not bad, either – SPOILER FREE
In a few words: definitely watchable – even for someone like me who
owns all the movies and series DVDs and has been a huge fan of the
anime created for GITS (if not so much the manga).
In a few more words:
The bad: That the philosophy would get dumbed down isn’t surprising.
But there’s still boatloads more in here than in, say, the Matrix (and
people praised THAT for this aspect), so we shouldn’t be overly harsh.
Johannson’s acting is what it always is – shaky at best. For me she
doesn’t fit the role – neither her overly emotional approach, nor
physically. No, I don’t care she’s not Asian. None of the characters in
the anime – save for Aramaki and maybe Saito – look Asian, either. The
story of GITS, for me, has always been about stone cold professionals
on the edge of their respective fields – with all the sacrifices that
are made in order to stay on top taken to an extreme. She does not
portray this believably (much like she fails to do so in her other
‘superhuman’ roles like in the Avengers franchise). She’s the
pretty-face A-lister du jour in Hollywood that puts bums in seats and
that’s the long and short of why she’s in the movie. The dialogue could
have been better but it serves well enough as an introduction for
people new to GITS. Surprisingly the worst performance comes from
Juliet Binoche.
The good: The techno environment is captured perfectly. Many scenes
(down to some ‘filler’ atmospheric shots) have been lovingly taken from
the anime movies/series and recreated in detail. It’s only one of two
movies where I’d say the 3D actually adds to the feel of it (the other
being ”Tron: Legacy”). The music is great without intruding. Pathos is,
thankfully avoided. The cast of section 9 – especially Batou and
aramaki – work for me very well. The performances of the villains are
nothing to write home about, though.
The very good: This feels like a solid base for a franchise. There’s a
chance here to expand into the philosophical aspects and give the other
members of Section 9 more definition in further movies as well as
expanding on the hacking and ”standalone complex” aspects. Doing all
that in the first movie in depth would have felt rushed/forced to say
the least.
Will definitely buy once the DVD comes out. Maybe even rewatch in the
theater to catch some more detail.
Better than I expected
I am a big fan of the anime movie and series and I admit I did not have
the highest expectations for this movie. I still tried to go into it
with a neutral mindset though.
I think Scarlet Johansen did a very good job as the lead character,
despite me having doubts about the casting (And not because she isn’t
Asian). She pulled it off, and most of the other characters were well
cast as well.
Aesthetically, the movie was well done but the sometimes overdone CGI
effects prevented it from having a good cyberpunk ambiance. The giant
ads all over the city in particular felt over the top.
The story, as expected, was simplified from the original and felt as it
was lacking depth. I also found the first half of the movie pretty
boring but it picked up later on at least, and it had some scenes I
liked very much.
In general I found it to be a good movie, just not anywhere close to
the anime movie. But fans of the anime or manga would probably still
enjoy it if they do not have sky high expectations. For those who have
read/seen neither, its probably worth watching as well.
Pretty solid sci-fi movie
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Everything I Wanted from a Sci-Fi Movie
This movie had everything that I wanted from a sci-fi movie. Sure, the
ideas are no longer as groundbreaking as they were when The Matrix
copied them, but this film swallows the viewer into its grungy,
cyberpunk world because the visuals are so rich with detail.
This film nails the look and tone of the anime, while introducing
changes to the story that largely work. One departure that made this
movie a 9 instead of a 10 for me was the relative simplicity of the
plot. While the series and movies had notoriously complicated and fast
moving plots, this movie decided to simplify to a level that was
predictable. I was looking forward to concentrating on the details of
the dialogue to try and guess what could possibly come next, but
instead found myself somewhat disengaged as the beautiful sci-fi rolled
by.
This was an excellent sci-fi movie and it definitely lived up to my
expectations as a fan of the anime.
2017 has been the year of amazing movies, and this is no exception
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Oh Man what a rush !!!
First of all I would like to point out that I have NOT seen the
original movie, nor the remaining from the GITS universe. On the flip
side I have seen almost every science fiction movie, franchise which
matters up to this point, just to mention a few 2001, Alien, Blade
Runner, Star Wars and the list goes on. I think I proved my point that
I am Science Fiction fan. Now that we got that out of the way, I am
going to point out my thoughts about this movie.
First of all the visuals are amazing !!! The city design is something
what you have never seen before, it kinda reminds you of Blade Runner,
maybe even on par with Blade Runner in some cases. It just gives you
that wow effect and you just keep on staring at the world and
billboards. This alone is enough to go see it !!!
The acting was believable and enjoyable. Scarlet and Michael Pitt had
some mistakes, there were some scenes which felt kinda hollow but it
didn’t kill my vibe. A big shout out goes to Pilou Asbaek who just
nailed it.
Now the story was pretty straight forward but does the job 100%,
basically its unraveling the plot until you find out what actually
happened, with a lot of amazing action sequences which will keep you on
the edge of your seat.
From what I have read from other reviews, a lot of people say that the
story is real crap compared to the original material. Maybe this is so,
I have no comparison.
What I can tell you instead that the story WAS good enough to keep me
interested until the end, and left the theater smiling. This is
actually a very big deal, I have seen thousands of movies and I am very
hard to impress.
SCORE: 9.50 / 10 !!!!
PS: An amazing movie to a Science Fiction fan who did not seen the
originals !!! Go see it !!!
Well, it looks great at least
It’s hard getting into a franchise that I’m not familiar with. Now, I
actually have at least heard a fair amount about this in general so I
have somewhat of an idea. It was interesting to learn what the title
meant. They don’t exactly drop the title, but tell you what it’s about.
The best thing about this movie is probably how gorgeous it looks. I
mean, these are some great special effects and we get beautiful visuals
with everything looking so creative. We need futuristic stuff like
this.
The downsides are that it is in fact poorly paced. The length is good,
but it’s hard to get that good of a feel for the characters. They’re
not bad, it’s just that I might have watched so many movies I’m putting
them up to higher standards for more unique things. The action scenes
are good. It’s certainly better than most of that ”Transformers” crap.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and I believe it
didn’t represent the source material very well. Still, they definitely
tried. **1/2
A fair attempt at an adaptation, that ultimately falls short
Visually, Rupert Sanders’s adaptation of ‘Ghost in the Shell’ is
stunning, featuring gorgeous cinematography and mind-blowing CGI, oh
and of course Scarlett Johansson – but then there’s EVERYTHING else
about it.
Firstly, don’t get me wrong, ‘Ghost in the Shell’ is not a bad film,
but equally it’s far from being an excellent film, maybe just balancing
above mediocre, and the reason for this is down to the clichéd and
convoluted storyline, underdeveloped two-dimensional characters and
lack of relation to its source material – but as I stated above,
visually this film is a marvel. The original version of ‘Ghost in the
Shell’ was one of the first anime films I ever had the chance to see,
and whilst it does delve into the ”weird” side of anime at parts, it is
nonetheless an abstract piece of art and still stands the test of time
as one of the finest anime films, however this will never come near
that.
So what are the memorable qualities in this film? Um, there’s, um…
well there’s Scarlett Johansson when she… um… yeah. Virtually
nothing. It depicts a metropolitan future on an almost frightening note
– but that’s been done before time and time again. In this future,
around 70% of humanity have cyborg-like alterations made to their body,
and the general vistas of the city, whilst stunning, add an almost
claustrophobic quality to them. Tight smothering streets, and enough
fluorescent lights to make ‘Blade Runner’ jealous.
The story itself is rather straight forward, a woman is
cybernetically-enhanced and forced to act as a weapon to prevent the
occurrence of ”terrorism” and ”hacking”, however along the way she
begins to uncover more about her past and how she became the titular
”ghost in the shell”. But the problem is, this plot is clichéd to hell,
and characters dash in and out of the story never having any real
relevance within the movie’s world, including the concluding villain
(don’t worry, no spoilers here). It tries to be smart, but just ends up
convoluted and over-blown.
All-in-all it’s a fair attempt at an adaptation, which is more than can
be said for Sanders’s film before. But it just falls short in too many
places to really make its mark as a sci-fi great. If we were just there
for the visuals, this film would be near-masterful, but that’s not the
case here.
Doesn’t hold a candle to the original …
Its beautiful visuals are its only redeeming feature. It’s almost
impossible to overstate how stunning everything is. This was the first
time I enjoyed the 3D experience. Much like its original and sequel,
the scenery and backgrounds are incredibly detailed.
I was pleasantly surprised by the recycling of some of the original
scenes. The music, while again not as nice as the original, was
cleverly inspired by it. These winks and nudges aimed at fans of the
original did not go unappreciated.
Unfortunately, that’s where I run out of praise. My biggest gripe is
with the story. It looks like the story was cobbled together by someone
who watched the original but didn’t really understand it. Some of the
concepts survived, but are almost rendered meaningless on account of a
lack of depth.
Worth seeing
I liked the original movie and the TV show and I like this adaptation
as well. I was afraid they were going to neuter this like they did with
Aeon Flux. Don’t worry, they didn’t flux it up.
The screenplay is the weakest part of the film. Scarlett Johansson is
not really hot enough to play the Major; but her portrayal was
acceptable.
The reviewers who are panning this movie remind me of the dopes who
talk about rap music like it is some great art form and really deep and
profound. My criticism of the manga was that it got too philosophical
and existential at times.
Not everybody has seen GITS or SAC so I think that those who haven’t
will like it; and I expect at least a couple of sequels. However, the
producers should probably hire some of the writers of GITS or SAC.
Oh yeah; the people complaining about white washing this film obviously
have not seen the source material. The Major is white. So is Batou and
Togusa and Aramaki. However Aramaki and Togusa are played by Japanese
actors in the movie.
A review from an old man still loving GITS
Unfortunately, the younger generations have taken a rather overly
critical view of this film, this is unfortunate because it may keep new
audiences from experiencing the GITS world.
It saddens me to see a film like this as low as 6 stars, and I have
given it a 10 star to hopefully help boost it up a bit. I will address
criticisms that I have read so far in reviews.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere of the original GITS series and 1995 film
was captured excellently here. Older more attentive fans will notice
music keys and tones from the original series and movie, as well as
some call backs to the 1995 film sequences. This is affected by some
semi-immersion breaking advertisements for Adidas and the like, but
let’s be honest, we are all used to that in blockbuster films by now.
Casting: Scarlet Johansson did an excellent job bringing the character
of Major Motoko Kusanagi to life as if straight from the Manga I first
read when I was 17 in 1990. The argument of ”white- washing” is a
complete nontroversy and waste of time, something that interestingly
was only bothersome to viewers that weren’t Japanese. ”Beat” Takeshi
Kitano is THE man to play Aramaki. The casting for Batou was definitely
my favorite of the Section 9 team, but the casting for the rest of the
team was excellent. I would have loved to see more of them, but you can
only do so much in a just above standard run-time movie.
Story: I will avoid spoilers here so we won’t get into much. The movie
does an excellent job of bringing this classic Japanese story to an
American audience in a palatable and mainstream available way. I
experienced the originals first hand when they were new and this is
on-par with them for the time it was constrained to. Everyone seems to
complain that their favorite story arc wasn’t included or something to
that effect, but you simply cannot fit the nearly 30 years of GITS
story into 107 minutes. The reason everyone, in my opinion, believes
that it doesn’t capture the story correctly when it really does, is
that they are comparing it to 30 years of writing. 107 minutes will
never be able to compete in that comparison. Critics and users alike
are guilty of this false comparison. GITS deals with some very serious
moral and societal issues, this movie touches the surface of that but
refrains from diving straight into it, and I firmly believe that if it
had dived in as some say they wanted it too, their complaints would
have still been complaints, but they would have said the movie tried
too hard to handle the issues the manga and 1995 film did.
Conclusion: If you want to enjoy this film, you will. If you don’t want
to enjoy this film, you won’t. If you are looking at it through the
nostalgia goggles of 30 years of content and expecting it to stack up
to that, it won’t. Nothing can. GITS is an amazing piece of work that
has been built on for years and years. No one movie, no matter how
perfect, could ever stack up to it. However, I believe that this film
takes as good a shot at it as any and truly sets up the GITS universe
to be available to a broader more mainstream audience. The movie has
set itself in a position to leap into those story arcs that fans are
demanding. In order for me to consider this a success, sequels are a
must because it has clearly set itself up to do so. It does sadden me
to see people claiming to be fans of the GITS series that want to
selfishly keep the series to themselves and protest sequels to this
excellent film because it didn’t in its 107- minute run-time meet all
of their expectations built over 30 years. I ask them to take a step
back, and view the film again, without those expectations, and see what
it is capable of doing.
An Adaptation that Aquires a New Shell
This isn’t just a generic remake; it’s not a half-ass cash grab. Ghost
in the Shell’s 2017 live-action adaption dares to take its original
concept and offer something new and meaningful.
So much can be praised for this film. The visuals and soundtrack were
beautifully paired to create an atmospheric world. The deeper meanings
were present and written as an updated version of previous answers
offered, which is something to highlight. The various symbolic
undertones smoothly intertwine with the main story, creating a
meaningful film while the story is complex enough to stand above
generic sci-fi but not delve into convoluted or confusing grounds.The
characters are not cardboard cutouts; they’re developed and walk a
blurred line between right and wrong and their motivations are more
complex than a good vs bad ideology. Scarlett Johansson was incredible
as an actress in this role, and adds emotional connection to the
fleshed out Motoko Kusanagi character, which goes beyond her
characterization from previous entries – something else to highlight.
Her character is fascinating and one you can easily root for and feel
her struggles. In addition, the rest of the cast can be admirable with
most characters being performed by respectable choices. Instead of
taking a route of remaking the film shot-for-shot, this film pays
respect to the original one with slight nods. Story-wise, it combines
elements from previous entries while still appearing fresh, and
explores similar questions but approaches them with new answers, which
is something to admire. The film finds a new shell to possess, in a
sense.
The only noticeable flaws were a with pacing at the beginning and with
a few generic dialogue choices. It has a few sentences of exposition
during the opening credits, which is boring but easy to overlook as a
setback. While the film has less philosophy than the 1995 anime, there
is some present and it’s worth analyzing. Watching the trailer, the
film is presented as a more simplistic film than the film itself. Other
than those minor setbacks, I conclude, this film is: Worthy of Theater
Admission Price!
Crude Understanding Of Ghost In The Shell And Whitewashing The Story
I really wanted to like this movie. I like the other work of the
director. The repeated use of crude, stupid whitewashing and a lack of
sensitivity to the source morality killed the movie – not the first
time a Hollywood remake is a disaster. Hollywood needs to stop
destroying anything and everything just because it can. It is in
disgust and annoyance that I write this. While I gave it the full
chance, I wished that I had stopped and walked out at 40 minutes.
Scarlet Johanson is as relevant here and has as much understanding of
the source material as Natalie Portman did in Star Wars. The cyborg
character is portrayed as unprofessional and having mommy issues – she
is unfamiliar with her tools and amateurish in actions. This couldn’t
have been a much better movie sine Hollywood wants to insert itself
everywhere and impose one of its name actresses, but reality is it
doesn’t work.. 3/10 for the graphics
New benchmark for effects though dropping the ball on depth in the storyline.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
In the range of 7-8
I’ve seen a lot of people trashing this for being completely devoid of
anything deep while looking really good. First off, the visuals are
beautiful as many have noted, however what’s really important are the
characters themselves.
There is depth, and honestly you are wanting this to be bad if you
ignore the character development. The weakest part of the movie is the
somewhat generic plot, however its important to realize that the plot
itself is not necessarily out of character for the GITS universe as
GITS was the inspiration for many plots of this type. Additionally,
character development was solid for the main cast (except for the
generic villain, although the 1995 version didn’t really have a strong
villain either.) The Major does have existential questioning and real
personality along with the other significant characters.
Its worth seeing whether you are a fan or not. If you are a fan than
I’d say that there is plenty for you in the live-action version as long
as you accept that it wasn’t solely based on the 1995 version and that
it needs to make changes for a wider audience.
Ghost in the Shell is an exciting science fiction film with neat visuals and concept.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Very well done…
This is a well done version of Ghost in the Shell that keeps true to
the original basic theme. It is visually stunning, has an engaging
story, and has excellent pacing. It engaged me from the start to the
end.
Many hard-core fans are decrying the lack of philosophical debate and
the deep dive into cybernetics and morals of the original mature Anime
series and movies. I’m willing to bet that those in this camp had such
high expectations that no movie would have met what they expected.
This is an origin story. It’s meant to give people who have no idea
about the characters and the underlying themes a background without
making it overly complicated. Personally, as a huge Ghost in the Shell
fan, I enjoyed every moment of the movie.
Ghost in the Shell without the ghost.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Somehow I never get tired of Scarlett as a badass
This very entertaining movie is probably too artsy for most, but maybe
not, there’s plenty of violence. And its visual tastes are extremely
refined and yet easily enjoyed. The plot is a simple one, the Major
comes to doubt her origin story, that a company called Hanka saved her
from death but had to put her brain into an outwardly soft, but quite
capable robotic body, in order to do it.
If you’ve ever dipped into manga, you will recognize the feel of this
movie. That it manages to duplicate and improve on a 1990’s era comic
is no small achievement. It’s quite clever about it. So is Scarlett
Johansson. It’s surprising how effective she is, even after Lucy and
the Avenger’s movies. It’s good to spend some time with her as she
brings the story to life.
The idea that it would have been better with a Japanese in the lead
role is hard to see. The story would have seemed a bit less relevant
without Scarlett and that seems unnecessary. Why deny a huge segment of
the American public the ability to fully appreciate the story?
Best anime adaption so far
I just watched the movie on Friday,it was totally the best live action
anime movie i’ve ever seen .
The visual and story was beyond fantastic.it was same as the original
anime
Scarlett Johansson was really pulled of as a Major that she can do the
same like the character in anime.
I would totally recommended it if you are fans of anime and manga and
you won’t be disappointed.
Scarlett you never cease to amaze me.
I never saw the 1995 anime film, in which this film is based. Maybe
I’ll get around to watching it one day. Now I see where the Matrix
films got some of there inspiration. This film is very visually
stunning, and action don’t disappoint.
A cyber enhanced female named Major(Scarlett Johansson) who works
protecting people in the far distant future. Although she once a human,
does not quite remember what was her life before. Major soon discovers
a mysterious figure is coming after the company she works for. Also he
may know more then what is being let on.
Scarlett really gives it her all here, playing the characters sense of
trying to act like a robot, and her curiosity. Action scenes are very
well done. All the other characters are also watchable too. It shows us
a possible future.
Never seen GitS before? Enjoy!! Die-hard fan? Huge let-down
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Bad
Hollywood needs to stop f**king messing around with its childish, naive
interpretation of eastern classics. If you wanna make a mundane,
foolish Hollywood movie like fast and furious, transformers, then go fk
yourself and make an original movie out of it instead of shooting it
under the theme of GITS.
In defence, spoiler free.
I gave the film 10/10, because I always consider what the film is, it’s
context, it’s genre while rating. As for the films based on anime there
isn’t much to look up to and I would love to see other titles treated
with as much respect as this one…(cough) ”Dragonball Evolution”
(cough)… You can really immerse yourself into the world of GITS. It
is visually beautiful. If you’ve seen the anime you’ll easily recognise
the places and characters, and that’s just itself so enjoyable for the
fan of the original. The plot is changed, but still familiar. The
themes are not as deep as in the original, but let’s be honest how many
people would go to see a SF film based on anime if they wouldn’t make
it easy enough to digest for a regular movie-goer? I see it rather as a
single step (finally in a good direction) and deeper themes may be
introduced further along the way. Look how far the comic book movies
got, and how acceptable it is to be a fan of them nowadays. Give this
film a chance whether you’re a SF/action fan, Scarlett Johansson fan,
or a fan of the original.
Super good Movie
Just saw this movie and I thought it was great. Looking at all the bad
reviews that it’s getting makes me shake my head in wonder. The special
effects were super cool good story line and good ending. Well done.
Just a really well done movie. Enough so that after seeing all the
negative reviews I decided to make my own. Watch it and enjoy it.
A Fantastic Movie of Self-Identity in a World of Techological Evolution
When I come away from watching a movie with not only enjoyment but
reflection, then I know there was something special.
I greatly enjoyed this journey of self-discovery in a
technology-is-king-universe – where minds can be hacked and humans
enhance themselves in forced evolution. Rupert Sanders presents us with
a gorgeous yet dirty world of tech corporations and evolved humans that
seem more at home in their flashiness of holograms while ignoring their
crumbling infrastructure.
From the very beginning we are presented with the birth of The Major
and Scarlett Johansson completely owns this cyborg from her very first
breath. Being the lead soldier of Section 9, her and her team are a
special forces unit that attempt to take down a cyber terrorist known
as Kuze. However, the movie is definitely seen through the eyes of
Johansson whose ghost is still attempting to live and breathe while
figuring out her own place in humanity.
Kudos need to be given to The Major’s Boss, Aramaki and her second in
command Batou. Both play a huge role in The Major’s development and
give us some great dialogue that compliment her on her journey. One
special direction was having Aramaki only speak Japanese while everyone
understands him. In this tech world of telepathy and communicators,
one’s personal barriers of communication and the self has been torn
down.
The action scenes were impeccable, especially those that reflected the
original movie. The landscape and soundtrack of this dystopian world
only enhanced the effect and major props need to be given to the
artists and Rupert’s direction.
Deep Diving and reflecting on what it means to be human are all there.
However, I will say that we are presented with a unique and dare I see
deeper version of The Major’s character. Scarlett presents us with a
badass heroine but as one watches they can see that this serves more as
a prequel to how The Major becomes who she is. We see her grow from
stilted walking and blank expressions to using more comfortable
reflections with those she trusts. There is a lot to digest if one
chooses to discover it.
The villain Kuze serves as a beautiful foil to the ever evolving Major
and their interactions really shift the movie into its own. His speech
and delivery, so believable in the circumstances.
From here on out, I would be getting into spoiler territory, but I will
say that the clever ending amazed me.
A Robocop clone and bastardization, this is not. Ghost in the Shell
presents us with its own uniqueness while still paying huge homage to
the original property. There will be things that fans will pick right
up on while others not familiar may find confusion. Section 9 could
have been fleshed out more and a few dialogue pieces might have been
best seen and not heard but it never took away from the film. A strong
foundation and universe has been planted for hopefully potential
sequels. Special kudos also must go to Juliette Binoche who brought a
motherly aspect to the film and to another certain special someone who
appears near the end (no spoilers) and just makes you melt.
What exactly constitutes the soul? What makes you human? What defines
you? Can one live being transferred to another and is it really living?
To what lengths do powerful entities attempt to control and train you
to do their political bidding, and by what means?
These questions and more are presented and in my opinion effectively.
The movie does not shy away from its purposes for casting either and in
fact incorporates it into its being. In my opinion, clever and very
ballsy which touches on an even greater evil towards one’s self
identity and evolution in a world of technological power.
If you love action movies with psychological reflections and self-
identity, with themes steeped heavily in our internet culture of torn
down barriers and the world’s creed to have the grid be our master,
you’ll love it or at the very least be engaged by it.
Wrong Headed Origin Story w/ CyberFrankensteins
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
worse then I expected
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A true gentleman
Lets imagine, that you are the Hollywood director of the first live
action movie from the diverse universe of ”Ghost in the Shell”. You
will take the original score from Kenjii Kawai and take the plot and
scenery shot-for-shot from Mamorou Oshii’s work. You will cast Asians
only, because you care about the race. Let us be philosophical: What is
a race? We are a copy master without own ideas and deliver nothing new.
Just compete with Oshii, because you can do it better. Take some new
bible quotes that provide no clear answers and let the audience think:
This is philosophy. Threw your ancestors on the ground. /s
Fortunately, Rupert Sanders is not such an unfair director. His
interpretation does not intend to be better than the original, it never
wanted to be. Instead it is truly original and has its iconic moments
and Easter-eggs as an homage to the predecessors. He unifies some ideas
and creates something new, just in the spirit of project 2501:
”A copy is just an identical image. There is the possibility that a
single virus could destroy an entire set of systems and copies do not
give rise to variety and originality. Life perpetuates itself through
diversity and this includes the ability to sacrifice itself when
necessary. Cells repeat the process of degeneration and regeneration
until one day they die, obliterating an entire set of memory and
information. Only genes remain. Why continually repeat this cycle?
Simply to survive by avoiding the weaknesses of an unchanging system”
Music: Origa. Scott Mattew. Kenjii Kawaii. Steve Conte. They are all
various interprets from previous iterations of GitS. It is no surprise
that this film starts with a different kind of music, too. Clint
Mansell (known for Requiem of a Dream) did a great job of combining
wave-synth elements with orchestral parts and choir samples.
Unfortunately, at some moments, the music is a way too subtle. For
example, when the Major and Kuze met for the first time. The dialogue
is very strong, but needs more music as an undertone. Sometimes, there
is a jingle from the predecessors, a rattle, some bells. My try to
memorize the music was nearly impossible, since the music lacks of a
Leitmotif, but I took my pen and paper and it wasn’t forgotten. (7/10)
Visuals: The visuals are truly remarkable. I saw on Adam Savage’s
”Tested” how much effort WETA had put into this movie. When I saw it
finally on screen, it was not overloaded with CGI and used a lot of
practical effects. I adored the 3D effects, too. I also kept in mind,
that Rupert wanted to create his own world (any comparison with the
predecessors is quite senseless). (10/10)
Acting: Scarlett Johansson (Major) and Pilou Asbæk (Batou) representing
a strong duo. Mr. Michael Pitt (Kuze) is outstanding and Takeshi Kitano
(Aramaki) performs great as a wise chief director. Juliette Binoche
(Dr. Ouelet) delivers a solid performance as a mother and scientist at
the same time. However, I felt that the scientific part of Dr. Ouelet
was not polished up. (8/10)
Plot: Yes, the story is easy to digest. It is true, that the film does
not ask direct questions to you, but this does not imply that the film
is not about existence, the mind-body problem and cyber-ethics! Think
about the shelling sequence as its own unethical procedure and combine
it with the name Kuze. Think about cyber enhancements and look at the
fate of Dr. Osmond. Will you be enhanced in the near future? Are you
already enhanced, because you can not live without your smartphone
anymore? What is the truth, what is real? Is existence bound to a body
or can you be someone else? Imagine that you are Dr. Ouelet. Will you
be a happy person? What was the price that Ouelet payed to become a
modern version of Dr. Frankenstein? In this movie, humanity is
endangered by technology, but the message is either not clear enough or
not complicated enough to say ”this is philosophical”. (7/10)
You are neither the puppet master, nor a puppet on the string. A letter
from the past shows who I was. What I do now, is what I am. Zeitgeist
changes. Mankind changes.
Total: (8/10)
Best sci fi film adaptation I’ve ever seen.
Don’t believe the fake reviews from haters. This film delivers and it’s
one of the most visually stunning sci fi films ever made. The team of
thousands who worked tirelessly to respect the original source material
and craft a new version of the story have knocked it out of the park.
Yes I would have changed a few things here or there…but I believe
credit should be given where credit is due. I haven’t seen this level
of Hollywood craftsmanship since The Dark Knight. I saw it in IMAX 3D
and felt like it raised the bar on what a 3D viewing experience could
be. Not since Avatar…have I seen 3D work so well.
The music was spot on and the visual effects teams made something
special. I felt the acting was nuanced and well played throughout. The
director nailed it.
Scarlet contributes a meaningful performance to the franchise. I
believe we should be sensitive to diversity in Hollywood. For those on
tear to destroy a work of art…I feel they’ve picked the wrong movie
to demonize. The major’s character has an android body…it was
manufactured.The point isn’t her race…it’s actually the opposite…it
begs the question, ”what does race even mean if you’ve become a robot?”
From the articles I have read…the Japanese public was more angry
about a Chinese actress playing the lead in memoirs of a Geisha. Now
that is a case I can understand and have empathy for.
The world is full of trolls and haters. Don’t let them ruin this
amazing movie for you. It’s special and deserves a major thumbs up.
The trailer is the movie
I came into this movie to expect something great but was left feeling
like I wasted time expecting something out of this.
The best thing about this movie is the visual effects, but even then,
you get to see most of that from the trailer. The writing was mediocre
at best and the best lines in the movie are also in the trailer. The
plot felt to me like its something we have seen over and over again,
and is starting to become clichéd. They tried to make it more modern,
futuristic and appealing by adding the idea of hackers taking over
cyborgs, but even then this has been done time again by classic movies
like Total Recall and Terminator.
One upside of the movie is Scarlett Johannson. She is probably the only
reason to watch the movie. She makes the part her own throughout most
of the film, only being let down by the mediocre writing and plot.
After watching this it seems like Hollywood doesn’t want to come out
with anything original but wants to use CGI to appeal to moviegoers and
make money. I for one would not pay for this movie and would just wait
for it to air on Free Network television.
It’s a Fitting Title…
The title ”Ghost in the Shell” is the perfect way to describe this
movie. It has a fantastic looking exterior with a hollow interior. The
film looks impeccable. All the production design is incredible looking.
I don’t know how much was adapted straight from the anime, and what is
original to the movie, but it all looked fantastic. Everything from the
costumes to the city shots of futuristic Japan was just incredible to
watch. The problem with this movie is that, while the visuals are all
fantastic, it’s absolutely hollow on the inside. There is nothing below
the surface for this movie. It doesn’t have any real emotion, nor does
it deliver on any kind of profound philosophical ideas. It’s just
boring and bland. Every now and then there are some cool action scenes,
but they are so fleeting and scarce that they don’t accommodate for the
rest of the movie.
You Know It Already
I came in to this movie not knowing much about it apart from what I’d
seen in the trailers, which gave me the impression I’d be watching a
sort of cross between BLADE RUNNER and THE MATRIX . Again I’m in danger
of sounding like a very predictable stuck record but I have noticed how
uncannily accurate trailers have been over the last couple of years but
the downside is that the films they’re plugging almost always give an
uninspiring feeling to this audience member
Looking on this site GHOST IN THE SHELL is based on a Japanese manga
series but BLADE RUNNER meets THE MATRIX is still an accurate summary.
One wonders if Japanese imperial ambitions in the 1930s and 40s might
have led the producers to make it an international friendly type of
sci-fi action adventure and just about every nation on Earth is
represented here somewhere. It does give the feel it has been entirely
produced by committee where even a potential Chinese will enjoy it
never having seen Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult film
There’s two problems though . First is you realise you’re watching
something totally unoriginal and when GHOST IN THE SHELL reminds you of
other films you’re constantly reminded the originals were probably
better. Secondly and this is a bigger problem in that despite all the
stunts, firefights , CGI , noise and bluster you’re quickly puzzled as
to what is happening and why it is happening. The film can be summed up
about two thirds of the way through the running time where the gun
totting cyborg heroine meets a male character where he gives her a long
winded explanation and finishes with the line ”You know it already”
which is a great example of very poor plot exposition. In short not
only GHOST IN THE SHELL a mess but it’s a ill thought out derivative
mess
Smart, Cool and Refreshingly Enjoyable.
Ghost in the Shell is directed by Rupert Sanders and stars Scarlett
Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt,
Chin Han, Danusia Samal and Peter Ferdinando.
In the near future, Major is the first of her kind: A human saved from
a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted
to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals.
There was controversy. There were expectations. For me, these
expectations were high. The original 1995 Ghost in the Shell anime had
layer upon layer of subliminal meaning in its vast imagery and
storytelling. Its themes were explored deeply, and gained a cult
following momentously. Rupert Sanders has delivered a visually
outstanding instalment to the franchise. Although a soft
reboot/reimagining of the original, GITS stands on its own.
Even if some of the Ghost (or Soul) from the anime is lost, the Shell
is incredibly vibrant. The cinematography is stunning, jam-packed with
a colourful visual design and intricate sets, recreating the familiar
feeling of the original material. Something that worried me going into
this film was that it would avoid Major’s drive to discover who/what
she is, and turn it into an action-packed thrill ride with no meaning.
However, to my delight, this did not happen. In fact, the story drifts
from the original and twists our expectations. It’s smart, cool and
refreshingly enjoyable.
Scarlett Johansson was cast with heated discussion amongst fans, but I
believe she has done a wonderful job with this role. She clicks with
this world perfectly, in my eyes. Pilou Asbæk as Batou is well-cast,
also. Both work together nicely with great chemistry. Binoche, Kitano,
Ferdinando and everyone else involved are so very natural in the
setting. Some of the set pieces look and perform great, though
surprisingly cut-down to ensure the story stays focused on Major.
Clint Mansell & Lorne Balfe utilise snippets from Kenji Kawai’s
original theme as a respectful nod, then progress forward with a
synth-heavy score that weaves so beautifully with the picture. Subtle
but important. It’s an impressive ambiance that fills the atmosphere
presented in the film.
Ghost in the Shell is not for everyone, but like the original, I do
think everyone should try it. It’s not going to rake in a huge amount
of money in its theatrical run, but don’t take that as a bad sign. The
only thing I’d like to see is an uncut version; it feels like it was
toned down for a wider audience. That said, I’m absolutely interested
in seeing a sequel or two to further expand upon the story of Major &
Batou.
Verdict; Impressive visual effects, smart storytelling and interesting
characters make Ghost in the Shell an energetic and entertaining
experience.
Ghost in the Shell, 8/10.
Spider Tank, Spider Tank, does whatever a Spider Tank Can! Look out, here comes the Spider Tank!
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Maybe next time you can design me better….
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Visionary, thought provoking, and well done all the way through
Since it seems to matter, I have to start with the statement that I did
not see any of the manga or anime source material. But I do know that
Masamune Shirow, the creator of that source material agreed with the
changes made to his creation. Seeing the movie I think I know why he
agreed to having Scarlett Johansson portraying his heroine. Namely: The
issues raised in his movie are not Japanese but rather universal. The
fact she doesn’t look Japanese enhances the alienation of her character
(and all the other non Japanese being part of the global corporation
that doesn’t really care about being Japanese). And there’s at least
one Japanese character, who insists on speaking nothing but Japanese
all through the movie. Think about the significance of his role and
you’ll realize that the the Japanese soul of the film is still shining
bright. On top of all that, Scarlett is superb. You can see how she’s
more than an action figure, you can see, her humane ghost coming
through. It makes sense that her mother would recognize her in a
completely new, made up, body. In fact, the fact she’s not Japanese
makes this point much stronger.
All other aspects of this film are of the highest quality. CGI and
artistic design are simply visionary. I would summarize it as Blade
Runner on steroids. I have a feeling that’s where Ridley Scott would’ve
taken his classic masterpiece if he only could at the time. The actors
don’t all get to demonstrate their abilities, but besides Scarlett
Johansson, one must also mention the great performance of Juliette
Binoche, and Peter Ferdinando, as the perfect villain.
The whole point of this movie, is the question: what being human is all
about, and how destructible is humanity. Now how deep is the answer
offered by the movie, is in this case up to each and every spectator,
simply because we’re not being spoon fed with the required conclusions.
Has all the trappings of sci-fi movies from the past, but with no identity of its own
The general look of the film is very good, and reminds us of some of
the classic science fiction movies of the past. The Matrix films
especially. That said, there is a feeling of being too generic at the
same time. The film doesn’t create anything new. More of a homage to
some of those (much better) previous films.
Scarlett Johansson isn’t good in the film. She looks very attractive
and eye pleasing on screen, but with no personality. She has no
charisma. Any fashion model type with a pretty face could have done
this role just as well. She has no presence in the film. You can try
and excuse it by saying she is trying to act robotic, but no, that is
just a lame excuse. She must bring something to the table, instead of
being a non-presence. She can’t carry a film, not going by this
example, at any rate.
I’m being very generous by giving it a 6, just because it has a few
good action scenes, nice set design, and a few good one-liners said by
some of the other characters. And the film does not feel too boring,
but moves along at a good clip. Most science fiction fans will probably
like and enjoy this film, even though its nothing special.
surprisingly good
I’ m writing this as a big fan of the original and cyberpunk in
general.
Just watch it without expectations and as a standalone movie apart from
the original. You’ ll be surprised how good it is. Also, the 3d and vfx
is great. The haters are more likely to get attention as it is the
general rule in the interwebs. In this case, don’ t listen to them.
People tend to get overcritical (oversensitive?) these days.
This movie is beautifully done and excellent entertainment.
A Good Live Action Anime
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
”Because I am no longer the woman known as the Major nor the program called the Puppet-Master”
With out the deep reference to the ‘tree of life’ and the merging of
the Major and the puppet- master, it’s just a 4.
Sci-Fi works well to explore the most complex issues of our human
experience.
Sci-Fi does not work when it explores selfish revenge.
(update) the original film showed the first birthing of a new life form
from cyborg and A.I. – hence humans are no longer the top of the tree
of life. That is heavy,
How could they mess this up so much?
I don’t understand how could they mess one of the best stories ever on
Anime, with such an awful adaptation!!
It wasn’t Scarlet, or the Visual Effects, those were great, Visually
the movie is almost flawless, but they screwed so bad on the most
important thing of the whole movie.
What the F did they do with the Story?
They took the essence of what makes Ghost in The Shell as great as it
is and threw it away, destroying the soul (or the ghost) of the movie.
This just felt empty and boring.
My special regards to:
Jamie Moss William Wheeler Ehren Kruger
You suck!! I make you responsible for this awful adaptation that should
have been great!!
It’s new, it’s original, go see it, IMAX 3D
OK for the record I am a ghost in the shell rookie and should not be
allowed to leave a review but I’m not seeing enough positive feedback
to be silent. This movie was more original and visual than anything out
in a long time. The visuals alone are worth the ticket of admission.
Even though the story and content was originated years ago that doesn’t
mean it is not still needed today. Long overdue? Yes but better late
than never. More science-fiction the better. Don’t whine over your
dinner, eat it and say thank you that was delicious, do you need help
cleaning the dishes, doesn’t matter I’m cleaning them anyway.
Back to the movie, again I’m a rookie but this was all new to me. What
I enjoyed the most was that nothing was ordinary. The entire movie! The
buildings, the city, the clothes, the people, it was all new. Does it
hold up to the original? I don’t know but now I’m going to find out. It
is not a bad thing, I want more! If you’re reading this the answer is
simple. It’s new, it’s original, go see it, IMAX 3-D.
No comparison. Just honesty
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This movie is more a decent introduction to the franchise than a stand alone movie.
For a more visual and in depth review; check out this YouTube video:
/watch?v=4nCb5WaOexs
The live action movie of the beloved Ghost in The Shell is based on the
1995 movie and the animated series. The reason why I say this, is
because this is basically a new origin story for the Major mixed with
elements from the other incidents. Even if the story is now more
character driven with a betrayal and revenge arc thrown in, it never
felt that it wasn’t a typical ghost in the shell story. I would call
this Diet Ghost in the Shell, since it does have the same elements that
we come to love, but is not execute as well.
Scarlett Johansson performance reflects the 1995 movie and the Arise
portray. She stares a lot at the camera and speaks sometimes like a
robot. Other times she is more naive and does show some vulnerable
emotions, which is not a good thing as Major should have a commanding
presence. But regarding how the story is set up as the first year on
the job, is not that bad I guess.
Fortunately, Pilou portray of Batou is more spot on. He is a likable
character and he deserved that little backstory about his eyes. The
chemistry between Major and Batou might not be as strong as in the
show, but it’s still presence and has a charm to it. Rest of the
Section 9 is yet again being pushed aside, but considering how the
story is more driven for our main character, It’s not that big of a
concern. Except for Aramaki, who only speaks Japanese for some reason
and has some cool scenes with a gun.
Action was kind of lack luster, they did not give the proper energy it
deserved, but boy does the visuals make up for it. Just look at all the
neat things! Yeah, they went far with the details, and it shows that
this movie is more an introduction than a stand-alone. They took scenes
that people liked. Like hey, do you like that opening scene, we got
that. You like that fight with the camouflage, we got you cover. And
what would a GITS be without Major ripping her arms out? It’s A BAD
HABIT!
Other than that, this movie might be one of those live action movies
based from Japanese comics to be good. So I really hope this movie will
have a follow up just to justify the characters and themes more.
As for now, I am Taff and I give my consent.
Scarlet Johansson in tight Lycra what is there not to like!
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
More than a popcorn flick, less than a mind-bender
As a fan of the cyberpunk genre, or anything sci-fi for that matter,
this movie succeeded in scratching an itch that I’ve needed scratching
for a while. If there was anything that this movie did well, it was
successfully merging the dazzling futuristic visual aesthetics with the
gritty and dark undertone of detective noir. I hadn’t seen any film hit
the cyberpunk nail so finely on the head since the first time I’d seen
Blade Runner. Mix that with a surprisingly good soundtrack, and I’ll
give the setting of this movie a solid 10/10.
The movie is not perfect though. It did suffer from having a
cookie-cutter plot (secret agent, has no memory about her past, sets
out to find her identity) and the action was mediocre. You can tell the
writers wanted to play with deep existential themes, but didn’t really
have the courage to risk being too hard for the masses to understand.
So they tried to play it safe and just make it a good action flick, but
even that fell short. The action scenes start to go stale towards the
end, and the movie sort of plateaus after the initial excitement.
If you are a fan of the original 1995 film, you will likely not be
disappointed. Sure, they did change the story around for a broader
audience, but it fits. The original anime, although a masterpiece in
its own right, was very dialogue heavy and slow paced. Rupert Sanders
took the liberty of westernizing the story a bit, but still included
some fan service (some shots and lines taken directly from the
original) so that fans could still see their favorite anime movie come
to life. I’ve been seeing a lot of backlash and criticism from the die
hard fans, saying that this film is a ”dumbed down” version of the
original. I’m not going to deny that claim, but if you could watch a
live action exact replica of the 1995 anime, would you really want to?
Overall, the film is entertaining and certainly deserves a watch. I was
satisfied, and so was my girlfriend who knew nothing about GITS before
going into the theater. At the very least, I see this movie becoming a
cult classic of the cyberpunk genre, and heck, it was better than
Johnny Mnemonic.
Great Fun for Ghost in the Shell Fans
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
An observation
All the complaining about ‘whitewashing’ is rather overblown… People
act like it’s a movie full of only caucasians. (hint: it’s not)
A major corporation in it can easily be seen as an American
corporation, though, which would explain the ‘whitewashing’ anyways.
That isn’t far fetched… Perhaps they should have made this a
prominent thing. Perhaps that would have helped? Probably not, they’d
get slammed for that as well I bet…
It is a shame that it was hurt by this. I was concerned going into it,
but was pleasantly surprised. Maybe I enjoyed it because I didn’t go in
expecting it to 100% live up to the originals or S.A.C.? It did a
better job than I was expecting. Maybe I enjoyed it more having enjoyed
them. Also likely. I would like to see more, but without it having a
strong opening, that probably isn’t going to happen.
For those that feel it was ‘dumbed down’, people not familiar with it
wouldn’t really know what is going on and why some of the scenes were
even included. As it is, it really should have explained more, but yet
really couldn’t have due to length.
I’ll close by asking this: Why is it ‘bad’ when ethnicity is changed by
Hollywood, but not China, India, or Japan? Do these same people
complaining about ‘whitewashing’ complain about other people doing what
is essentially the same?
Long time fan and enjoying every moment of this movie
Pros: – The visuals are amazing, the team put a lot of work of
re-imagining the world of Ghost in the Shell. – The action scenes are
stunning and not over the top – Story is emotional and creates more
sympathy to the Major character – Even though its not as deep as the
1995 movie, it still gives you something to think about after – Its not
the usual Hollywood’s cosplay version of an animation franchise – You
can feel that the whole team put lots of love into making this movie
Cons: – A bit disappointment on how they do the garbage truck driver
scene – Quirks here and there but I can see that they need to spoon-fed
the audience a bit since its Hollywood targeted market – Not enough
screen time for the whole member of section 9 – The usual Hollywood’s
super villain and hero cliché is still there
Poor script, decent adjusted story and visually stunning.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Best Anime to Live Action Movie we have ever seen in film.
1. This movie is fun , visually innovative, action packed movie, that
will immerse you into the world of Ghost In the Shell.
2. This movie is the best anime to live action adaptation we have ever
seen period.
3. I believe the movie pays a lot of respect to the original anime and
tries to add a new perspective for anime.
Watch in 3D to get the full experience of this movie.
4.DO NOT LISTEN TO THE CRITICS.
They either never saw original films, are knocking movie before seen,
or have another agenda all together. The movie is not perfect but judge
for yourself. You most likely will be surprised on how good this movie
is.
This movie has a lot of positive things it achieved and should be
noted.
CASTING ISSUE IS IRRELEVANT.
Mamoru Oshii, the director of the original anime adaptation of Ghost in
the Shell, said that he has no problem with Johansson playing a role
many have understood to be an Asian woman. His reasoning? Ghost in the
Shell’s main character is a cyborg with no fixed form or race, he
explained to IGN, so he doesn’t consider Johansson’s casting as
Hollywood whitewashing.
Very good, but lost the best part of the anime versions.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A good Blockbuster film which needs to be watched as its own film
I have been a big fan of the Ghost in the Shell films and Stand Alone
Complex series for many years,so when I first heard that Hollywood was
adapting Ghost in the Shell and that they had cast Scarlett Johansson
in the lead role, I was rather worried but the first trailer was OK so
I thought I would give it a chance.
Of course reading the reviews wasn’t particularly but the one thing
that I did notice was that the vast majority of reviewers seemed to be
comparing the original and also to films like the Matrix, Robocop and
Bladerunner instead of reviewing the film on its own.
Yes it shares some of the themes of the above films and it isn’t as
good an any of them (including the original GITS or Stand Alone
Complex) but this doesn’t mean it is a bad film and comparing it to a
myriad of other Hollywood blockbusters it is pretty good.
The script isn’t bad (though I did have some issues with the final act)
and the directing is generally good, with good pacing and the editing
was is generally decent. There was a couple of times where the film
didn’t quite make sense but it wasn’t a big issue, just a little silly.
The film doesn’t follow the themes of the original and the twist in the
film was so obvious that I worked it out before I saw the film.
The acting is fine but a lot of the Section 9 actors don’t get much too
do, which is a pity and you don’t get much of the team dynamic that you
get in the original or Stand Alone Complex.
Another area I heard complaints before involved the score but I thought
Clint Mansell did a pretty good job and I really enjoyed it, whilst it
never felt like it was over powering the film.
So overall I enjoyed the film. It isn’t going to be the best film of
the year but it isn’t bad and I suspect it will be one of the better
blockbuster of the year (it is certainly better then most the last few
years).
A brainless action movie that failed to meet the intellectual bar set by the original 1995 movie.
I found myself groaning and face-palming throughout this entire movie,
and I’m not even an avid fan. The only thing I did was watch the
original 1995 movie, and I almost cried at how frustratingly terrible
this version was. I’ve never wanted a movie to end so quickly.
Not only was the casting decision bad (emotionless actors reading off a
terrible script that did not portray the characters correctly), but the
director failed to notice many small details in the original that
actually provided a deeper understanding of characters as well as the
philosophical twist that was so iconic of the original.
There were a lot of unnecessary characters and fight scenes added that
did nothing for the emotional or philosophical aspect this movie should
have been. The deviation from the original plot wasn’t the problem.
Rather, it was the deviation from the feel of the original.
I normally love Sci-Fi, but this movie didn’t make me think
intellectually like other Sci-Fi’s. It felt like they just took the
look of the characters and universe, leaving behind the ”Ghost” of the
original, and placed them into a universe that had more explosions,
guns, and blood. This is an action movie with so-so CGI and characters
I did not care about.
Discovering the Soul
It’s what you do and your soul that defines you in ”Ghost in the
Shell”. Scarlett Johansson is heroic compassion as the human and mostly
machine Major in Director Rupert Sanders’s ”Ghost in the Shell”. ”Ghost
in the Shell” is the wonderful surprise that is both visually
provocative action and the compelling existential exploration of
humanity. Set in near futuristic Japan, cybernetic or robotic
enhancements of humans are common place in the world. In this global
incarnation Hanka Corporation is the technology leader seeking to
change the world. Whether this change is for good is the real question?
In the enthralling visual opening narrative scientists implant the
residual human brain in the robotic ‘shell’ that becomes Johansson’s
Major. Composed of electronics and metal alloy, the beautiful Major
emerges from the laboratory liquid pool of flesh and hairnearly human.
Johansson is awesome. She has this mesmerizing stillness even in the
gate of her walk. She disposes villains with explosive martial arts
excellence. Sanders wisely leverages close ups of Johansson, whose face
in both the spoken and unspoken eloquently expresses courage and
vulnerability. Johansson commands ”Ghost in the Shell” as her own.
Scarlett powerfully captures the emblematic paradox; her Major is more
machine, than human in her search for her very humanityher soul. She
inspires as the hero discovering and defining herself. Her creators
create and design her as the perfect soldier to combat the global
terrorist threat. She confesses to her beloved creator caretaker Dr.
Ouelet, played by poignant and strong Juliette Binoche, ”What I have is
not real.” She speaks of her memories and her past.
Dr. Ouelet tells her hero that it is not the memories you hold, ”It’s
what you do that defines you ” The screenplay by Jamie Moss, William
Wheeler, and Ehren Kruger is based on the classic Manga by Masamune
Shirow. This movie is also the reinvention of the 1995 Amine feature
film. The ‘ghost’ is the remnant of soul implanted in the robotic or
cybernetic ‘shell’. Does the soul exist? One’s design doesn’t determine
your purpose. Does the Major deserve to find love? I was happy that the
search for the soul infused in this narrative, and that Johansson
embodies the existential hero’s purposediscovering who she is.
With brazen visual style the Major battles evil villains in literal
pseudo-nakedness. Johansson is sexy, haunting, and isolated. This kind
of symbolizes the stark lone nature of her very quest. As in the
original Anime, the Major dramatically disrobes from her overcoat, then
like the Dark Knight descends upon her evil prey. In a conflict arc the
naked Major pummels the fleeing criminal in the rain filled pond,
nearly killing. Her hulking fellow cyborg Batou, played by sarcastic
but nurturing Pilou Asbaek, mercifully prevents her. The Major fights
with calculated precision, and consumed rage. Since ‘high-jacking’ the
program of a terrorist robot, the Major has bizarre images perhaps from
her past. Is her dormant humanity emerging?
This makes ”Ghost in the Shell” compelling. Sanders’s future Japan has
the layered holographic feel of ”Blade Runner” and the austere heroic
night imagery of ”The Dark Knight”. The collective cyber- consciousness
and virtual ‘plug-ins’ remind of ”The Matrix”. The Major discovering
her inherent soul is amazing. Sanders falters a bit in the story arc
when Johansson’s Major talks with someone dear from her passed life. He
is too restrained; he could have risked bringing us to tears.
Poetically, he resolves this later in the Major’s hero journey.
After creating the Major, Machiavellian Hanka CEO Cutter, played by
ruthlessly good Peter Ferdinado, transfers her to Section 9the
Government’s elite anti-terrorist group. Section 9 is headed by the old
and wise Aramaki, played with gravitas by Takeshi Kitnao. Batou becomes
the Major’s protector and friend, who may also be in love with her.
Cutter distinguishes the Major as the revolutionary first of her kind.
But is she the first? There are so many lies, including those
surrounding the Major.
The possible villain arises in cyber-enhanced Kuze, played by
charismatic Michael Pitt. Section 9 and the Major investigates Kuze’s
murder of all those associated with ‘Project 2571’cloaked in secrecy.
Perhaps, the Major was not the first? And the stories of her origins
may be lies as well. The Major and Kuze’s present and past may be
tragically bound.
I thoroughly enjoyed ”Ghost in the Shell” for its visual style, thought
provoking story, and entirely for Scarlett Johansson’s performance. Her
movie star presence transcends the character and the movie. I read and
heard about the ”whitewashing” in casting Scarlett instead of a
Japanese actress as the Major. Johansson is amazing. The character of
the Major is more machine, than human. ”The Ghost in the Shell” is
about the nature of the soul. Perhaps, the shape of your eyes has
little to do with the quality of your soul. I say this as a Japanese
American movie fan. The touching epilogue of ”Ghost in the Shell” makes
this perfectly clear. ”Ghost in the Shell” is surprising and very
gratifying.
Not sure how this happened.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The Dangers of Hype
I came into this movie not knowing anything about it, besides the fact
that it was an adaption. I avoided trailers, news, and even the IMDb
page, which is usually my bible and helps me decide on what movies I
see. I was absolutely blow away. The look, the story, the acting, all
spectacular. I enjoyed every second. I felt every emotion. I was amazed
by every visual. I walked out of the cinema in awe. Then, I checked the
IMDb page and was absolutely shocked to see it had a score of 6.9. This
is a excellent example of why hype is a dangerous weapon, especially
against adaptions or remakes. This really opened my eyes towards movie
criticism and reviews. I urge everyone to do as I did more often, not
give movies unrealistic expectations, and rip it to pieces when it
disappoints you. Instead, put your preconceived notions behind you,
appreciate the countless hours of work and incredible effort the
filmmakers put in, and remember why we watch movies: to enjoy.
Gorgeous Visuals, Methodical Directing, Scarlett Johansson In The Flesh!!!..
I kid you not saw it twice in theaters already and I love it…I like
the direction they are headed with the franchise, they are catering to
everyone. It honors the manga, the 1995 anime, and at the same time
differentiating its identity as a live action film…It truly is worth
going to see it in cinemas..
Great movie!! Expectations are the mother of all disappointments
Please don’t follow the advice of those who had expectations about the
performance of the visual the plot or the major or God knows what
else… This film is an ”adaptation” and as such brings different
things that some people will gladly appreciate and others not. There’s
not good or bad right or wrong… There’s only perception of the
observer and it’s willingness to be open or close in their
interpretations..
Underrated by haters and super critics
When it comes to getting high IMDb ratings this movie was already
destined to fail just because it is an anime adaptation of a highly
beloved nineties classic. On top of that the cast and yet another
Hollywood whitewashing sh*tstorm.
Is this a perfect film? No. Some story elements were simplified to
appeal to a broader audience and I would have done some scenes and
dialogues differently. But overall it is a solid movie in the Sci-Fi
genre. The atmosphere, effects, music and aesthetics are stunningly
beautiful! You can still feel the heart and soul of Ghost in the Shell.
The story is there – slightly changed but still thought provoking.
There are many scenes where you can really see the amount of work that
was put into making this movie – tiny details in the background, the
aura of Hong Kong and other locations where this film was shot and just
the overall look and feel.
If this wasn’t an adaptation but an original film I’m pretty sure the
ratings would look completely different and the critics would be
positive only. Don’t let negative ratings of super critical anime
lovers stop you from seeing this movie! Especially if you have never
seen the original Ghost in the Shell – now is the time.
A good adaptation
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
It looks like GITS, but it doesn’t feel like it…
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Loved It! Just Enough Cyber Punk to be Entertaining
I have to say, I wasn’t into Scarlett Johannson’s repeated attempts at
the genre, but after this movie, she is my new crush.
I walked in knowing that this would be a Hollywood adaptation, and (no
where near) as deep as the original anime. It’s a fine line in having
to stay true to the original, yet making the movie palatable enough to
engage the newbie viewer.
For me, it was enough of the story line coupled with with amazing
cyberpunk eye candy. I thought it was amazing. I frankly find it funny
that a white actor is so harshly critiqued for playing Major, despite
Mamoru Oshii, the director of the original anime adaptation, endorsing
it.
That’s like telling Monet that he needs to add clarity to his
impressionistic paintings, or telling Bach that it’s all about the
bass.
Seriously, go in with a clean slate, and you’ll enjoy this movie. I
look forward to more adaptations, and hope Scarlett entertains a
William Gibson film like Neuromancer. Dare I say it, I could even see
her playing Frank Miller’s Ronin. I await the flames. lol
Weak story, poor acting
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Ghost Remixed
This film is not a straight adaptation of the 1995 anime film ”Ghost in
the shell”. What it is…. is a cinematic love letter to the franchise
as a whole. It uses the basic plot structure of the 95 film, but
introduces elements and plot threads from the series ”stand alone
complex” as well as story elements from ”Ghost in the shell 2:
Innocence”. It plays out as a ‘best of’ kind of film, and I sure loved
it. Johanssen is pretty decent in the role, but who really shines are
Pilou Asbaek as Batou, and Takeshi Kitano as Aramaki. The filmmakers
really nailed the world,the atmosphere, and the characters. My only
real complaint is that I wished Togusa had some more screen time,
especially since when he was on screen he was perfect, but I was
extremely satisfied with the film as a whole.
In an attempt to be true to the anime series, Ghost in the Shell fails to be a decent film.
Ghost in the Shell: pure anime, and that’s the problem
In an effort to look like an anime story, ”Ghost in the Shell” (GitS)
ends up looking like a cartoon and not a live feature. From the
beginning, the CGI looks, well, cheesy. It is terrible. 1982’s ”Blade
Runner” had a better look than GitS. The best effects were when the
filmmakers used real sets and enhanced them with CGI. Perhaps if you
are 13, you won’t mind. You might actually enjoy that it looks like a
video game with out-of-date graphics. For older audiences, the
cartoonish look stands out.
So it looks bad, so what, you ask. The dialogue is also as bad as much
of Japanese anime as well. I couldn’t keep up with the terrible lines,
writing in the dark of the theater. However, I am sure the writers had
a book of clichés for the script, or perhaps they just borrowed from
the anime series.
The acting is terrible, even Johansson as Major. It’s a terrible role,
and I must admit, I have never seen her as a great actress, just a good
action star. She has no chance to be good anything here with the
terrible material she is given. There are two standouts: Takeshi Kitano
who plays Aramaki, Major’s boss and Michael Pitt who plays Kuze, the
criminal Ghost/Shell. Pitt is creepy, endearing, sympathetic and
dangerous. He and Kitano are the two winners in this fiasco.
Did I mention the music. At least some bombs have great music, but
here, the music is overwrought and unoriginal. It’s as if they stole
that from the anime series as well or were told, ”Hell, just throw
something emotional in there, it’s got Scarlett Johansson, no one will
notice.” Well, when almost everything else in the film is below
average, we will notice the terrible music.
Rating: I want my money back.
A half an hour in, I was cringing at the look and dialogue, the
incoherent plot elements, and the lack of back story for the near
future world. This might have been better as a TV series. And by the
lack of an audience, word of mouth won’t save this film.
Peace, Tex Shelters
the paltry ghost of a great story
Opens with unnecessary exposition. Ends without flare. The visuals are
great, but that’s about it. Whitewashing the lead is one fair
complaint, but dumbing and numbing the entire story was a greater
crime. Why does Hollywood insist on ruining great characters and
enduring narratives?
A fun ride!!! Very respectful to the source material.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Somewhat lacking performance by Johansson backed up by Pitt’s character makes for an enjoyable watch
Where does this movie stand? It is NOT as good as it’s counterpart, the
original animated movie. However, this movie is not bad, and while it
drew a lot from the original movie, it takes on a slightly different
direction in the plot, character development/focus and appeal.
It has been a good number of years since I watched the original, so I
had only a mild recollection of the movie going in to this one, which
was nice, because I was trying a little harder to figure in this movie,
vs scrutinizing and comparing. So in that respect, if you have any
interest in seeing this movie, forget watching the animated one, right
before.
Scarlett Johansson did an adequate job playing the Major, but she
certainly did not play the Major of old, and I did find her some what
more ‘distant’ than what might have been required. Her almost complete
lack of emotion, and the way the introduction, year later scene really
made it hard for me to buy in to the character. However I did find the
ending very touching.
The plot diverges enough so that you are not watching the same movie,
and I felt the performance/story of ‘Kuze’ was very provocative and
complemented Johansson very well.
I would give the movie 1.5 thumbs up, with respect to most of what
Hollywood is producing, it gets two solid thumbs up. & Yeah, Takeshi
Kitano, almost worth the price of admission right there.
underrated!!
I really believe that the people giving this film negative reviews went
into this film expecting to experience the anime all over again. These
people missed out on something great and its unfortunate because i
truly believe they are fans. Others perhaps have no clue of what the
concept of Ghost in the Shell is or is meant to be.
I did go into this movie expecting the worst. Especially after reading
so many negative reviews. Much of which were empty opinions rather than
critical expressions. If you are a fan of the 1995 anime, then you
should watch this movie with an open mind and expecting nothing. You
will be pleasantly surprised at how good this movie really is from
beginning to end.
No matter how much of a fan you are, the Ghost in the Shell concept
stands and will remain.
I rate this movie an 8 and recommend not only to anime fans but sci/fi
fans alike.
Great adaptation
Gorgeous Shell, too little Ghost. But in the end, I really liked this
adaptation. It sets the cinematic universe of GITS for future
installments.
The movie is not a copy, It is an adaptation from Ghost In The Shell,
Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence and Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone
Complex 2nd GIG TV Series.
In the movie there are some sequences that are an exact replica of the
Anime version, it is more like a tribute to Mamoru Oshii
Hateful comparisons: good film with some problems, but not like the classic
It is not a bad movie, but doesn’t have all the themes and complexity
of the original. It is just an action catching-the-killer thriller
settled in a future cyborg-society. Johansson plays a well portrayed
role and the rhythm and plot are well presented. The main problem is
how predictable and self explanatory the story is. There are even
embarrassing moments of the characters literally explaining all the
secrets of the past and the background of the protagonist just by
talking with a cup of tea. In any case, for someone who hasn’t seen the
classic, this version may be a nice futuristic thriller. CGI is
amazing, by the way.
Visually stunning
For those who feel in love with blade runner and have seen so many
films try and recreate that world,This one does it the best.Every inch
of this movie is interesting,it has a sensory overload feel..It also
make great use of 3D,so many directors don’t know how to use the 3d and
use it here and there just to throw stuff at you..here you bathe in
it.They ought to do a best 3d award since it is an art-form and so many
never get it right…The story is original enough to keep your
interest.Michael Pitt has a great character and I always enjoy beat
takeshi.so if your looking for 1:45 Min’s of just a cool fun 3d ride
this is for you…
A ”CAM” of the original GITS Staring Frankenstein with Character Assassination
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Stylistic, Gorgeous, Worth Watching
It could have been better but it could have been a whole lot worse.
The Ghost in the Shell universe is my personal favorite sci fi
universe, anime and American TV/film included. I’ve watched Stand Alone
Complex and 2nd Gig multiple times, watched the movies multiple times,
even got Richard Epcar (the voice actor of Batou) to sign GITS:
Innocence on DVD, and so forth.
Here is what people are not getting. Stand Alone Complex has very
little to do with the manga. Movies like Solid State Society have very
little to do with the manga. Yet these, in my opinion, capture the best
of the character development and the GITS universe. If all we had were
the GITS movies and the manga, nobody would care about GITS. Variations
from the original story are what make the franchise succeed.
Secondly, have you watched Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence lately? Or
even the new GITS: Arise films? The writers tend to go way overboard. I
wouldn’t even call it ”philosophical,” it is just a giant wall of text
that voice actors callously read. The writing can get way too
complicated and wordy for no reason to the point where the movies get
emotionless, cold, and even boring in some parts. This happens
sometimes, not all of the time.
Here is the lesson: it is okay to change trivial parts of the lore,
like when Batou gets his eyes or which, if any, family members the
Major meets. The specifics really, truly do not matter, as long as it
tells the same story.
Visually the film was absolutely amazing. The music was amazing. The
casting, by far my biggest gripe going in, actually worked out. They
did a good job.
My two main issues: the PG-13 action and slight dumbing down of the
story.
Production IG is so incredibly good at drawing and animating weapons,
gun fights, fist fights, that it’s hard to live up to the action
scenes, especially if one chooses to remove blood and violence in order
to get a PG-13 rating. This took away from the film for sure. There was
little to no punch in many of the action scenes.
GITS’s story can go in so many brilliant directions. It’s not that this
film had a dumb script or a dumb story, it’s that in comparison it
wasn’t as brilliant as the TV shows or other movies. There is nothing
inherently wrong with this, because as I mentioned sometimes the
animated GITS movies go overboard, but one does notice that some of the
brilliance is lacking.
The film was extremely successful at creating its own GITS-compatible
style. It created a metropolis far better than any of the other GITS
films. The synthwave music was fitting and very atmospheric. It
surpassed the anime in these areas.
Those bashing the film and giving it 1/10 are dishonest, misanthropic
neckbeards, in Japan known as otakus, and you should refrain from
giving these reviews any your time.
It was OK!, but needed more.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The shell is empty.
I find that this movie works better for someone that has no experience
with the Ghost in the Shell franchise. That statement may be wrong, but
I, for once, found it to be pretty terrible and surprisingly bland.
They try to remind you so much that this is Ghost in the Shell and not
just some other generic Hollywood action film with robots, that it
actually backfires and makes it worse. There’s this over abundance of
establishing shots that feel as if the movie is trying to grab your
attention so it can turn it away from how pathetic the script actually
is. Maybe it would’ve been successful in that if they weren’t so
repetitive in their use of giant holograms and so mediocre in the
quality of their CG.
It’s a shame that this movie’s visuals are the best thing it has going
for it, because besides the mediocrity of the CG this world actually
looks pretty interesting. It pales in comparison to the original Mamoru
Oshii directed films for sure, but it is still eye candy and it gives
some life to this movie’s bland cast of characters.
Scarlett Johansson is as bland, emotionless and wooden as she was in
Lucy, now with added pointless backstory that explain why she’s not
Asian, but does absolutely nothing interesting with that. Takeshi Beat
seems terribly bored and out of place as the only character that
actually speaks Japanese and the rest of the cast is not much better
off, with characters from the show appearing simply to be glorified
cameos and god awful villains with weak motivation and acting that made
me cringe.
Whenever this movie tries to imitate scenes from the original it feels
completely out of place and pointless. The garbage men from the first
one, for example, are turned into walking plot holes with the thinnest
explanation of why they’re actually there carrying guns. Things like
this are present all throughout the movie.
The soundtrack is also another downgrade. It cannot even be compared to
the original in matters of memorability, not a single track from the
movie stood out to me with the exception of the last one… That was
taken directly from the first Ghost in the Shell’s soundtrack.
I guess that really sums up what I think it’s wrong with this movie. It
tries to be as thought provoking and daring as the original while at
the same time dumbing it down and making it more commercial for
American audiences, these two ideas simply don’t go well together. It
ends up turning into a movie that just makes it’s characters babble out
the themes and questions of the movie to the audience so it can get
that done with and get on with incredibly mediocre action. It doesn’t
make me irritated or anything like that since this type of practice is
so common nowadays, but it still is sad.
Ghost in the Shell is better at looking like the anime rather then replicating it
Let’s talk about anime. For those that don’t know, anime is animation
that is produced in Japan. What separates it from American animation is
that while the craft is seen as family-based entertainment in the
states, it is taken very seriously in Japan. It’s hard to describe it
on paper, but when you see stuff like Sailor Moon, Speed Racer, Cowboy
Bebop (an all-time favorite of mine) and anything from Studio Ghibli,
you’ll see what I mean. This has been the same when it comes to full
anime movies. This had led to a lot of Japanese movies that have even
seen releases in the states like Akira, Pokémon: The First Movie, and
the subject of today, Ghost in the Shell.
The 1995 original film is seen not just as an excellent anime, but one
of the best-animated movies in general. It’s themes of artificial
intelligence, computer hacking, and blurring the line between human and
robots were perfect to explore as the mid nineties had seen a growth in
computer usage. A live action adaptation could potentially work, but
the track record of American remakes of anime has been bad (Speed Racer
and Dragonball: Evolution being such). Let’s see if the new Ghost in
the Shell can break that curse.
In the near future in Japan, Major Killian (played by Scarlett
Johansson) is a cyborg with a human brain after her original body was
destroyed beyond repair and was chosen in an experiment by Hanka
Robotics to put her mind into a mechanical body. Now she works for
Section 9, an anti- terrorist bureau whose mission is to stop major
hacking. She’s really good at her job, but experiences occasional
visions that her maker dismisses as glitches. With the help of her
second in command Batou (played by Pilou Asbæk), the city seems safe,
During one mission, they stop a terrorist attack at a Hanka business
conference. They use a destroyed rouge robot to find out that the
perpetrator is a hacker named Kuze. Though they manage to catch to
garbage men who worked for him, they find that little is known about
Kuze. The race is on the clock to find him, only for Major to start
considering more about her life before becoming a cop as she does not
remember any of it.
I’ll clarify now that this does not follow the 1995 original movie, but
rather Ghost in the Shell adapts elements from it’s TV series and manga
source to tell something original. This one adapts more of an identity
finding story along with the notion of stopping a terrorist. The good
news is that the story is good for a while. Also like the 1995
original, this can get heavy within it’s own world. I started losing
interest about halfway in when I was starting to lose track on what the
goals were. This I blame on the acting of Scarlet Johansson, who I
normally love in other movies, but she is so wooden. Taking the
whitewashing controversy out of it, I’d still say the performance
wouldn’t have worked due to the directing of Rupert Sanders.
The film seems to be better at directing the world around our heroes as
it looks really cool. A lot of people will probably say that it’s a lot
like Blade Runner, but consider that it’s been a while since we’ve seen
something like this. The action scenes also do a good job recreating
scenes from the anime while adding in some stylized fighting.
Another problem however is that its 2017. We’ve gotten a lot of movies
about computer hacking and AI identity (such as The Matrix series,
A.I., Ex Machina), so what’s this version of Ghost in the Shell going
to add? Much of the deep philosophy from the anime is removed and what
is kept seems a bit redundant and feels like has been said before.
I’ll give this five anime pictures of Major out of ten. Ghost in the
Shell works better as an action movie when not comparing it to the
original. I’d still say watch the anime, but you might get something
out of this if your just looking for action. This adaptation is a lot
like a cyborg; looks good, but lacks little humanity under the surface.
Ghost = soul
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Great movie with Fantastic special effects!
This film was definitely better than what I expected it to be! Though
the beginning was a little difficult to understand but it all tied in
and made sense throughout the events of the movie. I loved the action
sequences and special effects! Many people say that casting Scarlet
Johansson a Japanese film was white-washing, but I thought that this
was great! The main character (Major) is supposed to be a robot of
someone else from the past so it does not matter if she is white or
Asian. Scarlet Johansson’s performance was phenomenal and I really did
enjoy this film!
3D visual FEAST
First and for most, to the point, right off the bat – Ghost in the
Shell is one beautiful 3D movie. And if you get to see it in an IMAX
theater? Count yourself lucky.
This movie should have been advertised as a cyberpunk, Bladerunner like
experience, highlighting visuals, sound, music and effects. Instead
they tried to sell it as a Scarlet action movie. A huge mistake.
I can’t think of a release in the last several years that opens itself
up to so much potential negative critique. Casting? Check. Remake of
classic that can never please some fans? Check. Obviously more, but
that would get boring in a hurry… point is people can come at this
movie from a lot of different angles, often with a lot of expectation
built in.
But for the few who can put expectation aside, or to whom the story and
characters are brand new? This is a rock solid piece of entertainment
bringing Asian cyberpunk to American audiences. It is full of
incredible ideas including cybernetic enhancement, ghost hacking and
more than one question aimed at reality itself.
The visuals! Just spectacular! and it is worth watching the credits
just to see all the houses, teams and names of people who worked on
this movie. While GitS does feel sectional, with each scene being a
different project – the visual style itself is very consistent and at
times truly magical. I am very critical of CG effects, their overuse,
and the muddy visual style that often is the result of a complete
screen makeover.
Not here. Like Dr. Strange the effects are clean, unique with proper
lighting and contrast. The cityscape shots with crazy enormous animated
holograms are especially nice. The visual details are everywhere – the
way people look, their mods – constantly asking visual questions and
providing something fascinating to look at. The effects are Brilliant.
The sound and soundtrack? Perfect compliment to the visuals.
I also think casting is amazing, including Scarlet. The casting is so
good that we really don’t get enough time with any of the characters
except Major, and really, she’s not a very interesting protagonist.
This comes through in Scarlet’s mostly wooden performance, which could
be argued fits, but that does little to improve what is actually there.
Story wise (and i hinted i wouldn’t go here), I have to ask, ”if this
was a carbon copy remake of the original anime, just live action, would
it be a better movie?” The answer is yes, it would be better. All the
lifts from the anime worked beautifully, all the changes? Not
improvements. The biggest change involving Major’s origin story which
is left beautifully vague in the anime, which I feel works much better
regarding the overall chaos of the world in which they live. The dialog
at times is very explanatory instead of simply serving story. The
original anime is a challenging movie that needs to watch 2 or 3 times
to catch the details. The same can not be said regarding the story of
this version, which by comparison spoon feeds the information. But…
imo the original GitS is a 10/10 masterpiece. Expecting another film on
this level is a lot to ask for, and while not as good, this remake does
justice to the franchise. Why?
The visuals! My goodness! I actually want to pay for another 3D IMAX
showing to soak it in again. So impressive, and it is really nice to
see effect work that pushes way beyond the ordinary.
Ghost in the Shell is exactly the type of movie that gets crushed at
the box office, but finds a cult following later in its life. In this
case, in the form of VR headsets that will present the 3D and effects
when home versions are released.
balanced toward sound, visuals and effects – but with such
excellence… 8 out of 10!
Too much exposition and no deep thoughts and philosophy
I think those who down voted this flick because they were disappointed
are to harsh. Of course, if you compare the movie to the original
Anime, it’s hard to deny that it’s just a vague shadow of the original
source and idea. But if you see it as it’s own movie you will be
entertained with stunning visuals and nice action, so it deserves at
least 6 points for ”effort”.
Now to the downside of the movie if you want to actually compare it. It
feels like the children’s book version of the Anime. EVERYTHING has to
be explained, nothing keeps unsaid for your own imagination. Ghost in
the Shell was about the question what makes us human, what is life. But
not in this way this movies tries to tell us. If life can give birth
itself out of data, how can we define it? This movie sadly skips this
part and the main question is ”who was I before I became a robot?”.
Dear film makes, no one cares! It misses all the depth what made the
original so special. The slow scenes to think, to create atmosphere…
Like so many others already said; it’s more of a reboot of RoboCop than
it’s of Ghost in the Shell.
Gorgeous visual feast for sci-fi fans
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
better than any other anime adaptation, but mediocre.
I had really high expectations for this moving seeing that the original
is a great anime and many reviewers liked this film. But I can’t say
that I am satisfied with the final product.
Lets start with the story. It feels messy and weird. This movie tries
to get the themes about the relationship and difference between humans
and machines, but it just feels shoe-horned in. There are some scenes
that really just feel that were placed to make this film more
philosophical, the original movie treated its themes in subtle ways
throughout the movie for you to get the sense that is real.
I must admit, I am not the greatest fan of anime, I do believe that the
first one is amazing, but I am not a huge fan. This movie tried to
recreate some popular shots of the original, but did so in a very
choppy and ”edgy” way.
The action scenes are terrible, they went with the slow-mo kind of
action like in 300, and it really didn’t work. The weird editing didn’t
let you appreciate the stunt-work and took you out of the film. Also,
some scenes are impossible to keep up with because of all the fast
shots that don’t let you see anything.
The villain of this movie sucked, it is nothing compared to the puppet
master of the original. At first, it seemed interesting, but then they
went with the classical American twist and a very interesting villain
was put to waste.
Scarlett is fine as Major, actually the performances are fine and do
what was needed from them.
The CGI is also incorporated very good into the film, the city looks
like the city of the original movie. The only sh*tty CGI was with the
major’s skin, or in this case ”suit”, it really looked fake.
4/10
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
My Favorite Film next to Bladerunner! and the original Gits film
This should have at least a score of 8.5, i cant believe i’m seeing 6.9
all you over critical men who are worse than women on there periods!
THIS IS A CLASSIC! in my eyes one of my favourite films iv’e watched in
a long time, i would put it beside blade runner as my favourite sci fi
film.
I’ve seen all the Films of GHOST IN THE SHELL. I was actually doubting
for a minute when i read a few reviews but now i know its all
bull****!! its all them ..whatever you call them people who don’t
believe it lived up to there expectation when it actually did! so they
lie and make other fans think its not good when its more than that,
because this film was soo good, the actors played the characters to a
T! Great cast! Batou was my favourite! his and majors friendship you
could feel the harmony between them and that they cared for each other,
you could get a sense of that straight away which was great! also the
music i loved it! it had a 80’s electronic style to it, this film has
great colours and great shots and THE CAR IS JUST AMAZING! second
behind the delorean no doubt. Main thing was.. it lingered on me, some
films now i go see and forget about it the next day but this stuck on
me and i couldn’t stop thinking how good it was! So don’t listen to
these negative reviews people this is a gem of a film and they put so
much work into this they don’t deserve all this critical negative
attitude. They deserve praise for bringing this to Cinema and
delivering.
Thank you to all who was part of this.
5.5/10
After being victim of a terrible terrorist attack, Mina (Scarlet
Johansson) wakes up in a body that doesn’t belong to her (shell). Her
brain has been transplanted into a completely synthetic body, making
her the first example in human history of her kind. She is then
employed by the government to stop the world’s most dangerous
criminals, one of which starts to arouse an identity crisis in her.
I have never been exposed to this story having never read the original
comic nor seen the original anime, my take on this story was completely
new and fresh. Whilst it hasn’t left much of an impact in me to further
any knowledge on this mythology, it still left me fascinated enough by
its world to have a decent time at the theater.
Whilst many have defined this film as visually spectacular I take issue
with that definition, especially if assigned to this film. ”Ghost in
the Shell” has many things going for it, but I guarantee you that
visually stunning isn’t one of those. The editing and cinematography of
the picture are quite unfocused and pretty much follow the rhythm of
many generic blockbusters. Sanders might have a great eye for design
and world building, but he has a really hard time in deciding when to
cut and how to progress the visual grammar.
The story is pretty derivative (I understand it is an older story, but
in modern day there is no fresh update) and many elements in it feel
derivative too, many of the gimmicks employed in the action scenes and
the story beats feel very familiar. And over this familiarity Sanders
builds a film that doesn’t have much style to spare. He doesn’t have
the bravery to hold on certain shots, to cut with thriftiness. The
action scenes have no grit or tension to them, they are assembled with
generic cuts and slow-mo. There are no breathtaking shots or
ingeniously choreographed sequences that make the world built in the
film stand out. At no point does the film manage to gather intensity
and make realize you are clutching your seat tightly.
Sanders does have a good touch for character but he struggles in giving
the feature an original or fresh touch, there is no style applied to
the story: many elements try to come into the picture, but almost none
of them manage to have much relevance. The electronic score never
manages to find its place, the cyber punk undertones never stick out as
interesting, there is no unity to how the sequences are built, each one
has a different rhythm and it all ends up feeling like pretty CGI and
random editing.
Fortunately the packaging of the whole movie overall isn’t in anyway
terrible or void of interesting ideas. Firstly the cast is well chosen
and whilst the relevant characters are five at best they all manage to
stick out and make an impression. They all have a dynamic that’s
personal to them and that evolves through the film’s structure. It also
suits that all the actors mold into the world seamlessly and give us
performances that manage to make this world’s implications and ideas
grounded and believable.
The design and art direction of the film also help it incredibly in
making an impact on the viewer. As I said before some of it might be
derivative and the references or quotes of ”Blade Runner” might be a
little too many, but there is so much going on and so many characters
and places that it is hard not to be somewhat enchanted by them. It
helps that the CGI and the practical effects work together beautifully
here and just as in his last feature Sanders excels in making a
polished picture with unnoticeable CGI and solid effects work all
around.
”Ghost in the Shell” sadly fails as a medium to introduce worldwide
audiences to anime and manga by not imprinting any style or freshness
to the Sci-Fi genre, favoring a traditional and unfortunately bland
aesthetic in the editing of the picture, but it sure has enough pop to
spare for at least making an impression.
Please don’t listen to SJWs
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A very interesting and beautifully shot movie
I have not watched the original Ghost in The Shell, but i plan to some
day. Until then I’m going to say this, Ghost in The Shell (2017) is my
favorite movie of the year so far. I loved the story, i loved the
performances, i loved the sigths and the sounds and i just loved
everything. My main reason for wanting to watch Ghost is because of the
actor of Batou being a Dane and i enjoy my countrymen and women getting
some success on the big stage. This movie is most definitely worth a
watch.
A wonderful standalone thing of its own
Well after all the speculation and reading thousands of fan crying out
loud on social media about whitewashing and stripping off the essence
of the original 1995 movie, I must stay I liked this movie. It is
evident how hard the movie team has worked to bring this complex story
on to the big screen and they deserve praise for that. I felt right
with the mood of the decaying, gritting future city and the general
mood. I liked Aramaki’s character, what a bad-ass and the relationship
between Batuo and Major is well explored. My only gripe is with the
villain, it was too weak. The tone and story is dumbed down to make the
pace going as this is an action flick but it still touches that
philosophical mark that the original is all about. Overall I should say
weather you are a fan or not, just go with an open mind and give this a
try.
A beast of its own
Don’t let people discouraging you from watching this great movie.
Anyone with half a brain should know making the original its impossible
even in 2017. You are looking at a production employing thousands of
people with high salaries that need to be paid. People expect the
director to go total indie and create something philosophical and
complex as the original without realizing that such movie 100% will
fail with an American audience. Not disrespecting Americans but the
society here is not even close where GITS stands. The social changes
within the GITS world has gone way beyond what we are right now in USA.
We are rather a backward xenophobic society (hence the whitewashing)
and you want a Hollywood company to risk millions and create something
that has aged beyond what we are at. Well its not going to happen. Have
in mind the original is more like a cult movie in US. You go out and
ask people nobody knows what GITS is. Its anime, its manga, and a
certain group of (highly intelligent) diverse group of people are into
those. Watching the GITS is like staring into a Crystal ball. It would
take another 100 years for our society to understand its complex world
full of details and hidden messages.
Now the movie itself. Its a little gem. It starts slow. Seems like the
makers of this movie were almost obsessive with the original
environment and it looks amazing an faithful. The story is dumped down
to a revenge story to sell and be understandable within our society. It
hurts because such beautiful movie could’ve been so much if we actually
could stick to the original script but as I said that is just
impossible right now. It be me and 10 more people watching that
production while rest of the country scratching their heads. The movie
picks up after the introduction phase and becomes very powerful toward
the end. Michael Pitt portrayal for Kuze is nothing short of amazing so
if you are GITS fan you will start to like the movie from that point
on.
My advise is to look at this movie for what it is. The acting is superb
and the environment is beautiful. You may not trust the story but the
movie as a whole deserves a chance.
Ghosted
This was entertaining, it had a lot of little things in it for the
Ghost in the Shell fan but also was enjoyable for the first time
watcher. It was not over complicated to follow or watch. Scarlett
Johansson portrayal of the Major is reasonably spot on, it is hopeful
if their is a sequel that the rest of the cast will have more lines.
Having watched the original animated movie and it’s sequel as well as
the TV series ( both seasons) and it’s movie follow up along with the
new series Arise. I found this movie to be very enjoyable and
interesting as they took bits and pieces to make a movie that was
intellectually stimulating as well as an enjoyable action flick. I do
wish it had a longer run time to maybe flesh out some of the plot
points and the like but still enjoyed it.
Technology Meets Identity
This was a great film, I look forward to watching it again. I am
disappointed only with the critics and reception. The film is extremely
well done, fun, energetic, does the original justice and the story
brings about the importance of our personal identity, technology and
human rights. How can you have rights if a corporation manufactured
you? The main character finds out and the observer gets to follow as
the mystery unfolds.
I Owe The Crap That Was Star Wars The Force Awakens An Apology
This is terrible, but not necessarily for the reasons you would expect.
Despite some early print and web reviews I have been reading or watched
I didn’t find the movie to be a shining beacon of light and film
making. There was nothing authentic or deep about this thing. In it
there wasn’t anything that you have not already seen in the originals
that was not done better. The CGI is impressive, but the story is mixed
up, the meaning is lost and the acting is superficial. Unfortunately
that’s part of the problem this movie has with Hollywood’s lack of
creativity. There was nothing there to think about. It is just
Hollywood and SJ trying to make a buck off a popular series. By the
way, why mix up the music from a sequel into this story? What gives?
A fine addition to the sic-fi genre
Beginning in 1989, there was a Japanese manga serial by Masamune
Shirow. Then in 1995 there was a Japanese anime movie by Mamoru Oshii,
said to be one of the best ever in this genre. Now we have a Hollywood
remake directed by the British Rupert Sanders.
I have no familiarity with the original series or anime work, but I
understand that this new film is more conventional but also more
accessible dialling down the philosophical considerations but turning
up the action sequences. Certainly this is a visually stunning work
which constantly reminds one of ”Blade Runner” with its Asiatic urban
landscape and ubiquitous advertising.
Set in the not too distant future, the technology has developed which
enables a human brain (the ghost) to be implanted into a robotic body
(the shell) providing a combination of intuitive thinking and physical
toughness that makes the ideal weapon. Major played by Scarlett
Johansson is the first of her kind, but she is soon involved in a
mission of unexpected danger and revelation.
If we have to have a non-Asiatic actor in this role, Johannsen is
perfect, following hard on the heels of her previous other-worldly
roles in ”Lucy” and ”Under The Skin” plus voice only ”Her”. As the
sexiest cyborg since Eva in ”Ex Machina” and the most gymnastic female
agent since Trinity in ”The Matrix”, Major is a force to be reckoned
with, but also someone with vulnerabilities as glitches reveal glimpses
of her past.
”Ghost In The Shell” may not be a science-fiction classic, like the
aforementioned ”Blade Runner” or ”The Matrix”, but it is a fine
addition to the genre which I thoroughly enjoyed. And it’s tempted me
to seek out the anime version
Don’t listen people that give this movie a very low score.I love acting.I love music.I love the story.I love the movie.I recommend it.
This is a really good movie and one of the best Sfiction I have ever
seen.Don’t listen people that give a very low score ,because its not as
great as the original cartoon animation from 1995.As much I love the
original cartoon Ghos in the shell from 1995,I think this one is also
very close to be perfect cyberpunk Sfiction movie like I have never
seen before.Im so happy that they change the story and music.Because of
that this new Ghost in The Shell is original on its own way.This new
Ghost in the Shell movie is different than the original but in a good
way.I didn’t expect its going to be that great.I very much like all
actors and especially the main character Scarlett Johansson as
Major.She act so well.I love the music.I love the acting.Pilou Asbæk as
Batou act so well.Who is this guy;].I have never seen him before in any
kinde of movie.;].I Love the ending fight scene.Was soo emotional and
entertaining like in the original cartoon version from 1995.The
director really knows the material and make this movie as good as it
possible.One of the best Sfiction I have ever seen. From now on I have
respect to the director of this movie.This is Major
Fair movie for cyberpunk lovers.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Its not the original but an amazing homage
People get so cynical they fail to see the beauty in things. This move
is not an exact copy of the original and it shouldn’t be, and it
couldn’t be. I am a fan of the original but i can see the reason behind
making this more appealing to the masses, most people don,t want to
ponder about the existential meaning of the self when they go to the
movies and thats OK.
But this movie does pay homage to the original in a way i have never
seen before, some scenes are recreated as close to exact as possible
and i loved seeing them. The movie does portray its own dumbed down
version of the story whilst maintaining some original elements.
Obviously it has its flaws but the things it gets right outweigh the
negatives.
The world building is amazing and crosses the boundary of original
styles and the new styles.
The characters are cast pretty well.
Some important scenes are recreated albeit in the dumbed down manner,
but the respect to the original is still there.
Try to have an open mind while watching it and you will enjoy it.
A pleasantly surprised dedicated fan of the original
I really had my reservations about this going into the cinema,
especially after seeing the critics reviews.
While it did have it’s flaws, which in my opinion were mainly down to
Scarlett Johansson’s (pardon the pun) overly robotic movements, the
film was a damn good heavily inspired retelling of the original.
The recreation of the city, music and atmosphere was flawless. Some of
the scenes (eg, the water fight) were perfectly replicated from the
original.
There were a couple points in the story where i was worried it was
getting boring, but thankfully there weren’t many and it wasn’t too
much of a detriment to the film as a whole.
Overall, a solid tribute to the original with a bit of a tweaked story.
Well deserved 7/10
Very good despite the problems in the plot. Very nice visuals.
If you’re a fan of sci-fi or cyberpunk, just go see this film.
Absolutely brilliant visuals, and a brilliant retro-futuristic world.
Die-hard anime fans might disagree, but thankfully I didn’t remember
too much from the original and could watch it with an open mind. The
plot has it’s problems but really nothing worse than a ton of ”better
regarded” Hollywood releases, and at least to me the great feel and
good casting made up a lot of it. Just give it a shot, it deserves it!
Note, I might regard it as an 8 or 8 and a half but I definitely want
to see it rise from the ill-deserved 6,9 score that it currently has,
hence the 9.
Ghost Runner
Reading earlier reviews, I am relieved I have never seen the original
Manga version. It means I can come at Ghost in the Shell without
preconception or expectation. I can see many cinematic influences, and
accept that the greatest influence of all will have been the original,
but it is not there in my memory to colour my impressions of the film I
saw tonight.
Cinematographically we are in Blade Runner territory, the near-future
dystopian cityscape created by Ridley Scott by way of William Gibson, a
neon-lit eternal night of wet streets, flashing kanji logos, littered
alleys and animated ads. There is even an ad for the long- defunct
Pan-Am, a direct nod to Blade Runner. That said, Jess Hall has done a
magnificent job in creating a brooding and entirely plausible world,
CGI holograms producing a gritty, disconcerting surrealism, a trippy
might-be of militarised urban evolution.
The story is told in linear sequence. In a culture where the cybernetic
enhancement of humans is routine, we are taken through an opening lab
scene that gives the technology its acme, ‘Major’, the cyborg played by
Scarlett Johansson, a human brain implanted in an entirely robot body.
And as sinister Hanka Robots boss Cutter (Peter Ferdinando) makes clear
to Major’s principal creatrix, Dr Oelet (Juliette Binoche), she is a
weapon, no more. An investment that is expected to provide a return and
victory in a war being fought in boardrooms, Yakuza bars and the bitter
night streets of the Lawless Zone.
‘Cyber-terrorists’ are waging war on Hanka Robots. In a stunning early
action scene that sets a high standard, hacked geisha-bots go rogue
during a meeting between Hanka representatives and the visiting
diplomats of an African nation, murdering the ambassador (Chris Obi).
Major and her squad of ‘Section 9’ special forces intervene.
Major ‘deep dives’ into the central processing unit of one of the
geisha-bots in an attempt to discover the hacker who turned it. She
nearly comes to grief in the nightmarish, Jungian underworld of the
AI’s subconscious, a dark hell of shifting imagery and viral programs,
but comes out with the necessary intel.
The pursuit is on. Major and the rest of Section 9, a kind of
heavily-armed, cyber-savvy SWAT team who seem to communicate
telepathically, go after the hacker-terrorists she has identified and
located.
And so the story proceeds. The pace is relentless, the action
explosive. I won’t go into more detail for fear of spoilers. But as
Major closes in on her quarry, she starts to question her origins and
her identity. She sees visions of a girl being dragged from a burning
hut by black-clad police. Her hazy, incomplete memory tells her she was
a victim of terrorism before her transformation into a cyborg, her
parents killed, but is it true?
In sci-fi terms we are on familiar ground, charted by Philip K Dick: if
androids dream of electric sheep, do cyborgs dream of a humanity they
have lost? Major finds herself in the philosophical grey area between
her perceived reality and what might be a computer-implanted false
memory designed to create and motivate a corporate killing machine.
Does she — her soul, her eponymous ‘ghost’ — remain truly human, or
human-cyborg, or something new and different that represents an
evolutionary advance? Director Rupert Sanders does not shy away from
these deep questions while continuing to serve up a dramatic, visually
electrifying and attention-holding story. The special effects are
entirely convincing. The music (from Lorne Balfe and Clint Mansell)
drives like a train.
Johannson’s performance holds centre stage by necessity and definition.
This is not a glamorous role. She plays a hard and determined robot
killer. Even the flesh-coloured, skin-tight latex body suit she wears
for several scenes (squint and you can pretend she’s naked) belongs in
context, more functional than sexual. But she brings to the role a
subtle, wondering vulnerability beneath the steely professionalism of
the assassin, an emerging humanity that blossoms by the film’s
resolution. There were objections to a Caucasian playing a ‘Japanese’
character, but they don’t make sense to me. Major is anethnic, a
cyborg, her robot body manufactured in a lab. How could she be any
race?
Now I will be off to investigate the original version of Ghost in the
Shell. I will try not to judge the original by the standards of the
remake. I am glad to have been able to judge the remake on its own
merits, and they are considerable. I recommend you see this film.
Could be better but I liked
First thing which you should know is if you are thinking ”Should I
watch anime or movie first?”. Then answer is – don’t watch anime before
movie. Why? Short answer – anime has more complex story and ideas which
it tries introduce to you, movie has ideas and other goods, but it
isn’t so deep.
I will not spoil the story, so it is spoiler free zone. Movie was
interesting and I enjoyed watching it on big screen. Scarlett’s
performance was solid and good – which isn’t surprising if you seen her
acting in ”Avengers” and ”Lucy”. Supporting cast was good, maybe it
wasn’t introduced to you properly but it wasn’t something you need in
the first place anyways.
Movie has good sound tracks, great visual effects and solid performance
from cast and crew (as filming, montage, etc). It has its own look and
feel which was great.
Then why I gave 7? Story was good, but I would say it was too simple
and already known, so if we compare with anime, movies story was
re-created for wider audience so it would be more action flick not
something deeper and less meaningless. Basically that all why I could
take off some stars, because in other departments movie did a great
job. p.s. I know there was some talks about whitewashing, but if you
will watch anime and movie, it just hard to imagine another actress who
could play better this role except Scarlett Johansson. And to be fair,
if you watch anime you will understand that there isn’t really a reason
to talk about whitewashing.
Exciting, yet also Thought Provoking
I actually wasn’t expecting too much, yet from the very start i was
gripped by the intriguing story, great acting and eye popping visuals.
Part of this film’s appeal is that it portrays a very credible vision
of the future. If you liked the Matrix or Blade Runner then I highly
recommend that you go to see this movie.
Visually stunning movie with interesting story
I went into seeing the movie with low expectations, because of the poor
early reception it was getting. Also, I had not watched the original
movie before. But, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the movie.
Visually the movie is stunning. The shots are often done very nicely I
thought, and it showcases the awesome scenes and visuals without
overdoing it. Moreover, the environments and the world were described
really nice throughout the movie. I thought the story told was
interesting. Interesting enough to have me thinking ahead of what is
going on and why. There was some nice drama elements that I appreciated
and they felt authentic. I thought the action scenes were good. There
were some cringy, cheesy scenes scattered throughout the movie, but I
did not mind overall (maybe that was due to my low expectations).
Overall, the movie will be most memorable for me for the visuals.
True the source material and a great stand alone sci-fi action.
Ghost in the Shell follows the original 1995 classic’s premise and
visual style as well as its Blade Runner(ish) tone. The story follows
Scarlett Johanson’s character ”Major” as she and her team of other
police officer-like characters hunt down a terrorist and learn some
secrets to Major’s back story as well.
The film succeeded in bringing to life the thought-provoking themes of
the original classic while still making it relevant to a modern
audience and especially, an American audience. While it may not hit
every note like the original did and may not be quite as soul searching
and cold, the remake improves upon the original in many ways.
First, this film takes a deeper dive into Major’s past and crafts her
character into a much more interesting and deeper protagonist. This was
probably done to appeal to a wider audience than just the fans of the
original.
Second, all the characters in general feel much more personal and
easier to get attached to; making watching the first half much more
tolerable (as it is lots of visual exposition).
Everyone does a fine job with the roles they’re given including
Scarlett Johanson as the Major. Visual effects are some of the best and
most striking you’ve ever seen and the action sequences are a thrill to
watch.
Despite this remake being a simpler and ”dumbed down” retelling of some
highly thought- provoking material, Ghost in the Shell stands as an
entertaining sci-fi action movie that’s sure to please fans of the
original and new audiences looking of a well-done fun action movie.
Definitely check this out.
Practically the ultimate example of style over substance!
‘GHOST IN THE SHELL’: Four Stars (Out of Five)
A big budget American sci-fi action film, based on the popular Japanese
manga, of the same name, by Masamune Shirow (which ran from 1991 to
1997). It stars Scarlett Johansson as a cyborg counter- terrorist
commander, taking on hackers, cyber terrorists and other criminals (in
a futuristic world). The movie also costars Pilou Asbaek (who also
costarred with Johansson in the sci-fi action hit ‘LUCY’), Michael
Pitt, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche and Chin Han. It was directed by
Rupert Sanders (who also helmed 2012’s ‘SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN’),
and it was written by Jamie Moss, William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger. The
film has received mixed reviews from critics and fans, and it’s also
underperformed at the Box Office so far. It’s also been heavily
criticized for it’s casting of Johansson as well, in an originally
Asian role. I absolutely loved the film’s visuals, but I definitely
can’t say I found the story that interesting or involving.
The Major (Johansson) is the cyborg head of a counter-cyber terrorist
task force, known as Section 9. Her team catches and kills cyber
criminals, and terrorists, in a future world that’s becoming more and
more machine. The Major is the ghost of a human, with a forgotten past,
that functions in an almost entirely machine body. As she tries to
defeat an unknown new threat, she also struggles to identify with who
she really is.
The film is absolutely stunning to watch, but I could not find myself
interested, or involved, in any of the characters or story, in the
slightest, until the third act (but even then it was just a very slight
interest). It seems like such a waste too, because the action, music
and overall style of the movie is absolutely breathtaking to
experience. In many ways it reminds me of classic sci-fi from
yesteryear, but only on a purely visual level. It’s practically the
ultimate example of style over substance, and I’m sure the casting of
an Asian actress, in the lead, would have benefited the film immensely
as well.
Watch our movie review show ‘MOVIE TALK’ at:
https://vimeo.com/216048414
Wait, just the Shell? But what about the Ghost?
These are the sorts of consciousness-expanding questions that have
animated the ”Ghost in the Shell” franchise for more than two decades.
The world of GITS is part futuristic action movie and part philosophy
lecture, in which artfully constructed animated action sequences serve
as vehicles for investigations into the nature of consciousness. It’s a
showcase for what top-notch animation can do one that the new movie
never quite manages to match.
However, it might take a few monthsor maybe even a few yearsbut
eventually, Scarlett Johansson’s Ghost in the Shell will have an
afterlife. The live-action adaptation of the Japanese classic is a
complete Cyber Bore, narrative-wise, but for those who gush over big-
screen artistry, there’s plenty to get lost in: the opulent, expansive
CGI visuals; the gorgeous Clint Mansell/Lorne Balfe score, pulsing and
plunging like a Tangerine Dream nightmare; even Johansson’s stoically
acrobatic performance, which proves once again why she’s one of the
most in-demand action-film stars in the world. It’s one of those films
destined to be salvaged by the web, where the movie’s defenders will
advocate for it via frame-grab sprees or the occasional sub-Reddit
threads. Ghost will find its followers.
In the here-and-now, though, Ghost in the Shell is an all- encompassing
embarrassment, the kind of movie you might not want to admit you
watchedand which, judging from the box office, not a lot of people
bothered to see in the first place. The film earned just $19 million
domestically in its opening weekend, coming in third behind the
still-running Beauty and the Beast and the surprise smash Oh Look, Alec
Baldwin Is a Talking Baby, I Guess That’s Cute to Some People? That
crash came despite the fact that the latest version of Ghostwhich is
based on the long-running manga and anime serieswas gifted with an
estimated $110 million budget, a major star, a teen- baiting PG-13
rating, and a nearly 3,500-screen opening weekend. In what’s been a
notably healthy box-office year, Ghost should have shellacked the
competition.
But on the internet, Ghost has been a dud-in-the-making since at least
January 2015, when Johansson’s casting was first confirmed. The news
set off a two-year-long preemptive outcry on the web, where online
petitions and thoughtful Twitter threads addressed the film’s
whitewashing and cultural appropriation. That’s been a point of
contention with several works from the last year, including Doctor
Strange, The Great Wall, and Netflix’s Iron Fist, but Ghost in the
Shell’s transgressions were perhaps the most deeply felt: Here was a
landmark piece of Japanese pop-cultureone whose what-
does-it-mean-be-human? ideas and hacker-trash aesthetic had already
been co-opted by US-produced films like The Matrix and AIbeing re-
imagined with a white American lead actress and an English director
(Snow White and the Huntsman’s Rupert Sanders). It didn’t help that, a
year before its release, rumours surfaced that the filmmakers had
tested digital effects that would have allowed certain performers to
”shift their ethnicity” so they could resemble Asian characters. By the
time the film opened on Friday, it had shifted from ”problematic” to
full-on off-inducing: Wait, didn’t we all agree this was a bad idea?
The overall result is a movie that’s all borrowed parts, with no depth
or connection. The layers never quite come together to form something
more. It wants to be a movie about the search for consciousness, but,
unlike its source material, it doesn’t have a soul.
Hollywood, you really had to mess this one up too huh!!!
*******Major Spoilers for the Original and this Crappy
Version************
This movie is just not good. Nothing to do with the fact that it is
whitewashed or any of that. It is based on one of the best animated
films ever made in a sense that its original material is very slick,
revolutionary, philosophical and also unconventional. For example, the
Major Kusanagi is a cyborg with a human brain but she does not know who
she is deep down. She first of all does not know emotion and therefore
doesn’t cry or have watery eyes in an emotional situations like
Scarlett Johansson’s version but yet you feel very connected to the
character because of the story behind who she is. And also why cast
Scarlet Johansson as the Major and make this movie PG 13. The original
is rated R for nudity and some violent imagery throughout. But no you
want to put ScarJo in the movie and know damn well she will not get
naked but you think have her in the movie will appeal to the masses.
Well guess what Production. People are just not interested. I am
honestly being objective. This is not a good movie. You don’t feel any
connection with the main protagonist because her story is not well
explained and also oh for people who watched it. The main antagonist
actually merges with the Major at the end of the movie and she becomes
2 entities living in one mind. Even that part Hollywood was like nah we
are not going to put it in the script because people will get confused.
But what was more confusing was the motive of the antagonist in this
version. The original does not really have an antagonist it’s that
simple for people who watched both versions compare how lame the ending
is in this one. They just took the original story and switched things
around and it makes no sense. Just like Denzel said to Cuba Gooding JR
in American Gangster ”you don’t have to change anything its good enough
the way it is you can make enough money off it by keeping the Ghost in
the Shell, anything more than that is greed” Why not just keep the
whole movie intact and not try to put certain scenes from the original
in the live action. It is plainly simply dumb doing that because most
people don’t know Ghost in the Shell. They could have just retold the
whole story like it is done in other made to live action film. Great
example the beauty and the beast. Why not do it like they did it but no
they wanna change the story to fit the masses but it does not work
again people are not interested in visual effects as much as they used
to. This ain’t the early 2000s. They already have their allegiance to
movie series in the Marvel Cinematic World, Transformers etc. Whoever
was behind this movie production i mean not just the producers but all
the people involved failed miserably and it will hurt their pocket
unfortunately because like i said this is 2017 people don’t really care
for these special effects and good looking imagery. People want
something cool they can say oh damn this is different and clever at the
same time which is how the original Ghost in the Shell is.
To sum it all up this movie just didn’t do it for me and a lot of
people will not care either it’s just not good. Even the rating on IMDb
will go way down by May it will probably be in the low 5s.
3 Star because i am an objective person so i give 3 for the attempt to
make a good movie but the plot and essence of this classic had been
completely destroyed by Hollywood, again good job for destroying a
great classic and oh the director for this movie did not help either
you can tell he is an uninspired one. The movie has no substance to it
by the end of the movie you just don’t care for any of it that’s on the
director. Even with the script he had he couldn’t execute the material.
They took a great animated movie and make it into a great live action movie.
I give it 9 because I was amazed on how they translate the source
material not destroying it but improving it. I was prepared for a flop
but not for enjoy the movie, which it was a very pleasant feeling.
First of all I am not a guy of comics or Mangas, my thing is about
movies, so my point of view is only between this adaptation and the
Japanese anime movie, which I love and it is the main source they used
for the film.
The film takes about 70% from the original anime movie and the other
30% is an upgrade over the original source. An upgrade?..yes an
upgrade. As I said before, I love the Anime version but it is a little
heavy to watch for most viewers because it gets messy and boring,
that’s what this new version is not, it is more common viewer friendly
and less philosophical type of fan.
Yes, the movie keeps the questioning about humanity and soul (or
Ghost), and all those things that makes Ghost in the Shell, well…
Ghost in the Shell, but also takes us for a much more fun ride, easy to
understand and easy to enjoy, than the original movie did.
Hardcore Fans would say the movie is too much light or even empty but I
think that it is a great adaptation, they took a great animated movie
and make it into a great live action movie.
A Dazzling, Coherent Shell of a Movie
The live version of the animated 1995 Japanese Oshii movie offers up a
much more coherent and visually stunning experience of the robotic
human hybrid genre. Shirow Masasume the writer for the original anime
gets to improve on his original script as well as incorporate various
scenes from his first work where various set designs and scenes bear a
striking resemblance with an enhanced, vibrant, and dazzling updated
version. The urban landscapes have fleshed out a futuristic Blade
Runner (1982) full of the ambiance. Scarlett Johansson stars in this
stunning sci fi movie with a character that humanizes the animated
version and somewhat softens her character somewhat from Lucy (2014)
where she plays a human who accidentally ingests a chemical that
enhances one’s brain potential which also diminishes her experience of
human emotions.
Ghost in the Shell shares various human-computer jacked-in elements
with its contemporary William Gibson’s cyberpunk that resulted in Keanu
Reeves in Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and the virtual reality of Virtuosity
(1995). And there are plenty of strong mental cognitive images used in
this movie that echo back to the classic Keanu Reeves The Matrix (1999)
and Jennifer Lopez in The Cell (2000). What sets this movie apart from
most of the other cyberpunk movies is its infusion of emotional and
moral questions regarding human life and its intersection with the
man-made, electronic existence that are only suggested in Phillip K.
Dick’s script for breakthrough of Total Recall (1990) and attempted
later in Isaac Asimov’s inspired I, Robot (2004) and Robocop (1987)
that was influenced by Blade Runner.
The few weaknesses if that’s what they are is the Major (Johansson)
striking resemblance to her character in Lucy and the ease in which she
appears to be overcome in two scenes that don’t mesh with her character
as a perfect military weapon. Overall, this movie succeeds in its
depiction of a possible future with its amazing vibrant and exciting
visuals, and futurescape as well as offering a coherent and morally and
humanly sensitive reflection what makes us important. A comparable but
even more focused and intimate cyberpunk movie is Caradog Jame’s The
Machine (2013).
First time around is always the best
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Great Movie!
Let me address the elephants in the room:
1. I have not seen the GITS anime movies nor read the comic books. All
you GITS fanboys need to get a life and stop criticizing this movie and
giving it low ratings because ”It’s nothing like the original”, yada,
yada, yada, whine, moan, sniffle, sob, ….gasp …. OK, I get it, you
have no life, GITS was your life, and this movie was the worst thing to
happen to you since you were born. Life sucks, now, stop downrating
this movie so other people who have never gotten into the whole GITS
thing can go check out this movie and enjoy it like I did.
2. Whitewashing? OMG. Do you have eyes? All Japanese anime comes
pre-whitewashed! Like, duh, the Japanese want to look like Caucasians,
so they draw their anime characters, especially super hero types, to
look just like White Europeans! Oh, sorry, you didn’t know? How long
have you been watching Japanese anime? Do you actually know what a real
Japanese woman looks like? And I mean a real Japanese woman who hasn’t
had plastic surgery to make her eyes and nose look more Caucasian, that
is. Yes, that’s the harsh truth – it’s very common for Japanese women
and men to get eyelid plastic surgery to make them look like Caucasian
eyes (Koreans do this even more). So, when was the last time you pulled
out your treasured DVD/BluRay of the GITS anime movie and actually
looked at how the facial features of Motoko Kusanagi were drawn? I mean
I just took one look at some individual images on the internet, and
like, hey Motoko may have a Japanese name, but she sure looks like a
White European woman to me, and Scarlett Johansson is a pretty darn
good representation of this character, as drawn, by the Japanese.
3. I’m a Game of Thrones fan too, and have never read the books. The
book fans long ago gave up criticizing the HBO show for not following
the books and simplifying the story and cutting huge amounts of stuff
out. The HBO show stands out by itself. Really, live action movies have
to simplify things from the original book. And speaking of GOT, I
really loved seeing Euron Greyjoy play a good guy with ScarJo in this
movie. Didn’t quite catch Khal Moro’s part in this movie, will have to
see it again.
4. It looks like this movie is tanking at the box office here in the
U.S., so great, you GITS fanboys have helped to kill future sequels. I
hope you guys are happy now.
If you are in to this type of thing you will love it if not you will have fun too
I went to see the boss baby but it was already starting so I went with
ghost in the shell which looked good and I was not disappointed with
the decision to see it I loved charlease Theron in the movie she was
quite the bad ass and I loved the action level i did expect more action
but however I had a blast watching it I would totally recommend that
you go see it in theaters get a snack and drink and get ready for the
ride of your life in this excellent movie may not wanna bring the kids
but aside from that it is a good time and super fun
Teen Frankenstein eats McDonalds’ Sushi
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Great visuals and some good scenes but lackluster plot.
So went to see the new Ghost In The Shell movie… It’s good in some
ways and bad in others. Overall a bit disappointing as it did have
potential there. Visuals are great with some great props and sets. The
scene’s they lifted directly from the anime tend to be the best parts
but yeah plot is a bit all over the place and dialogue is kinda wooden.
I would’ve preferred a more thought provoking plot line rather than the
origin story they gave the Major which wasn’t really very good. In fact
they could’ve just mentioned her back story from stand alone complex in
passing and got on with something else. A big thing that annoyed me is
she’s the first full cyborg and it’s set 1 year later so in that time
she gets all this special training in combat, and hacking and joins
Section 9 as a Major. Why couldn’t it have been a few years at least?
And then it’s set in Tokyo which is very cool except most people seem
to be white and speak English while the head of section 9 is Japanese
and speaks Japanese even when other people are speaking to him in
English. It’s just too weird so I’m thinking the Japanese Dub actually
might be better in this regard.
Anyway it’s OK. If you’re a fan of the series you might enjoy some of
the visuals and some scenes but don’t expect much from the plot. Also
soundtrack was very basic and underwhelming but did use music from the
original in the end credits at least. I feel like if they did a second
movie it might be more interesting now that they’ve gotten the awkward
origin stuff out of the way.
Watch this movie on IMAX..
This movie is very visually oriented.. transporting the audience into
another realm.. best to watch this movie on IMAX.. this movie takes
full advantage of the larger size IMAX screen.. the 3D is done
superbly, creating a sense as if there in the scenes.. both the movie
scenes & story line works for me.. go see it on IMAX, it’s a fantastic
joy ride!
A tasteful rendering of a classic film
In the spirit-lifting tradition of Blade Runner and others that
followed- An otherworldly feeling created by an accurate and self-aware
direction- This film moves slowly and precisely through visual images
that define The philosophical atmosphere that it deserves. A well-done
and highly respectful creation that negated all my fears, A
thought-provoking movie.
OK if you’ve never seen any of the originals.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I’ve finally realised I’m a hypocrite…..but I don’t care.
Normally I’m the first person to bemoan Hollywood’s obsession with
remaking original films from overseas. Why didn’t you just buy the
rights to distribute the original in it’s foreign language, with
subtitles?, I want to ask. Are Americans insulted by the assumption
that they’re too stupid or egocentric to do subtitles? As I write this,
I realise there are times when I’m on Hollywood’s side, that I get
where they’re coming from. Sometimes, it makes sense to digest a
culturally alien product and realise it for a different audience. It
isn’t always just the subtitles that serve as a barrier to
comprehension. Now a confession. If I haven’t already alienated you,
dear reader, I may be about to, when I say I hate Anime. With a
passion. It’s not the ideas, which are frequently astonishing in their
originality. Nor is it the story-telling; I’ve seen a few fans of the
original GHost in the Shell admitting the long prognostications on the
nature of humanity and such might be a bit much for a Hollywood
audience to tolerate. That didn’t put me off watching the Anime
original. No, it was the animation style. I just hate it, pure and
simple, with no reason other than innate prejudice against that
particular form of artistic expression. It’s not that I hate all
animation, just Anime, and of course Manga, from which it is derived.
Give me Aardman, Pixar (though not all) or The Simpsons any day. I’m
sure I can’t be the only one. The characters are drawn in such a way
that they seem to convey an overly inflated sense of mawkish
sentimentality. Anyway, moving on, that in a nutshell is why I was
happy to see Hollywood attempt its own version. As sci-fi action goes,
and I watch a lot, it’s decently crafted from the point of view of
acting performances (Scarlet Johansson moved in a subtly peculiar way
suggestive of robotics, for example), set design (the cityscapes look
superb) and story pacing. There are a few weak moments in use of CGI,
but on the whole the effects are suitably special. The themes which
dominate the story – the dangers of cyberspace and the aforementioned
question of what it is to be human – are blended nicely with the
action, which is rarely dumb or visually clumsy in its execution.
Speaking of execution, ”Beat” Takeshi was perhaps a nod to the
sceptical Asian market, and initially seemed a bit muted, but his
character blossomed like one of those crazed psychopaths he used to
play so well, a sort of Daddy Violent Cop. Marvellous. One aspect I did
find a little jarring was the everywhere-and- nowhere city. It felt
like there may have been some difficulties in the birth of this film,
such that instead of being set in Japan, or in America, it ended up
being set in some mishmash that was neither one nor the other.
Bladerunner-lite, if you will. This could have been used to advantage
to convey a sense of displacement and unease reflective of the conflict
between the real world and the digital, but ultimately it didn’t really
fit. The casting of the unmistakably white Scarlet Johansson in the
lead (Japanese) role upset a lot of fans of the original film, but in
reality the film would never have got made in Hollywood with a Japanese
actress in the lead role, and in any case I thought the way that
particular problem was reconciled in the plot worked perfectly well. In
short, Ghost in the Shell is a solidly made sci-fi action film of which
greatness should not be expected, but if you watch it without prejudice
or those pesky great expectations, it will more than likely prove
enjoyable and ever so slightly thought-provoking.
More like a hollow shell inside a visually stunning ghost.
Went to see this in 3D AVX last night and I’m so happy I did. This must
be one of the most visually stunning films I’ve seen in recent years.
From a technical standpoint there is not a flaw in all of 107 minutes
(except one tiny scene where Major jumps up a crumbling structure
during a final showdown, which looks like amateur CGI homework). I
didn’t even mind the somewhat flat, trope-ridden plot, because the
action kept me entertained enough. I did, however, have two issues with
Ghost in the Shell that still annoy me.
1. I understand that Scarlett Johansson is supposed to portray
cybernetic hybrid, but she was dead-faced the entire time. Even the
completely robotic geishas in the film moved more natural and emoted
more than her. The way she walked and stuck out her neck was just odd.
And that dead stare! Major has a human brain, and therefore she is
capable of the same emotions as you and me. Why did Johansson choose to
take her character into that boring territory is beyond me. It’s hard
to watch. I would have written it off as an odd stylistic decision on
the part of director or the actress, but she does this every time she
has to play a tough heroine (ie. Black Widow, Lucy). Someone tell
Scarlett that she comes off as bored and awkward, not tough.
2. My other gripe is the PG-13 rating. Honestly, I felt like the
writers and the director wished to make a more mature film, but the
studio forced them to change it. There are multiple scenes that feel
like they were designed to be R-rated, but were cut up and edited to
appeal to a wider audience. There are hints all over the place that
make you wish the movie would just stop playing coy and go further. I’m
hoping there will be a director’s cut released in the future that would
breach into a darker territory.
The Ghost is a fine action flick, well worth watching on a big screen.
Would I enjoy it as much on Netflix? Probably not.
Visually stunning, thought provoking and brilliant
I absolutely loved this movie it was so refreshing to watch after 99%
of movies churned out these days. I came online to be once again
disappointed by the reviews and scores and decided i had to say
something. This movie is visually stunning and the plot manages to be
subtlety thought provoking and gripping, but still skillfully weaving
in fast paced action. The performances are wonderful and the casting
was spot on. Easily going to be one of my favorite movies. Side note
these days people seem to think the only way to review anything is by
tearing it down there really isn’t any objectivity and unfortunately it
will turn away a lot of people from watching a great movie and has
killed any chance at a sequel. It will be years before people can admit
that they enjoyed the movie or someone watches at home and realises
what they missed. Great Job
Poor attempt to present a masterpiece story
Not only does the story not follow the original, but the attempt at
presenting Motuku Kosanagi is even poorer. Forget that ScarJo in as far
from anything Asian as you can get, or that she is beautiful and a
decent actress; she is simply wrong for the part. That the
producers/directors couldn’t see this pretty much tells the whole
story. Why is she wrong? I’ll illustrate. Say you want to make Robin
Hood. You need a good actor, popular, one that do great action and draw
in crowds. You select Jackie Chan or Jet Li, both popular, excellent
actors, action people, good looking, well able to do the job. Unless it
is a comic film, no one would take it seriously. That’s what they did
with GITS & ScarJo. Beyond that, their other errors are even worse,
since whatever they did to the presentation of ScarJo doesn’t make her
as interesting or visually sexy and powerful a figure as the animated
versions of her previously; they actually made her less sexy! Which is
hard to do with a beauty like her. You don’t quite get that Major
Kusanagi is a real person, a mind and a soul in a robotic shell, but
still a person, which provides the essential duality of her character.
It’s like asking Shemp Moe and Larry to play the Three Musketeers –
won’t work as anything serious, which GITS is. Very! The story itself
is a substantially different story than Masamune originally wrote,
which I suppose would be okay if it were anything near as good, which
it isn’t. They lost, or totally ignored, the whole Asian-Japanese
influence throughout the entire movie – it has a different feel
entirely, and it is an essentially dumbed down version of the questions
that the original story asks. They had a chance to present a popular
Japanese story, revered around the world for almost 30 years, and then
made something different which is only a shadow of the original. They’d
have been much better off making another anime, in 3D cgi, and sticking
closer to the story and Asian feel that was in the original.
Dulled Down High Concept, but still Enjoyable Action Sci-fi
Major is a breakthrough in cybernetics, in a futuristic world where
cybernetic enhancements are commonplace. Humans and robots are often
indistinguishable due to the over-enhancements many humans have, and
the life-like resemblance of robots. Major though, as said, is a
breakthrough in that field, being the first successful marriage of
human brain and entirely cybernetic body. The company she was made for
regards her a weapon, and she lacks any memory of her previous life
before the incident, beyond a few meaningless ‘glitches’ she suffers.
Her latest assignment has her on the tail of a cybernetic terrorist
who’s attacking her company’s scientists and is proving particularly
difficult to find.
While Ghost in the Shell ends up being a fairly regular tale of stolen
identity, as Major slowly begins to uncover who she was before, there
are subtle references to something deeper. The lines between man and
machine are well and truly blurred, and while the movie doesn’t make a
big point of it, it certainly flirts with the idea. For instance, they
catch an accomplice and in the interrogation learn that he’s had his
mind wiped and false memories installed remotely. His brain has been,
quite literally, hacked from an outside source. He’s human, but his
brain is a machine like any CPU, just made of organic matter rather
than wiring.
My biggest complaint about Ghost in the Shell though is that these
ideas are only hinted at and flirted with. They’re never given much
focus or developed much. Even in the movie we got, I could tell there
was more between scenes that had been cut for whatever reason. Major
has a tender moment with a prostitute, touching and examining her face,
but it’s never given much weight and is never touched upon again. When
Major goes to investigate her past, a nice elder lady just lets her
into her home and offers her tea without cause or reason to. She’s
apprehended by the company, but she doesn’t put up any kind of fight
and just lets them take her. In each of these instances it feels like
there was more there, more motive, development and reason behind what
we see, but are never shown. As such, the movie feels like it’s over as
soon as it’s started. The big climax at the end feels less like a
climax and more as build-up to the climax, giving the end a little bit
of an unsatisfactory edge.
Visually, Ghost in the Shell is top-notch, full of lots of little
details that bring the world to life. It does a great job of not just
presenting a futuristic world, but offering a particular view of a
futuristic world. It mirrors sci-fi movies from the 80s and 90s, and
what their view of the future was, more than ours. For instance all the
cars are modded sports cars from the 80s and 90s, like you would see in
those kinds of movies back then. Even fashions and hairstyles have that
almost future-90s look. In this regard, I can only assume that Ghost in
the Shell is at least very visually faithful to the original, while
also looking good enough for modern audiences. Despite the deliberately
dated aesthetic, I definitely got a whiff of the Total Recall and
Robocop remakes in it’s presentation.
Of course the quality is thousand-fold. The cityscapes are
breathtaking, full of imaginative, holographic advertisements jumping
out from buildings and walls, roads are interconnected highways full of
‘futuristic’ looking cars, and the robotics themselves are perfection
of design and execution. WETA did a great job in creating animatronics
for much of the robotics, to give them a truly robotic appearance
rather than just falling back on CGI, and Ghost in the Shell’s visual
quality benefits from this greatly.
The music deserves mention as well. Clint Mansell’s score is deep and
rich in sonic quality, giving the film’s music it’s own identity. He
manages to blend typical orchestration effortlessly with sweeping
synths and booming sub-bass that feels both typical and new. I’m
genuinely quite disappointed I can’t find the score anywhere to
re-live. The soundtrack contains various similarly electronic tracks as
well though, including a remix of the original theme into dubstep. Not
sure I’m a fan of it, but I’m not sure I particularly like the original
theme either. Tricky, DJ Shadow, and Gary Numan offer great subtle
tracks though (although I can’t particularly place them in the movie).
Ghost in the Shell is a worthy addition to Hollywood’s latest crop of
sci-fi remakes. While this is absolutely an unpopular opinion, I’ve
enjoyed almost all of them, and Ghost in the Shell is no different. My
biggest criticism is simply that it was too short. There’s so much
going on that some of the more interesting elements got left behind in
favour of a tighter run time, and this does hurt it a little bit. I
give Ghost in the Shell an enjoyable, but unrevolutionary 7/10.
Cyberpunk version of the A-Team
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Work of art!
I really do not understand all the bad reviews of the movie. I am fan
of the original gits anime and I enjoyed this interpretation big time.
Scarlett is amazing, and I mean not just looking beautiful. The way she
walks and talks and moves, so ”realistic” for a droid. The whole art of
the environments and all the characters are incredible. And yes, the
story is more obvious and explained than the original, but I don’t
think it looses because of that. I really can’t grasp how a movie like
Lucy could have almost the same score as this exceptional, cult
masterpiece.
GITS In Body and Soul
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Pleasantly Surprised
I tend to not be a movie goer very much. While I like Scarlett, I do
not go out and see a film just because she is in it. However, I roomed
with a guy back in the 1990s that was a die hard fan of Manga/Anime.
I had heard all the hype on all sides of the fence about how this film
would be terrible, but decided I had nothing better to do and went in
anyway. I was pleasantly surprised and this exceeded my expectations.
I was worried that this was going to be another, blow everything up,
endless shootings, tons of martial arts fight scenes, Scarlett taking
out roomfuls of men at a time….and while there are elements of that
present, it is NOT one of those types of films.
Sure, it is not totally on par with the Manga, but Scarlett presents
Major with real authenticity. The film tries to stay true to the
original story line and there is much depth to be found here. Thank god
this thing did not try to pass it off with a lot of CGI and no plot.
Ghost in the Shell has heart to it, even asking the viewers the
questions of how important is memory to us? Should it even be? Do our
actions tell more about our character than what we remember? It also
poses the question of how much humanity one can lose with a world ever
reliant on being plugged into everything. Ultimately Major’s conflict
is herself, the ghost in the machine shell.
Great supporting roles from Pilou Asbek as Batou, Takeshi Kitano as
Aramaki, and Michael Pitt was an excellent choice for Kuze. I really do
not see a lot to criticize here. Give it a chance and I think viewers
will be as pleasantly surprised as I. It gave me a little hope that
Hollywood may one day understand that depth of a plot is more important
than just special effects. This film does a good job of it.
They captured the Shell but lost the Ghost
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The ghost is more important than the shell
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
All Shell No Ghost
First off, let me say the positive. The film is nice to look at. They
spent a lot of time working on the visual aspects of the movie and it
shows. I saw this in 3D and was surprised by the explosion of eye
candy. I do not enjoy 3D films often, but I did enjoy 2017 Ghost in the
Shell’s refreshed environment from the original anime.
Now, let’s get into why I did not like this movie as a fan boy. It
wasn’t the whitewashing controversy. This controversy is a social
paradigm which lives outside the boundaries of this film and I am a
believer film should be judged on the merits of its compilation of
techniques and handling of content. Whether the character is Japanese
or American didn’t and doesn’t bother me. What bothered me was the
complete gutting of the cerebral aspects of the original film. The
original Ghost in the Shell anime created a cult following due to its
deep philosophical material. They dumb downed a classic. It’s almost as
if they took Plato and turned into a coloring book.
When the impressive visual display is taken away, 2017 Ghost in the
Shell is a ghost-less attempt to recreate a masterpiece.
Visually stunning. Great film
GitS did have some flaws, but not so many that it detracted from the
beauty of the way the film looked. The style was the real draw for me,
not the story, which only served as a means of showcasing fantastic
design as far as I was concerned. I can’t compare it to the Anime of
the same name as I find Anime unbearable to look at, whereas this was
captivatingly executed with both CGI and physical effects throughout.
Last week I saw ”Life”, which was much like Ridley Scott’s ”Alien”, but
better. ”Ghost in the Shell” was very much like Ridley Scott’s
”Bladerunner”, but better. And what’s Ridley Scott doing? ”Alien
Covenant”. Which, as a sequel to the dreadful ”Prometheus”, is probably
like trying to polish a, well, you know…
The best part of the film was thinking Batou might be Kiefer Sutherland from Lost Boys
It’s like a conversation with a guy who just sat through a marathon of
all the Ghost in Shell films and series while drunk. He remembers
elements and gets a bunch of the details wrong and in general it
doesn’t make any sense. It’s more or less hacked together from 3
different narratives.
The problem with this is that out of the 3 main story lines they seem
to have, non of them work properly because they’re missing the
beginning or end. We have the original story line with the end hacked
off, then some second start missing story in the middle that isn’t
ended properly, then some random third story line limply stapled on the
end. It would have made more sense to have either picked one or at
least made it coherent.
To get a similar effect, just get all the material on this franchise,
pick random scenes, remove or change most of their relevance and you’ve
basically got this film. There are characters there for no reason,
there’s background changes for no reason. The whole film just feels
like it has no reason to be based on the material they didn’t even use.
Even if you’re not a fan of the series, the plot isn’t very good and
quite nonsensical. They seem to rely on you having knowledge of the
material, but then change things anyway. So both fans of the material
and newcomers don’t really have much clue.
But OK, the plot sucks, there must be something about this that makes
it worthy of glowing praise some people feel it deserves?, right?
Not really. The action is kind of boring and poorly choreographed, and
is just generic police show level material for the most part, or badly
done redos. Scarlett Johansson isn’t very believable in this role and
looks kind of awkward and not very believable or impactful.
the acting is wooden and mostly terrible. It’s like b movie level if
that. The main actress gets lots of screen time, but just seems really
bored, though that’s her thing. The casting is mostly forgettable.
There was the slightly odd decision to have one character speaking
Japanese while everyone understood and responded to him in English.
Which was only odd because it made it hard to assume everyone else was
just was in Japan speaking Japanese, unless everyone in Japan but him
speaks English now? Who really knows!
The dialog is poorly written and kind of insultingly simple. You’ll
have an already simplified concept explained to you, then explained to
you again by someone else, and then again like we’re all little babies
that can’t grasp anything by our little own selves. I’m not sure the
target audience for this but i’m guessing it wasn’t 5 year old
children. People who claim it is ”though provoking” do look a bit
silly, as PeeWee’s playhouse is more challenging.
There are far too many scenes of filler nonsense (in a not very long
film). Mostly of Scarlett Johansson staring at things looking bored.
She stares emotionless a bunch for no reason too many times or just
does things that makes no sense to her character. Maybe they just
filmed her in her lunch break and then used it to pad out the film, who
knows.
In all the film just felt really lazy. There was little care taken in
any single aspect of the production, from the designs that made no
sense and had no solidness or grounding to them, to the bizarre city of
weird holograms for no reason. Or the disparate story lines not
properly explained and the insertion of random other story lines for no
reason. Non of it has any relation to anything else and feels really
superficial and disjointed.
But is the film enjoyable? Not really. It doesn’t serve a purpose as a
mindless action film (the action is bland) or a thought provoking film
(the dialog is idiot level simplified) or even a good coherent story.
Like I said, I did think one of the main characters looked really like
Kiefer Sutherland from Lost Boys at one point. That was probably the
best part of the film.
Very good Sci-fi
Not being acquainted with the anime story, I enjoyed ”Ghost in the
Shell” and I liked the way the plot unfolded. The scenery was amazing-
-I was wishing they had filmed more of the scenes at night. The daytime
scenery was OK, but like Las Vegas it seemed drab compared to the night
time cinematography. The futuristic world that ‘Ghost in the Shell’
creates is the most advanced science fiction I’ve ever witnessed–you
never knew the robots from the ”enhanced” humans and just regular,
normal characters seemed to in the minority. By now it would be hard to
recognize Scarlet Johanson playing some other character than a sci-fi
super hero or advanced, experimental being.
It could be better but its not that bad
I didn’t saw any trailer, didn’t read the manga or watch the anime. I
didn’t had any infomation about the movie
The Effects Were Amazing and on Point!!!!
But the story i had the whole time the feeling that it was mixed up and
punched up in a short movie.
But its still a good movie for Fantsay fans it didn’t disappoint me but
it didn’t overjoy me eather
Choices Were Made…Dumb, Dumb Choices
Christians, Muslims, Republicans, Democrats, gay, straight, black,
white; we all agree on one thing: people who say ”the book is better”
are the worst. Well, bring your hate to me: 2017’s Ghost in the Shell
doesn’t hold a neon-candle to its 1995 progenitor. Some of the
intrigue, entertainment and beautiful sci-fi visuals hold over nicely,
but where the original is a potent and mind-bending trip of sci-fi
thoughts and action, this new one is awkwardly broad, surface-y, and
plain sloppy. Like all artificial-intelligence stories, it’s about what
makes someone ”human”, with Johansson playing a cyborg with a human
brain (”ghost” in this world) searching for the originator of a deadly
virus. Blade-Runner-like in many ways, it’s a grimy world full of
bright lights and mysterious characters. But where the original holds
tightly to its effectively enigmatic nature, this one unnecessarily
expands on backstory, spells-out themes, rolls-out unearned platitudes
and projects emotions to such an extent that you wanna yell at the
screen, ”We get it! This is all REAL important!” At the center is
Johansson. Her casting should be no surprise as she is currently a
premier action heroine. However, she faced backlash after many saw her
casting as the next in a long-line of Hollywood whitewashing Asian
characters (Aloha, Great Wall). Ghost in the Shell has a fairly
understandable explanation for her look, and even uses it thematically.
However, that casting mixed with the frustrating plot changes point
somewhere less noble: insurance of a franchise. Ultimately, the bare
bones of sci-fi greatness are covered by insecurity, bringing us a
dumb-down version of a great product.
Haters are missing the point.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Without drawing comparisons, interesting but needs a sequel
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Despite the outcry, this is one of the best anime adaptations yet
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Seroiusly give this movie a chance! It is undeservedly underrated…
I have to admit that I went to watch this movie with certain
reservations and worries. I was actually quite skeptical about the
casting of Scarlett Johansson and also rather worried about this live
adaption of a beloved old classic. But lo and behold, I ended up really
liking it! The visual were beyond stunning, the characters interesting
and while the story wasn’t as deep as it could have been it was still
pretty good. I think all the criticism for this movie has been way too
harsh, the end product was really well made and if this movie hadn’t
been an adaption but a regular sci-fi movie I’m pretty more viewers
would have appreciated it more.
I have no problem admitting that my worries about Scarlett Johansson
were for naught, she was actually really great playing Major and after
having actually watched the movie I found the whole whitewashing
”scandal” to be totally overblown… Seriously, both the fictional
world and her team contained a wide ethnic diversity, so it wasn’t like
you had one Caucasian among Asians (and therefore sticking out like a
sore thumb). I felt a lot of effort was put into creating a rich world,
making sure that the inhabitants were fully incorporated and that their
actions wouldn’t feel out of place. This is after all only a movie
adaption, there is only so much you can cram into such a format and
changes are necessary. Sure, they could have chosen an Asian actress to
play Major but in this story that detail isn’t even that important…
it’s just a ”shell” so to speak. The important thing is to keep the
essence of the original and make sure the unavoidable changes feel
logical and incorporated in both the story and the world setting as a
whole. I feel that a lot of people just couldn’t see pass that and that
saddens me.
This is not a perfect movie by any means, it was really enjoyable and I
wholeheartedly recommend it. I even registered just leave this review,
because I felt so bad about all the undeservedly criticism. One more
tip from me, do watch it in 3D if possible. The effects really added
something extra in my opinion.
An affectionate remake
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
If this is the future for Hollywood adaptations of manga/anime, then I’m not too excited.
Ghost In The Shell is an action sci-fi movie starring Scarlett
Johansson. Based on the manga/anime of the same name, this film fails
to engage the audience’s interest, despite its interesting subject
matter and influential source material.
In the not-too-distant future, human beings are now able to be enhanced
with robotic parts to help them with various daily tasks. One such
human, Major (Scarlett Johansson), is reinforced with cybernetics to
become the perfect soldier by the Hanka Robotics organisation. With
these new upgrades, the organisation uses Major to hunt down cyber-
criminals wreaking havoc across the city of Tokyo.
Taken on its own, it is a mediocre action film but when compared to its
original source material, it is a failed adaptation. The film’s bland
script and poorly paced direction does little to immerse the audience
in the story. Occasionally there will be a decent action scene, but it
feels like it is only there to prod the viewer awake after a tedious
moment of exposition. Whitewashing controversy aside, Scarlett
Johansson is decent in the lead role, but that is not saying much when
compared to how flat and uninteresting every other character is in the
film. The one thing that this film does particularly well is the
visuals. The sprawling, Blade Runner-esque city of Tokyo is indeed nice
to look at, but the film barely shows enough of it to leave a lasting
impression. If this is the future for Hollywood adaptations of
manga/anime, then I’m not too excited.
I rate it 4.5/10
Spirit in Disguise
(RATING: ☆☆☆☆½ out of 5 )
GRADE: B+
THIS FILM IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: One of the best looking films of the year, GITS is gorgeous
to inhale, even if the plot is all action with more wisps of smoke and
lots of mirrors.
SYNOPSIS: A cyborg killing machine discovers her inner woman.
Can all dazzling visuals a movie make? Does style trump substance? Has
the message been altered to affect the messenger? From the manga series
to anime form and now a live action avatar in Rupert Sanders
technically impressive but emotionally distant version, Ghost in the
Machine has taken many forms. Yet none is as striking as Scarlett
Johansson in the title role as The Major, a babe-o-licious killing
machine. Major has become a cyber-enhanced android weapon living in a
neon-lit world of giant holograms that become landmarks that engorge
its urban futuristic city.
In this Blade Runner inspired sci-fi universe, the world is one violent
melee. Caught in the crossfire is Mira Killian, a helpless victim
before reincarnated as a female Robo-cop whose sole purpose is to fight
terrorism. An effective cyborg Amazon, Mira aka The Major starts to
feel unexpected emotions that gets in the way of her combat missions.
An android becoming human can be a lethal disruption, one that needs to
be stopped before going rogue. She has a ghost (soul) somewhere in her
shell.
The plot is familiar and highly predictable. But Ms. Johansson is
perfectly cast. The actress has had much practice playing this
prototype before in her mad array of superhero warriors (from Lucy and
Black Widow in the Avengers series), a sub-human creature (Under the
Skin), and computer types (the voice in Her). Here, she becomes the
perfect natural unnatural model of beauty, the embodiment of the ideal
woman. All electronic circuitry in place and all the right curves as
well, a quintessential sex doll for those viewers trapped in a state of
arrested development (which is the film’s target audience).
There is ample supporting in the film’s international casting which
includes the luminous Juliette Binoche as Mira’s creator, Micheal Pitt,
Peter Ferdinado, ”Beat’ Takeshi Kitano, and Pilou Asbaek as Major’s
loyal sidekick. All bring to their roles enough swagger and authority
that fills in the blanks to their stock characters.
Screenwriters Jamie Moss William Wheeler, and Ehren Kruger try to bring
some pathos to their main character, but the non-stop violence upstages
any subtlety. ( I wish there were more quieter moments to help
establish the anguish of the main character.) The physical encounters
seem to be more of interest, with little time spent on her poignant
dilemma. This literally sacrifices Major’s major character development.
She remains an enigma, a ghost in a shell, although that is not the
film’s intent. One is suppose to feel some empathy for our hero, that
is, between the cracking of bones and bloody carnage.
There is plenty of that, and I mean plenty of chases and fight moves,
but there is also some stunning eye candy to savor in beautifully
staged scene after scene. Even if there is not real emotional
connection, the overall effect of Sanders’ images is breathtaking.
Credit Jess Hall’s cinematography, quite remarkable in its splendor.
The production design by Jan Roelfs covers any of the film’s narrative
deficits in its detailed coolness. The music score by Lorne Balfe and
Clint Mansell adds the right techno- pop atmosphere and the taut
editing by Billy Rich and Neil Smith is thrilling.
Director Sanders has a dark hypnotic vision and blends the action and
CGI seamlessly. Large holographic geisha, giant floating koi, bodies
that dissolve into thin air, ethereal disembodied figures, are just a
few the the arresting images, giving the perfect sense of eeriness that
more than suggests a world off balance. He gives us enough of the old
”razzle-dazzle” that one could overdose on the film’s stunning
hallucinations But the reality is that the film is all clever visual
trickery used to deflect the hollowness of his film genre itself.
Action. after all, is the main event.
Ghost in the Shell is definitely an intriguing shell game. It’s an
interesting sleight of hand when viewing, even if it is ultimately
empty inside. But the journey, especially for moviegoers who like their
action with imaginative state-of-the-arts edginess, couldn’t be more
pleasing or satisfied. (This film may be destined to become a cult
film.)
All Shell, No Ghost
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A ghost of a shell of a plot.
Glitzy, glossy, and downright dull sci-fi, hallucinatory, I remember it
being very colourful, but with enough substance to fill an upturned
Heineken bottle cap, which I felt as though I had drunk several of
after having watched this one.
My mind wandered and drifted in and out for so much of this generically
plotted stolen identity plot line, bored for most of the second half,
to the point where I cannot even remember some of the characters’
names.
Scarlett Johannson’s body is the only part of this which held my
attention, and the holographic Hong Kong present, which had visible,
holograms of a pig with wings (a Pink Floyd reference?) , a car which
looks like a cross between a Ferrari and a DeLorean, and imitation
Predator invisibility effects. One character had steel-capped teeth,
like Jaws, from The Spy Who Loved Me, another looked like Rutger Hauer
from Split Second (a vastly superior film, even if it’s just in a ” so
bad it’s good ” way)
I went into this knowing virtually nothing about the earlier films and
comics, aside from the fact that they exist, so perhaps that was part
of the reason I was so bored? Judging by the middle-of-the-road
reviews, perhaps not.
Outstanding visuals
The movie is amazing. Of course, I didn’t expect a faithful adaptation,
that’s why I didn’t even watch the original film that I watched a lot
of years ago and I almost didn’t remember.
I didn’t have the need of finding any different detail to the original
film, that makes you only focused in destroying and over analyzing the
film instead of enjoying it. A fresh mind is way better.
I even thought that it was BASED on the Ghost in the Shell world,
therefore I didn’t have any expectation. I was prepared to enjoy just
whatever it was enjoyable.
With an amazing first action sequence, I was more than satisfied with
the stunning visuals, effects, photography and direction of the scene,
enough to think ”wow, after this, it’s already worth the money”.
Script is just OK. Enough to show Ghost in the Shell ideas, without
being pretentious, and with a lack of complex that, yeah, I don’t like
too much. Scarlet Johansson was amazing, really nice casting choice.
Asbæk characterization is amazing and his acting is good enough.
Visuals and photography are amazing as I already said.
The only mistake? Trying to make the film for the massive public,
avoiding complexity of the script and avoiding female nipples.
Hey guys, complex films like Inception can make a lot of money too. And
a female nipple is something natural, without any intention of being
sexualized in this story.
There’s plenty of room for improvement!
(6.5/10) Ghost in the Shell is okay, but not quite as amazing as it
could be, despite its best efforts to ”honor” the original anime from a
western perspective.
The film boasts beautiful visuals, okay action, a cool score, a few
interesting ideas, and good performances from the cast, with Pilou
Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano and Michael Pitt being the stand-outs.
However, the film also presents questionable directing, acting and
script choices from Rupert Sanders, Scarlett Johansson and the
screenwriters respectively (not to mention the unfortunate twist), a
generic plot, underwritten side characters, and dumbed-down
philosophical themes.
While the end result is not as awful as it could have been, there’s
still plenty of room for improvement for this film (and any possible
sequels) to be incredible and to do the original anime justice. The
film, much like The Major, is a shell with fragments of an otherwise
compelling ghost.
Strong on it’s own merits, weaker as an adaptation
I am a Ghost in the Shell fan but I didn’t let that bias me when
watching the movie. I went in expecting to be a little disappointed,
not because of reviews or casting controversy, but because it’s an
adaptation and they are rarely as good as the original. But, I have to
admit to being pleasantly surprised.
This must be reviewed two ways: 1. As it’s own entity – Firstly, it is
visually stunning. You will be hard pressed to find better
cinematography this year. The action is solid and interesting, the
acting up to spec although there is nothing that particularly stands
out. The main themes ask the questions of how we value consent and
whether that would be diluted in a world where your memories and
identity can be manipulated without you ever knowing. They also ask how
we define humanity in a cyborg world but this is a little heavy handed
at times. My biggest criticism is that sometimes the film seems to
abandon logic in a few small circumstances. In Hollywood action movies
this wouldn’t matter but Ghost in the Shell is more intelligent than
that so it was a little disappointing to see. Overall though it’s a
clever and exciting sci-fi thriller. Stand Alone Score: 8/10
2. As an adaptation – Of what though? This film takes material from the
original manga, and also the TV series and movies which were separate
adaptations as well. There is no such thing as a loyal adaptation of
Ghost in the shell’s story. To date, This is the fourth attempt. So how
do we compare? Well we look at the themes again. The question of how we
define humanity in a world of increasing cyberization is central to the
franchise. The film addresses this but in a way that lacks the subtlety
of previous incarnations. Having said that, it asks questions and adds
emotional heft that previous installments have never attempted and it’s
stronger for it. This helps it contribute to the franchise – it’s not
just a pale copy. The other thing to judge is the story beats it takes
from the other material. The villain is from the TV show, many visuals
and fight scenes are taken from the movie, the opening scene is a
blending of those from both the animated film and it’s sequel. By
taking these scenes and folding them into a new story it lets the movie
feel familiar while also adding something new. Will fans be
disappointed that it’s not a beat for beat adaptation? Probably, we
usually are, but in this case I think the film is better for it.
Adaptation score: 7
I recommend this movie. It has been buried under negative reviews
fueled by casting controversies that don’t have any impact on the movie
itself. A hugely underrated film and one that will be vindicated in the
future as have so many other movies that opened with terrible reviews
and went on to be revered.
Ghost in the Shell
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
While defusing the impact of its original source material, Ghost in the Shell is a versatile cyberpunk ride
This electrifying cyberpunk thriller marks a surprisingly competent
remake of the 1995 anime hit ‘Ghost in the Shell’, compacted in the
world of filled of unnecessary redos of popular source material. As the
original animated feature set a touchstone for the science- fiction
genre for its introduction of seminal ideas, this film sadly falls
short of the impact that the original left on the cyberpunk genre,
which should come to only little surprise since this reimagining
operates as a more technological rehash of the events from the source
material. What results is an entertaining, but somewhat predictable
ride as this film manages to rip many scenes from the original and
execute here in a similar fashion. Although director Rupert Sanders
breaths a reasonable amount of spirit into this flick, it is hard to
find this one blowing anything in the cyberpunk genre out of the water,
which maybe could have been possible if the 1995 original never came
about. Set in the futuristic city in Japan where human minds are
connected by a network, this film enters Scarlett Johansson as Major, a
cybernetically engineered humanoid who is revived by Dr. Ouelet (played
by Juliette Binoche) after surviving a horrific accident. With her mind
transferred inside her new humanoid body, Major is assigned by an
anti-terrorist organization run by Chief Daisuke Aramaki (played by
Takeshi Kitano) to take down cyber-terrorist Cutter (played by Peter
Ferdinando) while struggling to uncover her mysterious past.
Rupert Sanders uproots a visually stimulating ride clamoring with
visceral cyberpunk themes and flashy action sequences that gracefully
made the Japanese-animated picture a hit. But for a film that heavily
borrows from its superior source material, its unfortunately not as
impactful as it sets out to be. Addressing complex themes of artificial
intelligence, the story boasts a strong edge of compelling ideas along
with some subtle thrills to drive the briskly paced plot. The subplot
dealing with the lead character fighting to uncover her past makes a
good source of twists and turns sprinkled throughout the entirety.
While Sanders employs just a fair amount of gun-blazing action
sequences to pump up the adrenaline, it is the visual presentation of
the futuristic setting is what takes the crown for the most powerful
eye-grabber. Sanders sets the action in a techno-packed metropolitan
city complete with giant CGI holograms towers above every corner and
and flying cars soaring through the air; a wildly absorbing eye candy
that echoes futuristic Los Angeles from Ridley Scott’s ‘Blade Runner’.
As for the acting department, Scarlett Johansson, veteran action star
of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, does a fairly well job in the lead
role. Although whether or not her performance defies against the whole
white-washing controversy that has target this project is debatable, it
is hard not to admire her effort. The rest of the cast including
Juliette Binoche, Takeshi Kitano, Peter Ferninando, Michael Pitt, and
Pilou Asbaek all get the job done, but their character fall short
memorability and charisma. Furthermore, none of the characters with the
exception of the lead character carry a strong emotional gravitas to
their figures, and results in a rather disappointing roster.
Ghost in the Shell is an visually stunning cyberpunk thrill ride that
may not hold the thoughtful energy of the original film, but
nonetheless sets ground for an compelling good time. As for remake of
original material, this one is nothing out of the ordinary (unless for
those who have not seen the 1995 film), but that does not mean it isn’t
an entertaining ride.
Fantastic rendition
Scarlett Johansson was well casted and absolutely knocked it out of the
park. I saw it in 3D and say this: pay less attention to everything the
director put in clear focus, and more attention to the hidden visual
cues throughout the scenes. This is a movie you could watch multiple
times just to see all of the hidden cinematic wonders. Remember to look
at this as a fan of manga, cyberpunk, and anime.
Good but could be better
I wish I had seen the anime movie again, before watching this, I think
its OK
First of all, Aramaki is BADASS!! perfectly played by Takeshi Kitano.
When I first saw the trailer, I saw Batou and I wished Ron Perlman was
cast, but Pilou Asbæk did a great job, I think he deserved more action
scenes though.
To all the people that complain about Scarlett Johansson because she is
not Asian, well, Mayor doesn’t look Asian at all in the Anime (neither
do most of the characters for that matter). I think she did a good job,
but Batou and Aramaki were stronger characters.
The weak spot is the story, its predictable and there are a few plot
holes that while not important, are not resolved.
Still I enjoyed it and at least it made me want to watch the 2 anime
movies again.
Not worth a single star
First and for most I’ve watched this movie twice.
There are two ways to see this movie. First you can see the movie as a
Ghost in the Shell live action adaptation of the original anime. The
second way is to see it is as a original Sci-Fi movie. As if it would
be an original movie.
But this is not an original movie but a Ghost in the Shell adaptation.
The problem with this adaptation is the director Rupert Sanders tried
to do some sort of a comics adaptation and he definitely has no clue
about anime.
He tried to make some sort of Batman sequel/prequel thing. He tried to
add backstories which are totally irrelevant for Ghost in the Shell.
They definitely don’t belong to this movie.
Ghost in the Shell is not some kind of Batman movie where audience is
trying to figure Joker’s past or Batman’s past.
Now as we talk about whitewashing it definitely was a bad choice. There
is a mix of Japanese and American actors in there which definitely do
not fit. It is supposed to be in Japan, and you have a lot of American
actors and then you have a lot of Japanese actors which many times
speak a bad English or Japanese. Many times an actor speaks English and
the other Japanese.
Then they put American actors in a Japanese room and it’s so obvious
they don’t belong there. And as it comes to recreating the anime
characters, other than Major and Batou all the other characters are so
different from the anime both in terms of looks as well as personality.
Even Batou and the Major were very different from anime.
But the most screwed character was definitely the hacker. I could not
believe they did that. Awful.
As it comes to the scenes replicated 1:1 they also fail big time.
If you see it as an original movie it fails in so many aspects. A lot
of bad dialogues, poor acting and poor story structure. So many on the
nose dialogues.
There is even more in the graphics department. In many parts the CGI is
absolutely horrible, many parts that have no role.
I gave it one star just because I couldn’t give it zero stars. That’s
how much it really deserves. And Scarlett is involved in more movies
that are not worth anyone’s time.
Don’t always listen to critics
Don’t always listen to critics because that’s what they are ‘critics’.
I had watched the anime of this movie, loved it and was hyped for this
movie when I saw the trailers. Just like many others, I heard of
negative reviews and, though I was always going to see it, I was a
little concerned. How foolish.
Just remember… people these days LOVE to hate and bring things down.
If something isn’t exactly what they expected it to be, ‘wham’,
negative reviews and, like a virus, people catch the ‘negativity’ and
it blows up in a hate wave of disappointment from people with more
opinion than they deserve.
I went in to the movie like this, expecting something bad and came out
rather satisfied.
Breakdown: Ghost in the Shell went to A lot of effort to get some
scenes exactly right as in the anime. It was a beautiful movie which
followed the same story with some slight modifications. All the actors
did a great job. It was so good to see the world of Ghost in the Shell
(anime) come to life. The very ending was different but, to be honest,
before I went in the movie I knew the very ending of the anime wouldn’t
work in a movie like this. I’m glad they changed it.
Summary: Don’t listen to critics or people how love to tear things
down. This movie deserved to do better than what it has but people have
caught the ‘virus’ and are selling the movie short. It was a great
watch. 8/10.
Ben.
Endless virtual knowledge
An analytical film identifying forthcoming emerges associated to
advanced transhumanism. A basic analysis link
https://m.youtube.com/watch?
v=_RD9nBdy4lo&rdm=2itnq54l3&noapp=1&client=mv-google puts into book
read a former chapter to pick your voting methods?
👎
Dumbed-down and shallow adaptation cherry-picking the cool action scenes
Dumbed-down and shallow adaptation cherry-picking the cool action
scenes. Thats how I would summarize this adaptation of GitS
Although a big fan of the original, I couldn’t care less about the
white-washing controversy surrounding the movie. I went in with an open
mind.
Unfortunately the only times this movie entertains is when they are
copying the best action parts of the original or TV series that came
after. Other than that it is a simplified borefest with no substance,
as so many have said before me here.
Music was good Blade Runner style stuff and visuals were nice in this
movie. If they had written an actual good cinematic experience to
accompany that this could have been a classic like Blade Runner.
This ”movie” looks more like a prolonged TV episode or high budget
Pilot for a TV show.
Don’t waste your money
What a dreadful film. The plot was not only simple but for the simple
minded, I have not seen the original but then all films should stand up
in their own right; but I guessed the plot in the first 5 mins, and
that is being generous. The director obviously grew up watching Blade
Runner on repeat and the setting and action was clichéd. Scarlett J
walked as if she had 10 sanitary towels between her legs and this film
was not worthy of her. It was a study in the unoriginal. I will make a
point of avoiding this Director and his future films. My friend fell
asleep at least 3 times but I gave her a good nudge and told her she
had to suffer like the rest of the audience. I didn’t hear anyone say
anything positive about it.
This deserves more appreciation
Being a fan of the original 1995 movie, I honestly wasn’t expecting
much from an American remake (especially after reading many of the fan
reviews). However, I was thoroughly surprised and impressed with how
well done this movie actually was. They focus more on the action aspect
in this remake which has disappointed some, but it’s honestly quite
understandable why this approach was taken. You have to think that they
were trying to bring in audiences as well as devoted fans and while the
long-time fans of the series may prefer the more existential
psychological approach that GitS is known for, most people would
probably not be as interested as a more action packed flick. I think
they did the best they could with what they had and while it’s still
focused more on action, they managed to throw in some of the basic
underlying themes of GitS and did a decent job of it too. I’m not going
to discuss the whole white washing issue, but I personally think
Scarlet Johansson did a rather good job of capturing Major for the most
part. Most the time she reacted as major would and nothing she did
really felt out of character. Altogether, I left the theater satisfied
and would recommend it to fans and non-fans alike. I think it really
doesn’t deserve all the crap that people (mostly fans) have been giving
it. A bad remake is The Last Airbender and this certainly isn’t even
close to that monstrosity.
Blade Runner for a new generation.
Ghost in the Shell is a great film. Ghost in the Shell is Blade Runner
for a new generation. Scarlett Johansson gave a good performance as The
Major and Michael Pitt, Juliette, Binoche, Takeshi Kitano and Pilou
Asbaek all gave good supporting performances. Scarlett Johansson was
well cast as The Major. The film had a good story. It reminded me of
Blade Runner, The Matrix and Aeon Flux. It was like all 3 movies were
rolled into one. The action sequences were not awesome and the film was
slow. I believe it was more story, than action. The film deserves an
Oscar nomination for it’s visual effects. Weta Workshop did an
outstanding job and the visual effects and the computer animation were
outstanding. The Major’s bodysuit, the Thermosuit, I have never seen
anything like that before and the sets were amazing. I believe Blade
Runner was a major influence behind the film. The music was good and it
gave the film a dark and depressing tone. Don’t take my word for it.
Don’t listen to what the critics say. Go and see it and decide for
yourselves.
Just go watch it!
Don’t believe what people tell you about this movie. It’s more than I
could ever expect truthfully. The visuals are out of this world, the
story is great and the soundtrack OMG! just great! As someone else
noted in this review section, this movie just proves that hype and
reviews are not a direct representation of the actual product. People
are bashing this movie for numerous reasons but without being able to
see further than their nose. Anyhow, the most objective review I ve
seen thus far is Chris Stucman’s, go watch it, it will give a good idea
what the movie is all about
Cheerio
Very good movie
I enjoyed this movie a lot.
The movie is the best anime adaption ever. Aside from the fan base, its
a very good movie for general movie goers.
If you are a fan of movies like the matrix then you will enjoy this.
Action packed, cutting edge special effects and some very cool
practical effects! I enjoyed it so much i will be purchasing the blu
ray upon home release :)!
The media criticism of Scarlett Johansen is silly, she’s a fantastic
actress and she plays the role perfectly, i hope to see her continue
this role in a sequel.
Fingers crossed for ghost in the shell 2! 🙂
Minimum 8
I have to rate it a 9 just because my expectations were never that this
movie was going to be a 1 to 1 with the original and never wanted it to
be but they did keep the important scenes close to the original. Just
the visuals are insane. I feel reviewers are being way unfair. This
movie should have been R and scenes should have been way more graphic
represent the coldness of the original.
It’s actually better than I thought
Although the plot is not as philosophical as the original 1995
animation movie, this one is actually way beyond my expectation. And it
actually made me think, that haven’t happen for a long time. Great with
city landscape view and also perfect details. Visual fact is very good.
All the characters are great, especially Major and Aramaki
An enjoyable watch for fans of Sci-Fi with great visuals but held back by mediocre dialogue
Hey there. This is the first review I’ve written for IMDb though I’ve
been using the site daily for more than a decade now.
I’ve watched Ghost in the Shell at the cinema 3 days ago, knowing
beforehand about the controversies that have surrounded this movie for
the last 6 months or so. Science fiction movies are probably my
favorite genre and I also enjoyed most of Scarlett’s movies for the
past 8-9 years so those two factors were a plus for me going in.
Regarding the whitewashing business, I think its been blown way, WAY
out of proportion by social justice warriors with nothing better to do
than drag media attention over whatever they’re feeling insecure about
this month/year. For those of you who might be on the fence about
watching a Caucasian actress in the role that (supposedly) should’ve
been reserved to an Asian actress, please consider this a NON-MATTER
and watch it anyway. The character she is portraying is SUPPOSED to
look Caucasian/white. It was the same in the source material and even
the creator of that anime said so in interviews.
Now, is the movie any good? In my opinion, yes. Yes it was. It wasn’t
amazing but at the very least entertaining. There is a good amount of
people who score this a 1/10 because they are butt hurt that the story
was changed a lot. Please ignore them and see for yourself even if
you’re a fan of the anime and are able to keep an open mind. I think
maybe I was able to judge it more objectively because I had zero
knowledge about the story in the anime going in, but, if nothing else,
the movie actually made me want to watch those old ones to compare.
The acting – 7.5/10 – Since Scarlett Johansson is the only big name
that the movie is being marketed alongside, I’d say she did a good job.
At no point in the movie could I say she didn’t belong there. She
played the part of cyborg who had difficulty belonging in a human world
very well. The cast is diverse enough in my opinion, though some of
them get pretty little screen time.
The visuals – 9/10 – If there is one point most critics/viewers are in
alignment concerning this movie, that point is definitely the visuals.
The movie both looks and feels spectacular, with the futuristic city
looking like a close-future mix of Blade Runner and TRON. The
combination of CGI and practical effects looks organic, the movie’s
powerful themes of excessive self-augmentation and technology almost
running amok represented very well visually.
Soundtrack – 8/10 – Sometimes pretty subdued, sometimes
almost-but-not-quite in your face, I found the soundtrack to vary
between decent and very good in some moments. It didn’t MAKE the movie
but it enhanced a good deal in my opinion.
Story – 7/10 – Here is where the good points of the movie kinda start
to run dry. A lot of other people would probably rate it a lot lower,
with 5 or 4’s if they’re at least trying to be objective. Yes, the
story is fairly predictable, and the fact that the movie is only around
100 minutes long doesn’t do it any favors either. Here is probably
where most of the legitimate hate towards this movie stems from. The
creators adapted a story that had a lot more depth and philosophical
insight and turned it into a somewhat generic cyborg coming of age
story mixed with an evil corporation doing questionable things. The
villain is also very cookie-cutter and has almost zero depth. HOWEVER,
I do think that concerning this film’s particular themes and narrative,
a weak villain doesn’t hurt it so much since its more about
losing/gaining your humanity through technology than any bad guy trying
to shoot you.
Writing/Dialogue – 6/10 – By far the movie’s weakest aspect. In fact, I
believe if some more meaningful dialogue and character interactions
were written into this film, it could’ve easily been 1 or 2 points
higher on anyone’s scoring system. As it is, the dialogue is shallow
and fairly run-of-the-mill for about half the movie’s length. Some bits
of good interactions are sprinkled here and there, and thankfully
that’s enough to preserve the soul of the movie’s central theme of
human souls surviving in machine bodies, BUT not enough to give Ghost
in the Shell the depth it should’ve inherited from the source material.
Overall – I gave this movie 8/10 stars here on IMDb, mostly because I
couldn’t give it a 7.5 which felt more appropriate to me. My advice
would be to not listen to the whitewashing nonsense, because that’s
exactly what it is, nonsense. Also don’t listen to the haters who rate
this movie a 1/10 or call it crap because those people should not be
reviewing anything to begin with. It is a decent movie, with great
visuals and a theme that might get you thinking for a couple of days
after seeing it. The acting is decent, with an above average
performance from Scarlett and a good soundtrack that might hit the
right spot on occasion. The only bad aspects, like I mentioned, are the
film’s rather short running time and weak dialogue/writing which hold
it back from being truly great.
Brilliant In Every Way
I figured that Ghost In The Shell was going to be good, but I never
expected it to be THIS good.
I’d like to begin by addressing those people who are upset about the
casting of Scarlett Johansson. First off, calm the hell down. Johansson
is perfect in the role, and helps bring a real emotional heft to the
story. Second, if you actually take the time to WATCH the film instead
of being an overly-sensitive and judgmental toolbox, you’ll find that
the franchise’s Asian roots are far from ignored. In fact, they’re
celebrated.
Scarlett Johansson is magnificent as the Major. Every one of her line
readings is spot on and dripping with emotion. As a side note, I don’t
believe she’s ever looked as beautiful as she does in this film.
The supporting cast is just as good, but famed Japanese auteur Takeshi
Kitano steals the show as Daisuke Aramaki. All of his scenes in the
third act were greeted with cheers and applause at the screening I
attended. I was very glad to see Kitano in a big budget American film,
portraying the type of character that he usually does: Calm, violent
and awesome.
The film’s visuals and cinematography are two more pieces of
brilliance. Director Rupert Sanders only previous directorial credit,
Snow White And The Huntsman, looked good. But Ghost In The Shell is the
movie that solidifies him as a truly visionary filmmaker. I’ve never
been overly fond of 3D in film, but it’s used to stunning effect here.
I also have to take a moment and praise the writing. The films themes
tackle poignant issues of self identity and what it means to be human.
Yes, such issues have been done before, but I’ve never seen then
addressed as well as they are here.
All in all, Ghost In The Shell is nothing short of cinematic
magnificence. If you don’t see this one, you’ll regret it.
10/10
”Another CGI movie with NO script or story”
Let me start saying that i know the anime and i am a fan of him,Another
thing is i have NO problem that an American actress take the lead of an
Asian character so let start.
This movie is another addition to the movies with a lot of CGI or
special effects and cero story…The typical future city already see it
in a lot of movies like:BLADE RUNNER,TRON,MINORITY REPORT,A.I.,THE
FIFTH ELEMENT,THE MATRIX,DREDD,and many many more and believe me this
becoming boring to death..why? because we already there and is question
of years that all have that technology in our hands.
Now if you want to see a movie based only in CGI this is your movie but
if you looking something else…is not for you…the movie feels
empty,with no magic,substance or originality..Beieve me if you don’t
see it in the theater you not miss anything.
Don’t waste your money…they are better FUTURE movies out there to see
this….
I Didn’t expected to be that Good!
Honestly, I expected Ghost in the Shell to be a very bad movie, but I
was surprised by it.
Amazing visual effects and music as well. Go on youtube and type Ghost
in the Shell and you will see how much effort people put into creating
the robots and the decorations. The acting was pretty good even though
most of the scenes are CGI. Most of the times I believed that Scarlett
Johanssen is an actual robot.
The plot was following the famous Japanese animation.
Overall I recommend seeing it in the cinema because only in the cinema
you can get the whole experience of the visual effects and music.
I give my consent to terminate this movie
US sci-fi films temporarily fell off a cliff in the 90s, with only
great visuals as the saving grace. Judge Dredd or Demolition Man come
to mind, especially as both are as badly cast and acted as GitS. Let’s
address the universally praised visuals first. The film technically
looks nice but none of it will stick with you due to the exceptionally
bland setting. Seriously, where is this film set? The best looking bits
also ape the source material nearly 1 to 1. Van Sant’s Psycho ”remake”
comes to mind… Well done VFX crew but your hard work was sadly
wasted. I am also not sure if the films even has music, a hallmark of
GitS, but you occasionally get to hear 10 second bits by a choir with
no rhyme or reason. Sigh. On to the cast.
Kitano mostly sits on a chair and looks sleepy, Asbæk completely gets
Batou (my favorite anime character) wrong and I will come to Johansson
later. Let’s stick with Batou and only the 2 generic villains gets
something to do too. The writer apparently though that the audience is
too dumb to understand the concept of his iconic cybernetic eyes, so
the film gives a bewildering origin story for them. That’s how dumb and
random the script is. It also includes the term ”lawless zone”! What
this films doesn’t have time for is to explain basic GitS terminology,
while other elements are over explained to an unreasonable degree. The
film also takes scenes and plot points from both anime films, and both
TV seasons of SAC, despite the two having vastly different
continuities. Act 1 and 2 are thus best described as GitS for the
mentally impaired and squeamish, as the PG-13 proves about as unsuited
as everyone expected. Many scenes even randomly stop and the film is
badly edited too. To a degree that it becomes hard to make out what
happens! On to act 3 and the protagonist.
Johansson can act, just not in this film. She is less sleepy than
Kitano but one of the strongest female characters in ALL of anime was
reduced to a borderline incompetent combatant and most importantly a
doe eyed idiot. All of this is ”technically” supported by the
predictable twist ending but it proves to be the worst bit of the film
by FAR. Don’t get me wrong. The first 100-ish minutes bored and
irritated me but we are talking about a 4/10, not a 1/10. Yes, act 3 is
THAT bad. Would you like it if a Batman film ended with the protagonist
turning out to be a random teenager from the other side of the world?
Something similar basically happens here. Motoko’s military career and
much more, a unifier for all GitS canons, just get taken away. WTF and
the film flat out stops to ”excuse” the (somewhat justified)
whitewashing allegations by creating a vaguely racist black hole of bad
ideas that can only appeal to someone who hates the source material or
can’t be bothered to think during a CG film. The only thing missing is
romance sub-plot. No one in the film is capable of human emotions, so
we dogged 2 bullets here.
The films thus ends up being much worse than I ever expected and is
best described as the ”new” Fan4stic or Dragon Ball Evolution for comic
films. Don’t watch it if you ever cared about any of the anime versions
and watch those instead if you never did! All 3 canons are great. This
though ain’t cyberpunk, it’s cybertrash. The newly announced GitS anime
(how convenient…) and hopefully Blade Runner 2 now need to ”save” the
cyberpunk sub-genre, while the promising Alita: Battle Angel will have
to do the same for US / Life Action anime. Good luck Mr. Rodriguez!
I am simply writing what I saw.
This is actually my first review of a movie. After rating over 500
movies, I left that this one needed a few words.
Firstly, when you see a movie that is so overly advertised online and
offline you know what’s up…
Secondly, this is a based on a banging manga so I assumed there would
be some good action sequences with plenty of slapstick energy. Don’t
get too excited.
Thirdly, predictability can be down to interpretation but my god c’mon.
They also shouldn’t grab visual similarities to matrix, blade runner or
something actually worth while.
Fourthly, the only exciting part of this movie is the old Japanese don.
Trust me towards the end, he goes hard.
Finally, no one will read this but honestly if you rated this over 6
then let me ask you, what did you really see? You’ve been hacked.
Scarlet Johansson As Wrong And Useless As Ever
I am happy I did not pay money to see this. We saw it by downloading
it. girlfriend and I stopped the movie to eat dinner and realized we
were only 30 minutes into it. It was mixed up. 30 mins felt like an
hour or two. Major? How the hell is that? If Japanese did something
like this to an American movie it would have been rated 1, 2, or 3.
Having a shadowy group in Japan with Scarlet Johansson is sad. The
Studio has to make some a little sense. They just threw in an enemy it
seems. A revised version of the Jap story. What about the bad guy? He
looks like something from Harry Potter. He is so secretive and evil and
wants himself to be menacing. I do not think so.
Great eye candy but that all it was.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Visually , the Most beautiful movie ever made, Personal Favorite
Let me admit it, That i Never watched original cartoon movie or the
series. Actually i m not an anime guy at all, and only watched the most
important Anime movies, for the sake of my cultural ascension. And boy
am i glad ,i never watched it, so i could not possibly get ButtHurt.
But i should also admit, That i’m a huge fan of sc-fi , and cyber-punk,
And my Top 10 movies includes Dark city, Matrix, Fifth Element, Blade
runner,and Robocop for example, So i m all into this Genre.
What can i say about this flawless movie, that has the best directing
of action scenes since Matrix 1? That has The most detailed and rich
set designs in any action movie ever? That has unbelievable Cgi , and
special effects. That should get a Oscar for a costume design? A movie
that finally doesn’t have horrible hip hop , or dubstep soundtrack?
Main actor that is a most bad-ass women in universe , and is so
beautiful to look at that you get depressed about yourself.? I
seriously can not admire enough , the efforts that were put in the
making of this movie. The evidence of hard work by the whole crew, is
just everywhere. Nobody would plan everything in such a detail if they
weren’t fans of the original, and can you even imagine how hard is to
make exact replica of a scene that was originally only drawn on a paper
with a pencil?
Scenes of the city are just breathtaking, and fighting and shootout
scenes are like a ballet. ScaJo’s suit and body, is an image i will
remember till the day i die, And all other actors and characters are
valid replicas of anime original characters, and very well done. One of
the most important pluses of the movie for me, is the camera job.
Finally for the love god, we do not get Shaky cam, instead we get most
sharp and clear action scenes since matrix. Choreography of fights and
using guns is done so well, that you get goosebumps.I appreciate it so
much , because i always felt eye raped, with action scenes in last
10-15 years.They are all horrible, and not one is memorable.
The story is not weak or dumbed down, as anime fans are saying it. It
is actually completely the same, and all important points and messages
, are spoken out in the movie, and there are some very emotive scenes.
There are also some very cool and unforgettable lines in the movie,
like for example: ”You never send a rabbit to kill a fox” That reminded
of the substance and style movies of the 90’s had, which were super
sharp and memorable punchlines, or jokes.
I just can not praise this movies enough. It was the most profound
,beautiful and memorable movie experience i had since Matrix. Please
ignore the fake fans , who only jumped the bandwagon for no reason at
all. Greetings to all who like the movie!
is not just the controversy… its the quality.
the animated film looked like an original material, this live-action
box office bait looks like Blade runner, not just the sets’ imagery but
some scenes (like running through glass, breaking it), the casting is
too obviously bad (and i am not talking about the White casting
controversy), the male casting looks ridiculous, this character looks
like a white man wearing a wig, too obvious and ridiculous; like a fake
cosplay and glasses. spielberg wanted to put his hands on the franchise
so bad that he probably made one of the worst movies in history (from
original material to Live-action material).
A Major Injustice
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Not a good movie
the movie was terrible total wast of time and money, we were very
disappointing with the acting in this movie scarlet is going downhill
becoming a has-been. we hope to see better movies in the future from
her. We will have to see maybe she is to busy talking politics just
don’t kn ow right now
Scarlett Johansson and Rupert Sanders
The main character ”Scarlett Johansson” was great, director ”Rupert
Sanders” did not break his line again and reflected a manga script in a
spectacular fashion As Rupert Sanders is in this film, he considers
snow white and huntsman methods. I know Scarlett Johansson in the
first Lucy movie, and I am a player I am constantly in love with.
Ghost of a Movie (as in there was nothing there)
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell is a knockout masterpiece. Every second of this
movie was action packed. Scarlet Johansson delivered a award winning
performance for next years Academy Awards. I saw this movie in IMAX 3D
and it was spellbinding, fantastic best 3D I have seen in years if you
are going to see this movie then you will have to see it in IMAX 3D
with out a doubt.
Parents this movie is based off the popular anime show so this movie is
going to have a lot of violence in it so expect a lot of brutal
violence and bloody images so if you don’t want your kids this is one
of those 🎥 where there is a ton of twist and turns throughout the
fantastic film that need to be noticed for being so fantastic and
beautifully done. You will love every second of this film in ever way
it will be your favorite
very disappointed
I really wish they would have made this movie through an independent
studio.
First the casting is all wrong. It’s not the whole white wash thing,
it’s the Scarlett Johansson as a scifi actor thing. It’s like watching
the female version of keano Reeves. She simply can’t act. Putting Pilou
Asbæk next to her was twice the punishment! The whole Hollywood type
casting thing drags down movies.
Second was the storyline and the writing. It was seriously lacking. A.
you knew what was coming before it ever came. B. trying to hide the
lack of good dialog behind action scenes only goes so far. This whole
movie lacked any substantial dialog at all. They were throwing scenes
in the movie that were frankly pointless because they couldn’t write
anything meaningful. Even the last battle scene was just lame. They
wrote so poorly they even left cliff hangers in segments where there
should have been action.
I wouldn’t spend a dime to go see this movie and I’m glad I watched it
online because of that.
110 million and this is the garbage they threw out. it wasn’t even 1/2
as good as Lucy, not that Lucy was some epicly great movie. I can only
hope the blade runner remake isn’t this epicly bad.
Definitely worth your time
I am glad that I went to see this film in IMAX. It had stunning visuals
which I do not think would have been as good in Standard format and the
movie captured the spirit of the original story quite well. Granted
that I think if they had used the music at the closing credits sometime
during the movie, it would have enhanced the ambiance but still the
movie conveyed the original message well. Ignore the nonsense regarding
comments about Scarlett Johansson ”whitewashing” the movie. I do not
know what the big deal is. She is awesome in it and the Japanese loved
her playing the part. Honestly, I cannot think of a single Japanese
actress who could have played that part well and looks like the
original manga character anyway. Whether you have read the manga or
seen the original anime, you will enjoy this movie. Ignore the negative
American press and go see it. It is well worth your time.
Very entertaining movie, better than the 1995 anime
I watched the 1995 anime movie before I went to see this just to
freshen up my memory.
Honestly, I never thought the 1995 movie was that great. So I’m happy
this live action version was not 100% faithful to that movie. I haven’t
read the manga, so I can’t comment on how faithful it is to that. And I
don’t really care, since I enjoyed this movie so much.
If I have only one complaint about this movie, it’s that they explained
what ghost in the shell means at the very beginning. That was an
unnecessary way to use the exposition to make the rest of the movie
less confusing. IMO, it wouldn’t have been confusing anyway, so they
could have left that on the cutting room floor.
Beyond that, though, the visuals are stunning. With one exception, the
action scenes are very engaging (the one exception being the dark
action scene where you can’t really see what’s going on, but that was
brief).
The casting is perfect. Yes, I would have preferred a Japanese actress
for Major, but I can fully understand why they chose Scarlett
Johansson. She’s gorgeous and has the box office draw. And it really
didn’t make a difference for me. She played the part well. Pilou Asbæk
was the perfect choice for Batou, too.
I give it a solid 8, and would recommend the movie to anyone.
Hollywood depiction of a Manga
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This is a very good movie.
The classic scenes of the original 1995 anime are there. The movie
deviates from the original anime in terms of concepts (the ending of
the anime is different from the movie) but I would say it is more
realistic and logical. For those who do not follow the anime, if they
watch the original 1995 anime movie they would not understand some of
the gist especially the ending but with the movie it is a fresh work of
its own by itself. From beginning to end, you will be able to follow
and it is high action most of the time with a good plot that attempts
to explained all that has happened within the short time frame of the
movie. One part that is a bit hard to follow is the dialogue switch
from Japanese to English with the words all over the place instead of
at the bottom. Makes you miss some of the dialogue. So if you are
watching this movie, be prepared to scan the entire screen when you
hear Japanese.
Ghost in the Shell
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A modern real live anime, true to its original.
A good and descent work and true to the original. Sure, whitewashing in
the lead role is a big no no, but after seeing the original again i
must say that it was a really good movie and true to the original
spirit and elements. Some issues with the plot, a bit slow sometimes
but nothing that would give it a grade c or less. For those who hasn’t
seen the original it may be a bit confusing but ignore the plot then. I
you want to see a good, cool movie that blends all of our favorite
anime’s and sci fi movies, you wont be disappointed. And by the way,
the soundtrack is also really good.
Nowhere near as bad as critics made it sound..
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Empty Shell
Remaking a classic is difficult to pull off right. Recently, ”Beauty
and the Beast” came very close in many ways to the original. Now we
have another animation classic being remade into live-action. ”Ghost in
the Shell” has a real chance at being something unique, compelling, and
memorable The original is an anime and, therefore, Japanese; thus, made
for that audience. Therefore, this American version might have a new
perspective to offer.
Sadly, this new perspective turns out to be a dumbed down one. ”Ghost
in the Shell” 2017 flounders in its inability to understand the source
material. In the world of ”Ghost in the Shell” (any version),
technology has reached a point where any human body part can be
upgraded. The resultant population lives in varying degrees with
cybernetics. People who are fully human still exist, but they are a
rarity.
In their essence, the setups of the two movies parallel closely. How
they follow up on that is quite different. The original focused on
asking questions. The remake seems to feel the need to answer those
questions for the audience. The main protagonist in the films is the
Major (here portrayed by Scarlett Johansson) who is just a brain in a
fully robotic body. Because of this, she questions whether or not she’s
still human. In the original while the Major is the main character, her
partner Batou is the heart of the movie. It is his unwavering
confidence in the Major’s humanity despite her soul rending doubts that
provides the audience’s perspective. Thus, the audience senses that the
Major is good and empathize with Batou’s belief in her.
In the remake, Batou exists because he was written in the original, his
perspective fades into the background noise. Instead, the Major seems
to be the heart of the piece. She clearly has emotions and concerns and
is desperately wanting to cling to her soul or ghost so she can be
human. Problem is, by handling it this way, there is no question for
the audience to weigh. Clearly, she still is human; even if she doubts
it, the audience does not. Another issue this presents is that it
forces Johansson to play a role that requires showing emotion while
being as emotionless as possible. It’s a tricky balancing act that she
handles fine, but the end result is a movie whose heart is as
emotionless as possible.
Kudos to the filmmakers for how well the movie maintains the aesthetic
of the anime classic. Nevertheless, it fails to understand what was at
the heart of that movie and what made it a classic. Perhaps the simpler
title ”Empty Shell” would fit the remake better.
It’s not the original. It’s a wonderful imagining from the original.
This isn’t the original Manga. What it is, is a breathtaking
re-imagining based upon that wonderful Manga. The cinematography is, in
my opinion, absolutely stunning. Both bright and vibrant whilst showing
a dark and gritty life within the city.
I have heard talk that this film will be negatively affected by reports
of ”white-washing”, I had no idea this term existed before reading a
review of the movie. Scarlett Johanssons portrayal of The Major is
fabulous. Had she been half as good as she was then maybe people could
deride the films choice for lead actress. However she shines. The
subtle nuances she brings to The Major’s character are sublime. She can
do so much just with slight facial expressions that convey so much more
than words. Forget what you might have read, merit walks and Scarlett
Johansson has merit to spare from her work here.
The other main characters are well done too. Batou is exactly what I
imagined he should be, based upon the original. The understated yet
complex interplay between him and The Major is a delight to watch.
The film maybe doesn’t have some of the existential depth of the
original Manga. There aren’t as many questions asked or nuances of
human psychology explored. However, unless you’d seen the original you
wouldn’t know they were missing. The film lacks for nothing. As a fan
of the original Ghost in the Shell I am more than happy to recommend
this movie, based on it’s merits! It’s not a bright shiny Marvel movie,
it’s not Inception either. It is worth your time to make up your own
mind and definitely worth the price of a cinema ticket!
All the good looks it’s too niche for general audience
Based on media franchise of the same name, Ghost in the Shell” is the
first live-action movie of the seminal cyber epic about human enhanced
into super soldier who clashes with dangerous criminals. In order to
add some international star power, the main hero originally Asian
has turned into sexy and nimble white girl (Scarlett Johansson), the
choice surely liked by many and despised by some more hard-core fans.
And adding some street cred, there is legendary director Takeshi Kitano
supporting her. There are or at least one can perceive nods to all
kinds of mind- bending sci-fi classics that have gone before, The
Matrix” and Assassin’s Creed” among others. The gravity-defying
asskicking and futuristic environments sure look good, with all the
gigantic holograms dominating the cityscape and everything. Sadly it
does not really feel like a living breathing world it’s much more
like a video game. So you may not remember it long after watching but
it’s competent if unoriginal vision of what futuristic looks like. What
the fans of previous Ghost in the Shell” incarnations especially
manga and anime may lament about is the horribly simplified approach
that the western movie makers has used. But if you don’t know or care
about the legacy, the first live-action movie may quench some thirst
for futuristic action. The result is not bad, really. It’s just not
terribly involving either. It’s not gonna become a megahit, because for
all the good looks it’s too niche for general audience and probably too
shallow for manga or anime heads. Oh well. At least we get an idea
about how the coming Blade Runner” sequel and Marvel’s Black Widow
movie(s) may look like. There’s a fully functional spiritual side to
the story, and it’s actually much more exciting to follow events this
way. But all the spiritual stuff has been pushed to the background and
is mentioned only in passing. So it can’t effectively compensate for
the shallowness of the main plot or sure-handed but emotionally distant
style which never lets you close to the characters. The potential is
all there, but the result will leave many a bit unsatisfied. Watched it
in 3D. Didn’t think the extra D added enough to justify its existence.
Tons of Visual Style but Lacks Emotional Stakes
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Entertaining but predictable
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
If you’re not a die-hard fan, you’ll love it!
This film (in my opinion) is great! If you’re looking for a movie that
has a great plot and plenty of action, I recommend this. Its plot is
deep and complex, but one of my favourites. You have to constantly pay
attention to understand it fully, I might add. The action is certainly
enjoyable and intense as well. The fact that the CGI can sometimes take
you out of the moment, and that the main character is white-washed
(Scarlet J. still does an excellent job in this movie, though) are the
only flaws. Aside from that, it’s an overall great movie that deserves
to be watched!
I don’t understand the bad critics
I am some what fan of Masamune’s Ghost in the Shell (origin/comic) I am
incredible fan of Ohii’s Ghost in the Shell (highly
philosophical/movie) I am Mid-Big fan of Kamiyama’s Ghost in the Shell
(political?/mostly TV Series)
And comes film version of Ghost in the Shell. This should be counted as
4th kind of Ghost in the Shell that I believe can’t really be compared
with the genre in the past.
Whatever the genre would be, every director have there own mind set and
whoever holds the decision, I’ve seen two common factor.
1.I get to ”think” about the relationship with ghost(software) in
relation with shell(hardware)? Leads to our everyday question on
relationship between our mind and body. 2.I get to walk through the
process of Major’s conflict to understand what or who she is. 3.Team
work is still the most important factor no matter how perfectly you are
made
I was able to enjoy same quality in this movie.
IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED AND IS A FAN Don’t compare with any of other
Ghost in the Shell. It’s like watching another version of Batman movie.
It ”could be” pain to compare Nolan’s Batman with Burton’s Batman(or
even Lego Batman). Or to compare Bale’s version of Batman and Ben’s
version of Batman.
Remember how you first seen this series. Just Dive
IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED AND IS Not A Fan It is SF movie and is based on
Japanese SF comic…manga….animation whatever you call them by. If
you fit in, welcome to the world, there are tons more out there.
This is not MATRIX, this is not Ex-Machina. This is film version of
Ghost in the Shell and really should not be compared. And I believe it
was GREAT! And I believe Scarlett Johansson was the right fit. Since
when did shell matter in this series.
But yet the only thing I didn’t like about it Story are too slow and
1hr47min does not seem to be enough. But that’s because it’s so unique
and needs time to educate the world of the series. This whole movie
seemed like a teaser to ”understand” the background of the Ghost in the
Shell.
I am not a professional in the area but if all those graphic or CG
assets can be reused…. wouldn’t it be lesser budget for the second
one? We’ve seen the orange field, we now need the juice. Hope there is
second one with ”more” of Ghost in the Shell. (and not another
questionable anime series)
Sad outcome for a good movie
I have to be honest i really enjoyed this take on Ghost in the shell.
The cast was good. Having Scarlet as the Major was interesting, but as
you get fully into the story line they used it fits perfectly fine.
What really saddens me is they could not have had a worse weekend to
open on.
On one hand you have one of Disney’s most iconic movies in theaters for
its 3rd weekend.
And on the other side you had a Dreamworks film opening against it.
Which from what i see is still killing it.
So two family style movies vs an obscure title at best when it comes to
the masses.
Its no wonder it didn’t do well money wise. That is really sad because
they did an outstanding job with he movie and its visuals. I would love
to see them make a follow up. Better yet cut a deal with Netflix and
have them continue it with a series that brings in more form the manga
and anime series.
Autistic Reviewers Opinion Of This Movie.
Anime has made an impact in western culture since its first
introduction in the late 80’s, features like Akira, Ninja Scroll and
the original Ghost in the Shell made a massive impact on audiences with
its visual style, unique storytelling and brutal animated violence.
Today, Ghost in the Shell has been adapted by the American filmmakers
and does it live to expectations? In way I can say yes but it has its
faults, but redeems itself in quality effects, production value and
some worthy screen performances.
The story is set in the way ahead future, in a time where both man and
machine have combined to be a living organisms with enhanced abilities.
Advanced cybernetic soldier Major (played by Scarlett Johansson)
pursues terror plots and villains to keep the city safe from chaos and
destruction. But when visions of her possible past seem to surface, she
questions not only who she is, but who is the manipulator of this
possible threat.
Now I will advise that I haven’t seen the original, I had plans to in
hopes of finding what was there and wasn’t but it’s hard to get a copy
of it in Australia. From what I watched, it felt like it tries to be
faithful to the source material but white being it’s own film, not
wanting to affect the original’s acclaimed status. The plot is straight
forward to follow, but I did feel that the themes of the story weren’t
justified as much, you get a bit here and there but I wanted more and
see how characters would have changed and even ask the audience what
they would do in a world like that.
Visual effects and the production value are really in high value here,
with some state of the art CGI, practical make up and a electronic
music score that suits to the anime. With visual effects wizards Weta
Workshop and other artists credited, they pull off an amazing job that
could lead to future award nominations. Acting is pretty much good,
with ScarJo being her usual best in a role that’s similar to ‘Lucy’.
She’s fit, dazzling and gives whatever she can in her lead role.
To wrap this up, GITS packs a wallop on the eye in terms of visual
effects, cinematography and style, but it does miss a few steps in
terms of the story themes. – 3/5 Check us out on facebook and
Instagram- The Autistic Reviewers!
It’s pretty awesome
I feel like whitewashing is a problem, but that bashing a film and
actress over it will resolve nothing. Though I’ve never heard of the
anime and manga before this movie came out, I will definitely be
checking it out now. The visuals are stunning (except the awkward ones
scattered here and there throughout the film). All in all, I highly
recommend this movie. And Scarlet Johannsen rocked the role (though
there were scenes where she was wooden and stiff, but I’m unsure
whether that ties into the character itself). Awesome though.
Visually Cool!
This was visually really futuristic with a distinct Japanese flavour. I
found the city scenes great to look at and it really draws you in and
creates an interesting backdrop to the movie. I know there has been
mixed reviews about this one, but I have to say I liked it. Scarlett is
always a fascinating actress to watch and the story does keep you
interested. I would recommend if not to look at the special effects
alone!!
men, machines and in-between
I did not see the original Japanese anime film with the same name which
triggered the idea of Ghost in the Shell and this may be an advantage
or a disadvantage. I have read some articles that compare the two
works, and also refer to the comics series, as well as to ‘Matrix’
which took apparently many ideas from it. It seems to me that I can
enjoy and appreciate director Rupert Sanders’ film even better without
that comparison, although I may be missing some of the nuances or
different directions the original work was taking the theme to.
What may have changed in the two decades since the Japanese original
works were created is the fact that much of the technology that is
described in the film became reality, and for the rest the feasibility
is a confirmed fact. Artificial organs are now more and more replacing
organs and tissues damaged by diseases or accidents. We know much more
about how brain functions, how information circulates between brain and
body, and how mechanical actions of the human body or artificial
prosthesis are controlled. Brain transplant was not achieved, but it’s
considered feasible, as well as a future implant in a completely
artificial body. As in the film, many of the humans are or will become
hybrids with a higher and higher percentage of replaced parts.
The film deals with a future in which the first brain implant is made
in an artificial body. This makes of the lead heroine (Scarlett
Johansson) kind of a super-hero, a living weapon to fight terrorists.
It’s just that her former identity (her ‘ghost’) comes to haunt her,
and while she slowly recovers her human identity the reality around
becomes less connected to the truth. What follows is a combination of
action (or even super-heroes action) and smart science-fiction genres,
which takes place in a world where men coexist with hybrids, or maybe
better said almost any man also became a hybrid. It’s a film which
succeeds both to entertain as well as to ask difficult questions about
the future evolution of mankind and it’s relation with the thinking
machines created by men.
Some exceptional work was performed in order to create on screen the
possible world of the future described in Ghost in the Shell. The
visual concept makes reference to previous art like the one in
Metropolis or Blade Runner, but develops those into new directions
starting from the images and shapes that define today’s Asian big
cities. There are a lot of computerized effects but they all have logic
and are backing the story line, and so do the action scenes. The film
succeeds to satisfy both action fans as well as viewers who are looking
for meaningful science-fiction. Scarlett Johansson is very good in the
lead role, she continues her daring undertaking of roles in
science-fiction movies, but each one of the roles is different and this
should help her avoid automatic casting in a new stereotype which
replaces the older beautiful-fragile girl one in the first years of her
career. It’s a pleasure to see huge actors as Takeshi Kitano and
Juliette Binoche also involved in this project.
clearly a trap.
Trailers only with scenes from the original anime version. Songs made
but never used in the movie. They turned Motoko from a perfectionist
calculator to a little girl searching for love. You take a Matrix level
scenario and turn it to a classic Hollywood love story. Ghost in the
Shell is a deeply philosophical piece of art that goes through the
problems of a post modern society and emphasizes on the birth and
evolution of an entity greater than AI. So as a movie it was
acceptable, but compared to anime it lacked in almost everything. From
atmosphere to character quality . Thumbs up for design team, they did a
great job – equal to anime.
A Terrific Ride With Genuine Emotional Content
The first thing I always ask myself when it comes to Sci-Fi films is
minus the CGI would you still have a compelling story? The answer is
yes.
First off, the soundtrack couldn’t be better. It haunts and glows
audibly resonating perfectly with every scene. At least it did for me.
Nothing worse than a bad soundtrack.
Virtually everybody in the future has some form of hardware/software
body modification, ranging from the exquisite to the grotesque. If your
wealthy and well connected, you can afford the finest. If your poor,
there are plenty of slimy street dealers selling modifications much
like the low-lives who sling crack and meth in our world today. I found
the idea of it chilling and very believable.
Next, the mock-ups of life in the big city reek of Blade Runner, but
who cares? Multiple level boulevards snake around skyscrapers and 800
foot high holographic advertisements. I wonder if people in the future
will simply ignore these monstrosities much like we do now if you are
chronically viewing content on sites like YouTube.
After her role in the highly underrated movie ‘Lucy’ from 2014, I felt
this was Ms. Johansson’s perfect revenge role for a come-back in a
similar character. That being a helpless woman forced into impossible
circumstances, but eventually sorts things out and opens up a glorious
can of whoop-ass on the powers that be.
I also found all the supporting characters well developed and
interesting. In particular the aging Japanese executive who’s weapon of
choice is a now ancient six-shooter revolver. That alone was a great
touch.
Overall a wonderful hour and a half of fun, thrills and intrigue.
Child safe, too.
haven’t been disappointed like that in the cinema for a very long time
After seeing the movie is rated 7/10 here on IMDb I spontaneously went
to buy a cinema ticket.
Well, it was painful to watch. Pretty much anything about the movie is
pure failure. How come the dialogues are so blatantly stupid? The
story? non-existent. The original anime is amazing, but this here is as
boring as watching The Expendables.
Nothing is thought-provoking and even the optics of the movie aren’t
really original.
Scarlett Johansson? If you loved her in ”Lost in Translation” and a
bunch of other movies you are left wondering here. In this movie she is
literally nothing but a pretty face.
It is beyond me how this failure has a solid 7/10 rating on this site.
Almost like true
The concept is amazing. A brain transplant to a robot. I have seen real
brain transplant attempts on human and animals. Although all this is
experimental the actress Scarlett Johansson part in the movie was a
work in itself. At times very emotional and yet most of the time
realistic and robotic. Not a comedy but like it is true, where a person
is trying to meet the family of origin. Last 20 minute is gripping
truth of origin and discovery of hangouts and finally closure. The last
scene was fantastic at the cemetery. Great motor bike chase and ride
which I loved. Never knew Durati is a fast bike and it is believable.
The movie kept me in the edge of my seat. The kind I like . I can give
it an 7.0
A truly great film
A 10? Really? Yeah, I know… It seems high but the more I think about
the film the more I appreciate it more. To be honest, I saw it on the
8th of April, then the very next day, today…I saw it again in an IMAX
theater at noon that uses a 4K laser for 3D images on an 8-story high
screen. Only the 8th in the world actually for such a laser system and
the only in New England. Don’t get me started on the amazing sound. So
let me tell you, I realized I loved this film. A fan of the original
series and anime myself, I have come to appreciate the process that
they went to try and tell the story in a live version. In fact, much of
the mid-90’s original anime movie story-line is presented here. While
the film might not be perfect, I felt when I left the movie, that I
enjoyed it tremendously and that I felt my money was well spent. A good
investment in time and money…and certainly something to talk about
over dinner.
What else could you ask for? 🙂
J. Duran
So close, yet so far
Let’s sort out what works first.
The casting. Johansson is a great badass leading lady as usual. She
does the job she’s supposed to with aplomb. Asbaek is great as Batou,
giving you a perfectly likable oddball character to play off ”Major”.
Kitano plays Aramaki as a an awesome old badass and nails it.
Then there’s the visuals, which everyone covered. Awesome, very
awesome. A world of giant holograms everywhere, crazy cyborgs,
overcrowded Japanese cities, and on and on all brought to life with
(almost) entirely solid CGI. Batou even drives a semifuture Delorean,
awesome!
And then, you get to the story. The good news here is that the American
adaptation here wants to have the kind of brains and examination of
humanity and its relationship with technology that the original movie
and then series did. It very, very much WANTS to, but it doesn’t. And
that’s because the plot is disorganized mess of trying to stick in old
GITS story lines, be a Hollywood blockbuster, be smarter than a
Hollywood blockbuster, and about a half dozen other things as well.
In other words its a mess. Not a mess that isn’t followable, it
perfectly well is. But it’s a mess in that it doesn’t know what it’s
trying to do or what its overall goal is. The bad guy is, Kuze.. who
uhm. His goal is too… uhhh. Destroy a robotics company, sorta, a bit?
And the main characters care about this… sort of, like tangentially.
Because it’s their job too mostly? Also there’s a bunch of comparisons
to the first anime GITS movie and the bad guy there, but it’s just kind
of there to be… there?
And then it turns out the real bad guy is the corporate asshole from
the beginning. Whos personality can be summed up as ”evil asshole that
will get shot or something” and then he gets shot. And his plan was
too… uhm. Hmmm. Be, an asshole to everyone? Cause that’s all he
really does throughout the entire movie, whether it makes sense or not.
Also by the end Kuze, the initial bad guy, dies but doesn’t. And no one
ends up caring where he goes or what he was doing throughout the first
2/3rds of the movie even though that’s what a lot of the movie was
about. Because… uhhhhh. Well I don’t know and the plot sure doesn’t,
the movie just kind of ends. And what a downer that is. Some people,
the concept artists, the cast, the VFX team, all feel like they worked
really hard on this movie and nailed there parts in what could have
been a great translation of GITS into live action. Too bad about the
script.
I they wanted to copy the 1995 Anime, they should’ve done so, but not create this half-baked/half-raw monstrosity.
The movie is not bad, but it also not good. It was based specifically
on 1995 Anime/and 2.0 CGI upgrade (which means no Tachikomas, but there
was a spider tank). SCENES. Some scenes were clearly copied from 1995
Anime, or its 2.0 upgrade, and I mean copied in an almost frame to
frame basis (there are even some comparisons of trailer elements on
YouTube, if you want an example). some were partially copied, with some
new elements introduced. (several elements were in fact good, like
geisha’s, but some changes were illogical and unnecessary). However,
some other scenes were invented anew (f.e. yakuza bar scene) and their
design was performed in a very sloppy manner. They do not match other
scenes in style (and the difference in the choreography of the scenes,
or logic of the gun standouts is way too visible f.e. Aramaki defending
himself against a a squad armed with assault rifles with a suitcase)
and are much less stunning visually. STORY. The story is very
different, and is full of Hollywood clichés Evil Corporation, fake
memory etc. I was expecting a new story (and I’d rather prefer a new
story to something, that I know well), however this new story is very
secondary (to an extent, that I’d say I’ve seen it in every second
American Sci-Fi movie including James Bond) and is mainly used to tie
in the scenes, rather then to tell a story. It is heavily based on
Motoko, rather than exploring and presenting the world around, and the
concept is that Motoko is unique first human brain transplanted into a
cyborg body, who is on a hunt for her past (and you can easily guess
the whole plot from here). WORLD. The world itself is not that bad,
although in those brief moment of world presentation, there was a
designer’s desire to shock us with futuristic ”asian/japanese”
(although the country was never mentioned, only the Prime-Minister was
mentioned few times) world filled with bright colors and 3d
projections. Try portraying glamorous cyberpunk on LSD to get the idea.
ACTORS. Despite my initial skepticism partially due to the white
washing, Johansson played the role well (although there was limited
space for that), and it looked like at least she was familiar with the
character she was playing from Anime/Series (unlike the scriptwriter),
however actor playing Batou was very weak (the actor wasn’t trying to
play anyone at all – he was more impressive in his brief role as Euron
Greyjoy in Game of Thrones), even though the casting and character
design was good. Other members of Section 9 made too very brief
appearance to say anything serious about them. Aramaki also was quite
good, although Takeshi Kitano altered the character significantly. New
characters were way to simplistic and cliché based (motherly figure,
antagonist figure, foe-turning-friend figure, etc). VERDICT: 4/10
Some scenes are visually good, and they are recreation of classical
GITS (so much recreation, that i’d rather watch those scene
incorporated into the anime) Some are way too bad/primitive/simplistic.
Especially the bar scene, which leads to Motoko’s torture scene, which
was pretty unnecessary, and way too out of movie style (i got an
impression, that it was there, as scriptwriter just wanted to have a
female torture scene). I do not recommend seeing this in the cinema
(CGI is not really that stunning Dr. Strange CGI was way better),
just wait for an HD version appearing on sale. Also if you are
fascinated by trailer, per standard Hollywood practice trailer is way
better then the movie.
Crticts too sour and all wrong: go watch this movie
I especially made an account at IMDb.COM for the reason to be able to
write this review. I just hate it when critics want to bash a great
movie. Yes, I gave in a 10. It should get an 8 or 9 on average so due
to the people who down-vote this movie I had to give it 10 points to up
the average! The reason is simple. I saw the original animation when I
was a young boy and loved it. To see this story re-envisioned in
reality really overwhelmed me. So please go and see this movie. All the
critics are sour and wrong!! But please please make up your own mind
and go see the movie, you won’t be disappointed!
This Should Be A Wake-Up Call for Japan (A Country In Asia)
This film should be a wake-up call to the country of Japan. It is in
East Asia. Its capital city, and where most of its story-telling and
cartoons originate, is Tokyo. This Film should finally slap those silly
Japanese to create a Japanese film industry. It should awaken the
Japanese to legalize their men and women (young and old) to become
actors and actresses. Japan should also open its market to the import,
and domestic manufacture, of film cameras. … That way it can have its
owns stories shot by its own people, using native actors and native
crews, so it won’t always have to rely on Americans (who sometimes,
just sometimes don’t have a clue what they are doing and cannot
translate the metaphors…ehem, er, cough cough… …
Oh, and before you say it, of course the creator of the original (First
installment of the wonderfully complex, action-packed and meaningful
Ghost In The Shell was released in 1995) is supportive of this crud! he
has a licensing deal for a net and percentage of profit on this
Hollywood remake… He is thinking of his own pocket! Fans, non-fans,
intelligent people, etc. would and should stay away. Find the original
and enjoy!
A worthy American remake
Yet another classic redone. A good remake should never aim to ”replace”
the original and GitS thankfully doesn’t. Theatre lives by this
tradition for centuries. How to get it right? In theatre modern
interpretations often look for the substance, the core of a play, and
apply it to the present realities. In consequence even clear cut plots
get more and more abstracted.
Ghost in the Shell does it the other way around: the rather
philosophical original, partly hard to digest not least for western
viewers drama wise, gets an ”emotional upgrade” in a more personalized
and thus more relatable plot. To put it bluntly: the different forces
at work all have a face representing them. At least as far as western
film language goes it does work as an improvement as a cinema
experience and renders it more accessible, more pointed. It is however
sacrificing abstraction as it is precisely the absence of the person in
favor of the ghost (one could say ”soul”) the original deals with. Mind
”person” originally means ”mask”, as in the (role defining) masks
ancient actors used. Thus it is an image related term that does *not*
refer to the abstracted substance ”ghost” or ”soul” refers to. That
said it has not become a mindless SciFi-flic but remains a journey into
a future dealing with the modern version of the ancient body/soul
problem.
It is to be praised if a film manages to be genuinely different than
the original while still interpreting or commenting the same original
point. Now one could argue whether or not it actually is the original
point it is honouring. It certainly convinced me that its makers made
an honest attempt at doing so – and that’s all we can possibly ask for.
Thus I applaud a well done interpretation, which is of course
perceivably different and I dare say ”rather American”. Nothing wrong
with that, as it is an American film.
Although I’d have liked to hear more of the original score referenced I
loved some very literal references, scenes from the original redone.
These are used skillfully and weave into the plot in a good way:
Although the images are ”the same” they do play a different role in the
plot. That’s a great way to honour one’s predecessors! The cast, the
drama, the plot and characters: it all works out. Specifically Juliette
Binoche and Takechi Kitano play brilliant supportive roles, which goes
a long way.
All in all I had a great time watching it and can only recommend
checking out this film – whether or not you loved the original.
A movie worth seeing, disregard the purists and social combatants
OK a few things. SJWs: Thank you for fighting the good fight, but
ScarJo looks like Major in the movie, and they very explicitly nod to
her origin at some point in the film. Plus there are plenty of diverse
characters throughout the movie.
Purists: I watched GITS two days before seeing this, and you should
chill. First of all, GITS isn’t even that amazing (it’s great but I
need you to settle down), and that’s coming from a sci-fi fan who loves
cyberpunk and Transhumanism and all that and whose favorite movie is
probably AKIRA. So stop docking points from this movie when it’s fairly
faithful to the original while meeting mainstream expectations. You
should really learn to meet producers halfway if you want animated
movies to become mainstream and eventually masterpieces. Support the
movie.
Everyone else: Watching this movie solely for the visuals is worth the
price, especially if a sci-fi tech world appeals to you. In that case
don’t miss it. On top of that, the characters are likable and the plot
is more than sufficiently good. The dialogue is fine, not a masterpiece
but not cheesy (maybe 2 instances I thought were trash). Although the
philosophy is tweaked down, there are still many questions that arise
through the dialogue and the characters. The movie itself is a visual
exploration of what it is to fuse humans and tech, you will see a lot
of whirling trinkets and gadgets. There is one visual failure in my
opinion in the beginning, kinda looks like garbage.
So I apologize for the disjointed ”review” and for throwing some shade
I was compelled to post out of salt. It’s more of an intervention and a
reassurance that this movie is enjoyable than a true review. This movie
I say is 7/10 but I will give it an 8/10 to balance out the haters
because I hate seeing short-sighted elitist weebs stifle progress just
so they can stroke their own ego.
Excellent Movie
I thought the movie was excellent. I’m trying not to compare it to the
Anime.
They did very well on explaining and expanding on the story line with
the development of the characters.
There’s plenty of action in the movie with a good amount of suspense.
The filming of the movie was beautiful.
Overall I’d see it again. A well done film.
Visually stunning, story lacking, still a good film
My quick rating – 7,1/10. There will be two types of reviewers for this
movie. Those die hard fans of the original anime, and those that have
not seen the anime and watch this film stand alone. As someone who has
seen the anime, and loved it, I am going to try and teeter between the
two views as best as I can. I will just get something out of the way:
When great Animes came out 20 or so years ago, such as this, and Akira
to name the two that come to mind quickly, there was a general
consensus that there was no way that a movie could be intricate enough
to capture the vivid and detailed world that was created in these
masterpieces. Special effects were not there….yet. Jump to now, where
the strides in tech have made capturing these vivid worlds a
possibility and this movie did so perfectly. The dark and decaying
world shows bright and vivid, with all the contrast as it should. Even
with the somewhat bizarre building size holographic billboards that
seem out of place at times (as big as Godzilla strolling through
central park for no reason) that are selling something? Maybe? Anyway,
this movie is a marvel to look at, and is no doubt going to win Oscars
for visuals. Unbelievable to look at. So if you hear, see it in a
theater (i chose IMAX, and glad I did) there is truth to this. The
REALLY big screen is needed to take it all in.
So now the story. Quick sum up, the future has no issues with replacing
body parts with enhanced robotic parts. Well, the story is the main
character, Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first to take the human
brain and be put into a fully robotic body, enhanced to be a super
soldier. Now if this sounds like Universal Soldier, I suppose there are
some parallels to it, but they are nothing alike. This is actually a
story about identity, which is an important word to remember when
viewing this. All the things that make us human, and keeps us different
from AI is a part of the struggle here. This is the part that I will
step over to being a fan of the anime. Many of these themes that were
alluded to and gave the viewer things to ponder are just kinda swept
away from this Hollywood product. This movie had to be ”dummy’d down”
if you will to make it a bit more mainstream. I didn’t see this as a
problem per se, but I am sure some fans are slightly perturbed by some
of the omissions that occur. No details since that would be spoiler
territory.
It would be difficult not to be in awe of the action sequences as well.
They are so wonderfully shot and edited so they never lose your
attention by moving to fast, and allow the audience to just take the
sequences in. Just a really good job sine lately the massive cut-cut
editing in action scenes leave you wondering what is going on. Not in
this film.
So, with some incredible things to look at, and a script that leaves
some to be desired, the other element is the acting. Well, all that
gets from me is adequate. Can’t say much more. The emotions in Majors
eyes are really what you are supposed to get the feelings from and this
is done just fine really. Not distracting nor great. The other
characters are fine, and Batou was probably the best when it comes to
acting in the movie. And they did do a good job with the iconic eyes of
Batou as well, for all the fans out there. All that said, is the movie
perfect, and everything us fans wanted? Nope. Never was going to be no
matter who made it. But Hollywood didn’t destroy the classic either
thankfully, and gave us all something to sit and allow our jaws to drop
at, and listen to (yes, some of the original score from the anime is
even in place for your listening pleasure). Definitely a good film
worth watching that most likely will be taken out of context by both
audiences I described since it is right in the middle of what it is and
what it could have been. I left satisfied and that is good enough for
me.
Garbo writers + garbo script = garbo movie
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A very good movie with a good story
When I watched this movie I had in mind of how low Metacritic the movie
had gotten, this made me a little gentle on the film even though I was
still pretty harsh. But! There was not that much to be harsh about.
Reason why is because the movie producers didn’t ”milk it out”, this
made it very pleasant to watch and entertained me well. One thing I
think could be improved in the movie would be if they showed a little
more between the scenes, there was quite a lot of skipping. This did
not ruin the movie at all though.
I really enjoyed the original movie and i can’t help it but compare it to this one even though they are different in terms of story and meaning.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
”Maybe next time you can design me better”
Could not have said it better myself… sometimes the script writers
and the characters they feed accidentally stumble upon the truth. Ghost
In The Shell remake is exactly such a case. this remake is unwanted,
unnecessary and lost in its mixed up story, Matrix wanna-be styling and
complete non-story. Unfortunately, as much as Ghost In The Shell
series/movie were fun and technologically fun to watch there was a
meaningful story which Scarlett and all involved
ignored/missed/misunderstood/could not figure out/accountants at studio
vetoed/who knows/who cares. This is avoidable: just stop remaking other
people’s work. Really. Seriously. Finally, Scarlett Johansson should
focus on playing middle-aged spinsters or something going forward. She
is even more ridiculous in this and more useless than she is in those
infinite Marvel films. Also, she should lay off japan. From her racist
and insulting take on japan in lost In Translation to taking the
rightful place of a Japanese actress (who maybe just maybe might have
understood what this whole thing is about) Johansson should really be
ashamed.
Why was Kuze there?
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Nothing Great
Before I begin, I have not seen the original anime of Ghost in the
Shell, so don’t read this review if you’re expecting a comparison.
I’ll start with the good things. Visually, this film is stunning. The
art direction is fantastic, and the whole thing just looks beautiful.
Some shots are really great. So for this, I will give the film a lot of
credit. It has a solid, simple story which I liked. The problem with
this film is pretty much everything else.
Most of the acting isn’t great. Aside from Takeshi Kitano and Juliette
Binoche, who were pretty good. The dialogue is flat and uninteresting.
The first part of the film feels quite rushed, and everything happens
way too quickly. It felt like they were trying to get it over with as
fast as possible to get to the second part. The villain is very weak.
If they’d spent more time introducing him in the first act, it would
have been a lot better. Instead, he doesn’t really do anything until
about an hour into the film and it feels forced. I started watching the
film expecting the action to be the best part of it, but surprisingly
it was pretty mediocre. There were some things I liked, but most of the
time it’s just dull PG-13 shooting. This film would have been
infinitely better if it had been R rated. I know a lot of people say
that about everything, but in this film’s case, I really do believe it
would have been better if it was. A lot of the action sequences just
feel like they could have been so much better if they could show some
gore.
In conclusion, Ghost in the Shell is brilliant visually but is very
flawed otherwise. Do keep in mind I haven’t seen the anime, and people
who had seemed to like it. Maybe I would have liked this film more if
I’d seen the anime, but as it is, it’s pretty second-rate.
5.4/10
Quite possibly the most generic sci-fi film I have ever watched
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A highly recommended movie for anyone who can’t sleep well
If you are suffering sleeplessness, I would prefer you to go and watch
the live action movie, ‘Ghost in the Shell’. This is a highly
recommended movie for the guys who uses sleeping pills for a good
sleep.
I personally liked the visuals and some action scenes. I can’t give a
detailed review because I’ve slept completely after the interval. And
when someone wakes me, the movie was over.
Works great as a prequel to the original movie
While fans of the 1995 film will recognize scenes that have been lifted
near verbatim from the original, this is not a rehash of that story.
Instead this iteration of Ghost In The Shell can be seen as a prequel;
an origins story that chronologically sits before the anime. It fills
the gap between the time when the protagonist was just a plain girl and
the time when they have become the slightly detached, mature and
hard-boiled Major Kusanagi.
And with this, the film works really well. Long-time fans get to know
the background of familiar characters such as the Major and Batou
(including how he got his eyes) without mulling too much over the
already familiar philosophical questions. And newcomers into the Ghost
In The Shell universe get an exciting ride and a more easy-to-digest
introduction compared than the heavy mind-jobs that are the previous
ones. As such it works well for both camps.
The visuals are excellently crafted, retaining the mood of a high- tech
future, where human and machine are becoming blended into one, along
with the grit and grime that have become a hallmark of franchise. The
environs are completely credible as an image of the future, the
characters are believable, and the action is amazing without being
needlessly outdrawn or becoming cheesy.
The only thing that prevents me from giving this film a full 10 is that
they lifted one too many scenes from the original, in an attempt to
appease the fans. Had they gone fully with making this an origins
story, I would have been happy. But that small flaw is easily
overlooked.
Be kind and see this as a prequel and as live-action’s first tentative
outing into the Ghost In The Shell universe, and you will not be
disappointed.
I recommend both fans and beginners to see this film.
Much better in many ways!
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I read most of good review come from people who watching this on IMAX 3D
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Interesting cyberpunk story
I like it very much, but I haven’t seen the Japanese version so I am
not able to make a comparison with it. The movie made me really want to
watch the Japanese movie.
Great story. I especially liked the way the main character’s story is
developed and explored. I liked the way the movie was coherent and
flowed well from beginning to finish.
The actors actually did a pretty good job. Not the best of all time but
I feel they performed very well. Scarlett was amazing and Pilou Asbæk
really surprised me in a positive way. His action scenes were great.
The effects, visuals and art were very peculiar and beautiful in a
cyberpunk way.
I know that it’s a blockbuster movie including the expected clichés and
over the top action scenes. An interesting story of finding yourself, I
recommend this movie as I think the cyberpunk setting has a lot to
offer the viewer.
Hollywood is not going to cater to anime fans. There aren’t enough of you.
Seriously disturbing trend with these reviews. If you love the
original, you write a bad review. If you you know nothing of the
original, this is a great movie. What I do not understand is why you
would expect this to be a copy of the original. This is a big Hollywood
movie. The campaign against it is idiotic. Go watch the original and
stop leaving reviews that add nothing to the conversation except ”oh
it’s not anime so it sucks”. It is made for the masses and not fanboys.
Sorry.
Visual Porn Not Prone to Repeated Returns
The source material and the amount of money thrown into this high tech
visual porn of a movie had all the ingredients for one of two outcomes:
it could either be (a) a relevant, intelligent, thought provoking, deep
and artsy addition to the futuristic genre or (b) a purposely
tongue-in-cheek yet rich guilty pleasure prone to repeated viewings.
Unfortunately, this Ghost in the Shell is (c) – and no, the option is
not all the above, but rather neither of the above. The first minutes
are gobsmackingly beautiful and captivating; pulling the viewer to a
fascinating weird world, a dystopian reality of captivating
extravagance much in the vein of the landmarks like Blade Runner and
Total Recall. As soon as the first action scene comes to a close, the
film starts falling apart slowly, never quite recuperating any of its
initial bravado, shamelessly freefalling into a pool of clichés (the
eye-roll-inducing-kind) that ultimately make you stop caring for the
characters, the action or even the setting. Yes, even all the
praiseworthy designs and atmosphere become tiresomely repetitive. As
for the much publicised whitewashing of the central characters, I’m not
one to embark into absurd politic discussions; for a source material
that is not necessarily ethnic-centric, it’s not the whitewashing
that’s worrying, but how blandly and cringing it is delivered.
All shell, no ghost.
Visually, this Ghost in the Shell remake is as excellent as the
trailers promised. The futuristic city design is marvelous, and the
movie succeeds in bringing to life – and (arguably) in some cases even
improving upon – the stunning visuals of the original anime and manga.
I don’t usually have a problem enjoying a mediocre movie for its
visuals alone, but this one left me completely cold. Rarely have I seen
a movie this lifeless, bloodless, sexless, and soulless. There isn’t a
single human moment in it. No character for whom I felt anything.
Despite the presence of Juliette Binoche, who is one of my favorite
actors, and Scarlett Johansson, who has been great in similar roles,
there is no good acting in it. It’s barely even worth it to get into
the race-bending controversy or the clumsy attempt to address it in the
story.
The whole movie feels like a cold corporate product directed by robots.
It’s all shell, no ghost.
Blade Runner wasn’t appreciated at first either
I was lucky enough to see this in IMAX 3D. The film is the best use of
3D to date, better than Avatar. The actions sequences are particularly
impressive in that they are completely immersive and can be stunningly
disorienting at moments as a result. It is truly one of a kind and if
you missed it you will forever be deprived. If you are drawn to ”The
Boss Baby” or can’t wait for ”Fast and Forever 10” then it is probably
not for you. Not only is it visually complex but its themes are equally
complex while subtle. The trailers do nothing to convey what is
important and meaningful about the film so just ignore them and see the
film in a theater while you have the chance.
Really boring…
What to say about this movie? Well… I’d slept in some parts,
including the action ones. The movie is based on Japanese manga and the
lead actress isn’t Japanese, or even Asiatic… Bad dialogues, not so
explained plot. At least I didn’t pay for the movie, since I had an
invitation, but I should had watched other movie or even stayed at
home.
Hollywood did it again!
The ascendant success, bringing to life popular comic book super heroes
on the big screen, has made an entire business that makes businessmen
want to put their hands on any history about fictional characters that
is in a book with vignettes. Unfortunately, that, not all the time, is
a good thing, and most of the time, is a bad thing, when it comes to
anime/manga franchises.
It happened with Dragon Ball, it happened with GITS, and is next to
happen with the popular anime, DN, on neftlixt; with a black, rapper L.
Hollywood just doesn’t know how to represent characters that aren’t
from their culture or stories they didn’t wrote. They wanna make it
everything to their ways, and adjusting it to their ideas. But
unfortunately, as Morrisay said: America is not the world.
Anime characters have their own essence and the stories wrote for them
have their own philosophy, mythology and purpose. When you rewrite all
of that, you get something that is just not the product many people
like, with the things that make it being a success.
It may work with American super-heroes, that have been rewrote and
rebooted, plenty of times, for merchandising, losing totally the
essence they were created to, or not having any, at all, but it’s
certainly not appreciated when it happens to occidental anime
characters. American productions of this kind, use to be silly, for all
family and dumbed down to the average, mainstream public that laughs at
avengers; which is the target of these productions. A total offense to
the original material, and a loss of time to the fans of these series.
This and noxious propaganda, is all what you’ll find in this GITS
attempt, with Scarlett Jewhanson starring it.
Don’t let the Animation Fans let you hate this movie
come on what the fans are expect for i mean i never expect the fans to
hate this film, i thought this was so related to Animation i have
watched Animation Ghost in Shell and (1995)does live action film based
on anything has to make a huge flop anyone explain and movie shamefully
Since the release of the movie last week in the U.S. it has not only
bombed at the box office but will also lose around $60 million what are
shame this movie stupid thing i have heard somewhere is that Failed
Because It Did Not Understand Its Source Material meaning ? what they
made it something that is not related something to Animation give me a
break fans and everyone i have seen Animation but this become something
different the story the style of film they got everything from original
film and Animation shows but never understand what fans bushed this
film into ashes, never understood if you like or love this movie let
you know never let anyone change your mind or make you force to this
hate movie to make you check out Animation first, but in this live
action is a lot better its still noting wrong with film i enjoyed
Scarlett Johansson She suited for Her character she really looks
Animation character Mira Killian / Motoko Kusanagi but Margot Robbie.
On October 16, it was announced that DreamWorks had made a $10 million
offer to Scarlett Johansson for the lead role after Robbie’s talks for
the role fell apart when she was cast as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad.
in my opinion she would suit for her i would say for Margot more in
suicide squad then this if she toke role for this movie i would have
said it wont suit her at all, scarlett was more better for her own role
for this movie as major the action was SO great specially scene at
building was great and club scene and all rest of action is so
enjoyable and watchable film 1h 47min running time its perfect in my
opinion this film didn’t do any justice, this film has made it just
like original 95 film just like but with different story line The
atmosphere, effects, music and aesthetics are stunningly beautiful! You
can still feel the heart and soul of Ghost in the Shell. The story is
there – slightly changed but still thought provoking. There are many
scenes where you can really see the amount of work that was put into
making this movie – tiny details in the background noting like 95 film,
the aura of Hong Kong and other locations where this film was shot and
just the overall look and feel.and different way of film plot the way
it follows, there wasn’t much punching holes in film there wasn’t much
of confusing scenes makes you wanna ask questions, you need to watch
this movie i don’t want to spoil it When it comes to getting high IMDb
ratings this movie was already destined to fail just because it is an
anime adaptation of a highly beloved nineties classic. rotten tomatoes
got %46 witch is still good not like batman vs superman got 26 that is
still bit high but this is much higher film then that. This is NOT the
original film, this is its own film that you need to appreciate as it
stands (I know that is difficult, believe me). If you haven’t already
seen it, please take my word for it and go in with no expectations, go
in cold (like it is a new experience). go and see it if not go and see
it, i understand for fans its not what they dreamed off but hey i am
not saying its for everyone but give it a go its movie its not a big
deal.
the cast as i said scarlett suits for this role she was perfect she was
great character i loved her in this movie a lot more then Lucy but hey
its my opinion what to like her character, character of Lucy is bit
different to this film. everyone and me i said maybe Ron perlman could
play Batou i thought he be in it but it ended up Scarlett had played
role with (pilou asbæk) in Lucy he was just in opening scene of Lucy
(2014) strange. he was very good as Batou good but i rather have Ron
perlman being Batou better suits for him a lot more for his role. plot
In the near future, Major is the first of her kind: A human saved from
a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier
(Scarlett Johansson) devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous
criminals. and Batou kicked a lot ass sametime with Major a lot great
action never lost faith with original film made a lot different but in
live action film never wanted ruin any plot you need to see it Seeing a
6.9 as the current user score (as of 30 March) is unfortunate, because
this film captures EVERYTHING that Ghost in the Shell was and thanks to
this film IS CURRENTLY. As a film it stands strong in the Sci-Fi genre
and does manage to still be thought-provoking. Please take your time
before giving it a low rating or hating this film, movie goes on its
own. if fans and everyone understand little bit better before you hate
this flick, this flick is awesome 10.10 great flick go see it, its
worth it
Go and see it and decide for yourself if you like it or not. If reviews are turning you off ignore them!!
This is the first time I felt the need to write a review but the
failure in the box office of this movie hurts me immensely and add to
that the dominantly negative attention it’s gotten I just couldn’t stop
myself from coming here and offering another point of view.
The movie is really good for what it is and I do mean really good. Not
mediocre… REALLY GOOD. Yes it’s nowhere near the anime film but it’s
not what it’s supposed to be. If you honestly expected the anime in
live action you are your own reason for disappointment. With that being
said let me clarify that this movie is not a masterpiece but keep
reading and let me explain to you why it’s really good. (I will not
talk spoilers)
First of all Scarlett Johansson was great! I really don’t understand
the whole buzz of her not being Asian. We had a pretty good female lead
and she acted made the role hers. If there is one criticism to be made
it’s that her Major is not as robotic and synthetic as the anime one
and this in fact recreates the character but I don’t think that’s bad.
I actually felt more connected to live- action Major than the anime
one.(granted we’re not supposed to feel connection with the anime one)
She was great in action scenes she was great ins scenes exploring the
philosophy of the movie. Also the movie had a clever way of explaining
her not being Asian, well played movie.(I liked it at least)
Second reason why the movie is great is because it carries the
philosophy of the original. Yes it’s simplified but it makes you think!
It’s not a dumb Hollywood action flick, it asks many important
questions the original asked, it misses some but it adds a new twist
here and there too. The ”villain” is not as good as the anime one(in my
opinion) but it’s a pretty solid one and a lot better than what we get
in most movies nowadays. I’ve been told this character appears in the
anime series(I haven’t seen them) so perhaps he’s not inherently worse
than anime movie one but just supposed to be a different character
altogether. Anyway the ”villain” made you ask questions and that’s the
important part.
Visually the movie was stunning. This is how the best sci-fi films
should look like and it was incredible. Add to that Batou looked
great(and played great), the villain looked great and in the third act
there is a thing straight out of anime that looked great. Add to that
the great soundtrack and you get a great treat for both your eyes and
your ears.
It’s getting too long so I’ll cut it short. Overall it’s not the best
movie ever made and it’s not as good as it’s source material but that
doesn’t make it bad. I actually think it’s pretty good. Anime
adaptations are definitely on the right track. Unfortunately it seems
we won’t be getting a lot of them because us anime fans keep on hating
on anime adaptations because they are not exactly what we want and in
my opinion this is childish. Live action Ghost in the Shell definitely
honors the anime and if anything it opens the door for new fans. I
wasn’t planning on watching the Stand Alone Complex series but now I
will because now I like not only the anime movie but the live action
one as well so this makes me want to dive deeper into the philosophy
and ideas of the source material. I feel this means the movie did it’s
job and I’m happy I saw it and I’m proud to stand and proclaim I wasn’t
disappointed and I rate this movie very highly.(Menaing I don’t
consider it a guilty pleasure)
In the end of the day it’s something you yourself should decide if you
like or not. Really it depends on your taste. You might not like the
philosophy, might not like the setting or you might enjoy it.
What I’m trying to say is you need to watch this as a stand alone
sci-fi movie with it’s creative decisions and themes. Only after that
you’re allowed to place it in the universe the source material created
back in the days. I’m certain we need and deserve more movies like this
but it seems we make it impossible by letting this gem suffer in the
box office. Thanks to this prejudice we’re unlikely to get a good anime
adaptation anytime soon. If you are a fan of the anime don’t walk into
this with prejudice, let it be it’s own thing and treat yourself to a
good movie and decide if Hollywood got it right or wrong.
If you have’t seen the anime and the only reason you’re not seeing it
is because reviews… ignore them, you never know what made this person
write it. He might be wearing his dark tinted glasses or his pink
tinted ones. I ain’t a one to tell you that you MUST watch it and you
must like it. I’m saying, give it a chance!
I’m giving it 9 out of 10 because it satisfied everything I wanted to
get from a sci-fi movie, the only reason it’s not a 10 is because I
can’t lie to anyone and say it’s a perfect movie. It has flaws but it’s
merits out weight them. This movie deserves a chance to impress you,
don’t let someone deny you a thought provoking flick. The best part is
after you finish, if you like it there is a whole universe of it in
anime form and you are free to explore it.
Too much
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a pointless waste of money…
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Pretty good – maybe the best live-action anime remake
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If you like sci-fi go and see it. If you don’t like sci-fi then don’t.
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An all around great movie! Don’t pay any attention to the race baiting trolls.
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Faithful adaptation with original twist
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I’m an old fan of the anime and very hard to please when a movies living it to a series I was a little disappointed but it was not a bad movie
I don’t think it was great but it was worth watching I say that though
with me having big hopes for this movie because I was a fan of the
anime but then again pretty much every time something comes out that I
was a fan of previously as in this case it never lives up to what I
hope for maybe that says something about me maybe my standards are too
high they kept it as close as they could I suppose trying to make a
movie out of a series there were a lot of things that I picked up on
there were also a couple of times where I was scratching my head but
another positive is you got Scarlett Johansson running around in a
skin-tight suit the entire time they did a great job visually I was
pleased just not overjoyed!
More of the same on a consistent level
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Gorgeous
As the begin of a franchise, using some Arise ideas (being more linear,
starting in a more common way), I think it works fine. As a huge fan of
Ghost in the Shell animated movies and series I think it’s a great
adaptation, it’s gorgeous filmed.
If you don’t like the reviews go see it, if you think it’s a waste of
time go see it. You might be surprised.
I loved it
I understand that most people are disappointed because the movie didn’t
resemble the anime completely.
On the other hand, I am one of those who haven’t watched the anime
movie (yet!), and I found this movie to be close to a masterpiece.
The actors were great, but I think that the direction, the special
effects and the cinematography were out of this world.
The story is also really deep, with exciting turnovers and an
atmospheric setting.
Thought provoking
On the way into Ghost in the Shell I was in a discussion about movie
budgets. It seems sensible that if you have more money to spend on film
production it would make for a better movie. It is very arguable if
this is true and sometimes it even seems that some films would be
better with a lower budget. I certainly think Ghost in the Shell would
have been a much better movie with a smaller budget. This would have
forced the focus away from the visuals in favour of the storyline and
script.
The concept of Ghost in the Shell is both very interesting and timely.
The brain of a person is captured and integrated into a robot. The
robot in question is Major played by Scarlett Johansson who seems to
play a lot of roles in a catsuit for some reason.
Whilst the concept is very interesting and something that will no doubt
be possible in the future the plot is dull. I suppose some people may
find the endless shots of the future cityscape entertaining, but it
seemed rather pointless and irrelevant.
Underrated movie. This is FANTASTIC
I’m very sad to see this movie was not appreciated as it should be.
People that rated this movie below 7 just don’t have heart nor have
common sense, in other terms: HATERS.
There is great effects, great fight scenes, outstanding actors and,
even not knowing the original, this was a good plot.
Bad Movie
To make it quick. This movie is not good enough to be a decent sci-fi
movie. And for sure to bad to be a ghost in the shell movie. This movie
is mostly some nice scenes, ”inspired” by the first anime, remade, but
with another story. The ”story” is just as bad as the other remakes
recently. So better save this 120 minutes and watch something better.
Great adaptation- a must see in 3D
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awful, on many levels
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Poor
Ghost in the Shell, The Avenger of Fururo or A Alam in the Machine.
Major, a policeman of the future, after he became a kind of Cyborg,
should end cybercrime in a very technological world.
Let’s start with the actors. Scarlett Johansson is very good in this
role of cyborg, within a cyborg world. Batou, played by Pilou Asbæk,
was one of the most pleasant of the film, I really liked his character.
But the actor who won all the awards was Takeshi Kitano, playing
Aramaki, was one of the characters that surprised me the most. There is
a particular part in which you know that they will kill you, but you
end up surviving. And you say ”This guy sure is great !!”
The Effects … the effects … In some occasions of the film the
effects are seen … badly. But in others … not so bad, but not
enough for good. The scenarios in the movie (if you use a lot of CGI)
are very good, the best I’ve seen in a movie. But here comes the bad
part … I have not seen the anime, but (I think) I can say that the
script is a bit bad … Before you explode, listen to me.
The script is all the same the same thing, – Finding the Hacker – WOW,
we found it! – We were the Hacker
And so three times in a row. For many the movie improved in the third
act, not for me.
The Villano … I seemed very poor his reasons and his way of being. I
did not like. I would much prefer the Mandarin of Iron Man 3.
Poor could have been much more 6/10
Not worth it
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Visually Stuning
Ghost in the Shell is a pretty film to look at, its future neon
dystopian setting is mesmerising. I really enjoyed being in this world
and with the main two characters. However the film suffers from story
issues and plot holes which unfortunately were always going to be
dumbed down for a lower rating compared with its original source
material. The problems are more in the second half of the film and it
feels anti climatic in the end. The film always had the problem of
being tied to its source material when in some instances it would of
been better for it to veer away from it to suit live action. There are
good performances by the two leads and I was engaged in their
relationship together as a partnership. it would be good to see a
future film with them exploring a different story line in this
universe, but depending on the commercial success of this film that may
never happen.
I recommend this film to science fiction and action film fans, there
are however films with similar themes that are much better such as
Blade Runner (1982), Robocop (1987), and Terminator 2 Judgment Day
(1991)
Somehow the ghost got left behind in the original
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Visually sunning but lost the essence
I’m impressed with visual effects, scenarios, acting. I think Scarlet
is a good choice for the role, I know she is not Japanese but for the
color and shape of the eyes of the original character I don’t see the
problem (about the white washing controversy) although I prefer an
actor not so famous.
Also I want to praise some iconic scenes from the original anime that
it looks like they trace with magnifier. It was a beautiful work! The
only thing that I regret a lot is the ending. They remove all the
essence of the original story. The message is OK but I think they lost
the path the main idea. I think is not fair to said this move has no
soul or ghost, is just that is not the original ghost is not the
original ghost in the shell.
The problem is that the original idea of the anime is just an
outstanding concept but in the movie they just make it standard or
boring plain.
I think the director or writers or both just didn’t understand the
original idea. So sad.
What happened here.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Don’t Listen To The Whitewashers – Johanson Is A Never-Been Disney Ho
Absolutely terrible!! I wanted my money back and I downloaded it for
free. Lost plot. Aimless acting. Not Ghost In The Shell, why call it
that? They took the best parts of 1 and 2 and misunderstood it or
decided Western audiences won’t like it and lumped them into one movie
and that movie sucks. Growing up as a kid Ghost In The Shell series was
awesome. Always something new, always something bleak. You looked
forward to more of the story. Then Hollywood stepped in and things got
weak, real weak, with a Hollywood actress who is the most useless of
the useless in Marvel’s milking crew. Now they put out some re-make
crap and call it a film never mind GITS. Hollywood should be ashamed.
It would be interesting to see how much this film grosses in Japan. 500
Yen at a guess.
Great exploration of body and identity
Highly recommended. Excellent story and exploration of
identity/body/gender, brilliant visuals, world building and superb lead
acting from Johansson. Ignore the -ve reviews this film has been huge
in Japan and approved by the original anime creator and the identity
issues are completely explained in the movie if you have the wit to
concentrate. Loved it.
A Disappointment
I enjoyed the movie for what it was, visually stimulating. Think of
Blade Runner and Fifth Element as similar movies which influenced this
director. Many of the city scenes were right out of Blade Runner. The
make-up and costumes used, very much like Fifth Element.
The movie is not true to the original story, but more of a mix of
several volumes. Scenes are a mishmash of ”Stand Alone Complex” and
”Innocence”, along with a variety of new content never seen previously.
I heard several complaints about the lack of Japanese actors but
honestly the original story shows Tokyo as a international hub of all
kinds of people. I didn’t ever think that the Major was Japanese. I
always thought she was Caucasian. The one thing I would like to have
seen was a white woman’s body with a Japanese voice.
I agree with the complaints that they did not stick with the theme of
the original. They did touch on it, but not to the level needed to be
true to the story. What makes you human? What is next for the human
race?
I think the director failed. They gave up the most important part of
Ghost in the Shell so they could make a typical Hollywood action movie.
I saw this movie in 3D and some of the scenes didn’t look really sharp.
I saw the car in one scene jump/appear jittery. There were some other
scenes were the computer generated effects were glossed over. Not
impressive considering the money spent.
3/10.
A pretty failure
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Great Adaptation
What impressed me the most, was that all of the major elements of the
Anime were captured without the really sexual or violent aspects of the
story. It makes it safe for a younger crowd, without ruining the
original story at all. The other thing that really stands out is how
many scenes are identical to the Anime, at the major plot points it’s
done seamlessly.
This isn’t Anime which should be obvious, but it seems some folks are
struggling with that. If you miss some part of the Anime, go watch it
again. The Anime nerds ripping it apart should consider live action
adaptations are going to pull back to low budget B flicks from all of
the ignorant reviews. As it stands, they’ll likely go dig another
crappy DC/Marvel story from the bottom of the pile before ever funding
the finish of a live action Ninja Scroll, or Akira.
A good movie any way you look at it
The only reason I didn’t give a 10 is because there are minor things
that could have been better. (That’s the fanboy speaking.) As a stand
alone movie(see what I did there ;)) it’s good. There were times I
forgot I was in the cinema, that’s the mark of perfect execution for
me. That means scenes flowed smoothly, the acting was spot on and the
story progressed well.
As a Ghost in the shell fan, yes I have watched everything GitS and
enjoyed it thoroughly. This movie is no different. It may depart from
the psychological aspect of some of the main series, which is fine
because this is only a 2 hour movie and it was crammed instead with
action and fluid plot. And conclusion. Very satisfying overall.
If you come in with high hopes you’ll be disappointed. Instead of
picturing the movie YOU want, just enjoy it for what it is. A well
executed, action packed part of the GitS franchise. Movies are meant to
be experienced, not overly analyzed at the expense of fun.
With the slew of, honestly, disgustingly bad films recently and to
come, that have zero acting talent, poor script writing and plot as
thin as the air of deep space, while still enjoying a massive Hollywood
budget, I’d say give this a try.
This movie makes me believe that Hollywood isn’t utter junk yet.
GitS is good.
Not bad but not the same as the original
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Underrated Movie!
If there was a category called ”underestimated movie” in IMDb, this
Long would be at the top of the list because the current criticism is
being unfair As the quality of what the film presents.
It is not a masterpiece nor literal to the original stories, but the
Adaptation is original in its presentation to the cinema. There is no
Need for forced introduction into the world presented, everything is
well Presented in a natural way and the viewer is invited to provide
Attention in the flashes where advanced technology appears as a bottom.
Finally, Scarlet’s performance is above average, the actress managed to
Take advantage of their limited role, where the most emotional points
were Few, his poker face was needed, after all, his face was a Implant
without many emotions …
If you want to point this movie to someone, forget the Because this is
a great movie for those who like to watch movies, not For those who
like to see coherent film as the actress have to be Asian Just because
it will play an Asian role.
Not Bad, but Not Comparable to the Original
I understand that there are many fans who feel scandalized by this
reboot of the film, but I’m not here to take a side on whether or not
this lives up to the original. The Ghost in the Shell from 2017 and The
Ghost in the Shell from 1995 are so different that in many ways they
cannot be compared. The central messages from either is not like the
other beyond a surface level, and the story and style of each is vastly
different. I do believe that this is an overall good movie, but it
feels more like someone’s in depth fanfiction that reveals characters’
backstories than a remake of the original. The changes made were so
drastic that you can understand when there are direct references that
tie it back to the 1995 version, but beyond setting and characters,
they are not very much alike.
The changes made were mostly appropriate and acceptable, with a few
exceptions which made me roll my eyes (and which I am not going to
specifically point out in order to avoid spoilers). There were new
scenes added and old shots revisited, but nothing seemed very out of
place. I did not enjoy the shift in antagonist or the explanation of
Major’s backstory, but one can only expect this when an extremely deep
and strange concept is being adapted for a Western audience that craves
almost nothing action. Those who have not seen the original film may
not see many large problems with it. Those who have seen the original
will probably be cringing at some crucial aspects that were changed.
The story is not necessarily weak overall, but it is rather cliché and
more predictable than I, and many others, I’m sure, would have liked. I
must admit that I have not seen the original sequels to the 1995 film,
so forgive me if some of the changes are references to other details
that were described in the later movies, but as a whole the original
story should have been enough to produce a large audience based on
intrigue and entertainment alone. The only reasonable explanation that
I can come up with for why they would change the story so drastically
is that they wanted it to be open for a sequel.
Visually, Ghost in the Shell is stunning, and I cannot think of a
single aspect of the design that I disliked. The reinvention of Section
9, while perhaps more optimistic than the original, was beautiful,
believable, and extremely fitting. The set design is fantastic, the
cinematography was great, and the occasional recreation of iconic
destinations was so spot-on it was nearly scary. If I had watched this
movie muted and without subtitles I would still enjoy it.
The soundtrack is very fitting. It is not much like the original, but I
did enjoy the soft voices in the songs near the beginning and end that
brought back waves of nostalgia from the original theme. I know some
people are going to complain about it, but this movie has an entirely
different feel from the original, and the music fits the film this
movie is, not the film this movie tried to recreate.
In short, if you enjoy the original, disconnect it from this movie and
you will enjoy yourself. At the very least it is beautiful and
entertaining. If you haven’t seen the original, don’t worry, you’ll
still have a good time watching it. This is probably the best
adaptation of an anime I have seen so far, and while that is not saying
much considering its competition, it at least proves that progress is
being made, and that in the future we may get a fantastic
interpretation of another film or series.
All sci-fi fans and manga or anime I know liked it and was surprised
I don’t know what’s all about the negative reviews. Go make your own
movie and stop whining like dishonest little brats! I’m not saying it
doesn’t have flaws, it’s just a great sci-fi movie, again, IT’S A
MOVIE, it’s made to be entertained.
It’s a perfect adaptation of many scenes from the 1995 anime and others
with some ideas from the manga. It is anime translated into a
live-action big buster Hollywood movie, get over the false drama queens
that say it is white washing as there is even Beat Kitano, a renown
Japanese actor and he is only speaking Japanese with English subs! I
would add that the result is a good example on how to ”Hollywood-wash”
an entire anime series better than anything else. Great stuff overall,
go see it, if you like sci-fi, it won’t be disappointing!
As others have said it has shell but no ghost
When I first heard they where planning on a live action movie of ghost
in the shell I was on the fence about how I felt about it. I knew it
could go either way. It could be a great movie where that nail every
aspect of the original anime movie or TV show with small changes to it
to fit thee west or it being a flop that never knew what it had.
Well it turned into a flop. I had to fight to stay and watch this movie
from beginning to end. it had very poor pacing and story that was very
lack luster. it was boring , even the action I felt was boring because
I found it never fit with the story fully.
As a fan of the anime I know the world is very tech heavy, from having
androids, computers and cybernetics along with other aspects that all
give it a cyberpunk feel. I never seen the cyber or the punk in this
movie, they had little parts which showed it but never talked about it
either with words or with visuals. there have been other movies that
was cyberpunk and where able to do this, Blade runner and the Matrix
are 2 I can list.
What I really found with this movie it seamed like it was a check list
of things they wanted to have in it for scenes. once they had the idea
of what scenes that where going to have ( taken from the original anime
movie ) they tried to write a story around them. this is a typical
thing that is happening in Hollywood now a days or I should say years,
its not story and plot that gets the movie but the action scenes that
are made.
I will not get into the casting cause it doesn’t really matter. if they
had a strong story, plot and director it could of been pulled off. They
missed the mark on making a great movie and could of had a lot of
information about the world and Philosophy put in there from line usage
and visuals that would of explained a lot. if you do not believe me go
watch the original 1995 Ghost in The Shell that had a run time of 82
Min’s compared too the live actions 108 Min’s.
Do yourself a favor and skip this and just watch the original works.
Good on it’s own merits, but lacks any sense of subtly
The original ‘Ghost in the Shell’ was a hallmark gem of which has been
the base for many ‘near future’ movies to copy, borrow and steal from
for the past 20 plus years. It’s difficult to write a review without
making a comparison, but avoiding the parallels is not made easy when
this live action fails in achieving the nuances that the original
material essentially invented.
It’s a true shame. Set and costume design is top notch, a very capable
cast demonstrate talent and exceptional emotional depth in the few
moments they can. But again, and again, the childishly written, overly
simplistic script and over-reliance of cheap linear VFX sequences ruin
all the good work in other avenues. The story moves in a predictable
fashion, with much of the plot movement spontaneously directed by
characters suddenly ‘knowing’ vital locations and details without any
adequate visual or audible explanation. ‘GITS’ fans may notice how the
pacing links with on screen events easily, but newcomers will be a
little at odds as to how ‘hacking’ works in the future when there are
no sequences that show it off. A likely result of poor scripting,
editing and a refusal to add coherent infodumps or ‘so you know’
scenes.
This poor scripting shows, conversations are extremely one dimensional.
Intentions are plain to see and many sequences occur with very little
justification or thought. The whole film reeks of studio meddling and
too many script writers. The interactions between Major (Scarlett
Johansson) and Batou (Pilou Asbæk )are arguably the best parts of the
movie, which makes them feel like they’re written by someone else.
Likewise much of the themes that ‘GITS’ relied on are nigh
non-existent. The notion of constructed identities and hacked memories
are left in wasteland as poorly thought out corporate conspiracies take
centre stage. The whole thing feels very much like the recent Robocop
remake; poorly handled.
Overall Ghost in the Shell is worth seeing if only for the set design
and effects. The on screen chemistry between Scarlett Johansson and
Pilou Asbæk is worth studying on how to show inferred love. Everything
else? Forget about it.
6/10
Went to see it 3 times
This is what I do when I see a good movie: I go see it again. Saw it
with different people. Haven’t heard a bad thing from them about this
film.
I did see multiple times GITS anime (all) and I’m no stranger when it
comes down to cyberpunk.
I was searching stuff on this site about this film and found:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv (A Care2
petition against the film’s casting titled ”DreamWorks: Stop
Whitewashing Asian Characters!” received over 104,000 signatures.)
Right, I said… some people like to judge things even before they
should. But apparently some of those brainless yet pretentious punks
are now reviewing negatively this movie. (at the moment of writing
this: 14 260 people voted between 1-6 and 27 125 people voted between
7-10)
For me this was a great experience. Beautiful shots, very good casting,
dedicated actors who did their job flawlessly, a plot that respects
it’s audience and stays true to the original material, great visuals,
very good sound, memorable quotes.
I’m not trying to convince anyone that this film is great, I’m trying
to point out that there is way too much hate.
Have a good one!
An excellent movie that fits wonderfully into the Ghost in the Shell universe; unfortunately hindered by negative pre-release drama
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Disappointment
I am a fan of original anime and I love Imax 3D. Usually I don’t expect
some great plot from Imax movies, I just want to see something
beautiful and stylish. I am not hater or super-critic and this is my
first review for IMDb, but I just have to say how disappointed am I.
This movie well done (visual effects) but everything else… I don’t
know where to start. 1. It is slow. I mean it so slow that become
boring. They tried to show us some thoughtful moments, but it just
don’t work. 2. Plot is dumb and nothing like original, but this one I
could forgive. As I said, this is not movie for Sundance festival. What
I couldn’t forgive is characters’ misinterpretations. They looks like
original visually (from anime), but characters… And worst one is
Major itself. In anime she is super-cool robocop – very clever, knowing
what to do, confident and even her weaknesses don’t ruin her toughness.
Here she is lost sheep and victim. Really? Why to name movie after
famous anime if you want to do such a thing with MAIN character??? 3.
Acting. Scarlet is awful :/ I don’t know is it her fault or this is
plot and film director, but she just don’t fit in this role. I mean she
is good as a sheep, but not as a Major. Since movie creators decided to
make a movies about a sheep, maybe she is good for this role, but I
wanted to see Major… I don’t know if I could recommend this film.
Maybe I could if you didn’t see original series. But if you saw
original, I think you will be disappointed. 3/10
This movie is awesome
I have never rated a movie before online. I have always used the
internet to tell me what is good to watch and within some margin of
error +/- 20 points, on the whole I agreed with the end result of how a
movie is rated. Whether it be tomatoes or stars.
This is the most I have ever disagreed with the general internet
consensus. I thought this movie was imaginative, compelling and had jaw
droppingly awesome fight sequences. Scarlet was great and you could
really see how well the flavors from the original permeated through
this incredibly modern high tech super sci fi adventure story.
I loved it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really
didn’t want it to end. I’m not sure why the general consensus review is
bad.
Don’t judge with an iron fist… see it for what its worth…
This movie does not deserve such a low score. I think this has to do
with the fact that this movie wanted to please the new and the old. In
doing so, it attracted low ratings from hardcore fans of the 1995 manga
movie from one side and young teens who don’t really understand the
full depths of this movie. Simply put: too easy for old fans and too
hard for young ones. For example I am a fan of the 1995 manga movie but
I really liked this one even though it wasn’t as deep as the first
movie. But it was fun and clever nonetheless with good CGI action. The
main character was absolutely fantastic. Personally I think she was
perfect for the role.
Under-appreciated indeed…
I watched the 1995 Anime movie after watching this one. Going through
all the critiques, I really couldn’t figure out what does the Anime
movie – a fine film, no doubt – has that makes this one seem so bad to
so many people apart from the fact that they might be GITS fans. The
”philosophical” aspects that many associate with the 1995 movie are
present too in this movie, but in a subtler way. The main character may
not put them in words all the time, but one can sense them through the
acting, which is more difficult to do with animated films for the
simple fact that the ”actors” are drawings. The new movie relies also
on additional situations that do not exist in the original film but
have to do with human relationships, which in my opinion helps in
clarifying the main character’s behavior and musings. It would be
better not to think of this movie as a remake, but as an alternate
story, or even maybe as a source of additional information for the
original movie’s plot. Yes, there is more action and the pace is much
faster. The city’s atmosphere is wonderfully digitally created, which
of course brings to mind Blade Runner, and which, by the way, had a lot
of bad critiques too when it came out. Is this movie original? Well…
no. The main theme has been explored before several times. So, just
enjoy it for what is is, forget the comparisons and don’t get so
serious about it…
Visually outstanding, not so much more
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
GREAT Under-rated Film, not for people that need everything spelled out to them
As a film, this movie is damn near flawless. I couldn’t think of any
real criticisms. I have honestly never seen a more under-rated film in
my life. This is a solid movie. I honestly don’t see any glaring flaws
in this film. It didn’t even remind me of Lucy and vaguely familiar
characters that Scarlet has played. It had it’s own identity throughout
the entire film.
It lived up to all of my expectations and stayed there throughout. The
poorly translated Japanese philosophical conversations from the
original aren’t present, their meaning, significance unlike the
original, are not over stated in the film, the movie is thought
provoking but doesn’t spell everything out for you. But, if you’re not
retarded and can think on your own…it’s more or less all implied. For
any one capable of actual intelligent, independent thought, it should
all be mostly inferred to them.
There was no need to complicate inherently very simple concepts that
were originally made to seem more complex than they actually were. If
you watched the original, and are capable of deeper thought, you
probably saw through the fluff…The original is weighed down by pseudo
intellectual babble, which tries to make the subject matter appear
deeper than it actually is.
”Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It
takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite
direction.”
E. F. Schumacher
There’s a lot of fluff in the original anime, pseudo intellectual
dialogues that are poorly translated into English to appease the
pretentious anime watcher. When you cut through it though, it’s really
not that mind blowing. Neither was the Hollywood adaptation, but it was
thought provoking…and if you were actually paying attention, it
explored the same ideas as the original anime, some times without even
saying a word.
As a film, the casting was near perfect. I loved the entire cast, and
each cast member were on their A game. The characters were all
believable in their roles.
The visuals were stunning! The story was compelling, thought provoking
and evenly paced. Everything the original anime set out to explore,
make you phantom, so does the Hollywood film, given you are capable of
thinking…and don’t need any one to hold your hand.
The action was also perfect, very evenly paced. I can’t think of
anything this film got wrong, did too much of, or did too little of.
This is the most under-rated film I’ve seen in a long while, that was
no doubt attacked for a ”white wash conspiracy” created on false
pretenses…
This was a terrific, beautifully made, wonderfully acted, thought
provoking science fiction film. It deserved much better reception than
it received.
Not as good as the 1995 film…
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A New Beginning that is Visually Impressive
For anyone who has been subjected to the painful adaptations of anime
to the realm of live action films, the prospect of bringing the Ghost
in the Shell world to life sounds too good to be true and daunting, to
say the least. Visually, Anime films tend to stretch reality to create
larger-than-life characters, with outfits and events that translate to
a cosplay reality that is, if not jarring, completely impractical and
somewhat corny. This is part of its charm, but not only is Anime known
for its distinct look, but also for methods of story-telling that do
not fit the North American paradigm. The Ghost in the Shell movie from
1995 competes with Akira as the most widely received mature anime of
its time and a story that is still relevant today. This new film
doesn’t try to be the same thing and succeeds in some areas while being
greatly misunderstood in others.
Focusing on the Major’s origin story, those familiar with the GITS
stories will immediately spot some deliberate inconsistencies, this
film also follows the criminal actions of a major corporation and
Section 9’s attempt to capture a terrorist hacker. The Major has at
least 2 other origin stories in the animes, so this is likely a choice
by the producers to bring GITS to a new audience and by the end of the
film the two plot lines converge while the Major’s identity is brought
in line with the Anime.
Visually this film communicates volumes without saying a word. Rupert
Sanders has specifically engaged craftspeople in Weta Workshop to
produce as much as possible with real props. This attention to detail
shows in the cyberpunk realism, imbued and enhanced by CG effects that
produce an environment reminiscent of Blade Runner, Robocop and other
classic sci-fi films. If no other reason to watch this, the visual
quality of this film makes it worth seeing.
With such a diverse cast available from the GITS source material, the
producers decided to focus on only a handful of characters. Batou
supports the Major while having a relationship much like detective
partners. He cares about her, expressing concern for her well-being. He
runs to her aid when he thinks she’s in trouble, all while having a
soft spot for dogs. The Major, on the other hand, is detached from the
world, curious about humanity and struggles with her sense of identity.
What does it mean to be human? Scarlett Johansson herself remarked in
an interview that finishing the film was a relief to get back to being
herself. Don’t expect any academy awards for the acting, even if it is
perfectly in line with the source material, right down to the way that
the major moved.
While the script isn’t terrible, it isn’t helped at all by the hefty
reveals at the beginning of the film. No attempt is made to create
mystery around who the villain is. You’ll know from the start who it is
that needs to come to justice. Instead, the Major’s origin is imbued
with a small mystery and enough twists take place to provoke an
emotional response when things are revealed.
It is also worth mentioning that this film makes a wild departure from
expectations by including virtually no nudity, sexual content or foul
language. This makes the film much more accessible than the first film,
which contains a great deal of nudity and brutal violence.
If your only exposure to the Ghost in the Shell is the anime classic
from 1995, this new film will feel very different. The hallmarks of the
GITS world as portrayed in the Stand Alone Complex shows and other
films made in its wake follow a distinct format, one that Rupert
Sanders sticks to. This is not an Avenger film that exalts superpowers,
teamwork and western principles; Section 9 is an elite and aggressive
anti-crime unit that will punitively kill anyone who engages them. They
are in a word: vindictive. That is, to some, their appeal and in many
ways this film delivers. At the same time, don’t expect earth
shattering or culture forming concepts to be discussed. There are some
fundamental questions of identity and bare-bones philosophy but this
film chooses instead to focus on the aesthetic of GITS and the
development of the Major as a person. If they choose to do so, viewers
who wish to explore the original movie will be in for a surprise, and
will likely be better served to explore the Stand Alone Complex or
Arise series instead.
Astounding sci-fi movie, and faithful to original
Walking into the theater, I was anxious about this movie. The source
material has a large range of stories from anime movies, manga and a
animated series. Would it stay true, and yet still be entertaining on
it’s own?
The answer is a resounding ‘yes’! The movie and story was based 75% on
the original anime movie, 15% on other source material (manga, other
movies and the show), and 10% its own original concepts. There is a
very intelligent blending of aspects from several of the entries to
this franchise that come together to make for something entertaining.
To that point… the deeper aspects of the film explores the dynamic of
how the connection to humanity could be lost to technology, and what
makes us human. And it immerses the viewer in a cyberpunk world that is
a visual and action feast.
The pacing is actually very good despite what some have said… and at
no point do you feel lost in plot or scene transitions. Everything
feels believable, just highly technically advanced… and somewhat
eerily possible for a future of mankind.
Regarding the whole fabricated controversy surrounding casting Scarlett
Johansson – The story within the movie actually explains the casting
decision. In fact, its somewhat integral to it.
And it completely proves that this was a politicized knee-jerk reaction
to something that didn’t deserve it. I believe this has harmed the box
office results unjustly.
The remake misses the mark
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Excellent visual style and a quiet but energetic performance by Scarlett Johansson make this an enjoyable post-Matrix Sci-Fi
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A fascinating glimpse into the future
This is a thought provoking film which gives you a fascinating glimpse
into how the future of cyber-modified humans (which is something that’s
almost certain to happen) will look like, which advantages and which
problems and security risks it’ll present. It is very well performed –
its stylish and futuristic Japanese style design and visual effects are
top notch, Scarlett Johansson and most other actors gives an excellent
performance, it’s well directed, so – highly recommended!
Edgy Cheese
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
2/10
Review (1~5)
#Content: Script 1 | Acting 2 | Cinematography 4 | Film Editing 3
#Visual: Costume Design 4 | Makeup & Hairstyling 4 | Scenic Design 4 |
Lighting 5 | Visual Effects 4
#Sound: Score & Soundtracks 4 | Sound Editing & Mixing 3
#Overall (1~10): 2
Critics get it wrong
The critics get yet another one wrong. This was a highly entertaining
movie, with a great story line, and fine acting by Johansson and
others. Admittedly, I have yet to see the original anime film to
compare this to (and that seemed to be the issue most had with this
movie), but I truly enjoyed the film, and highly recommend it to anyone
who enjoys Johansson and sci-fi films.
About Human and humanity, but with old ideology
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
it’s okay but nothing too exciting
Ghost in the Shell asks the perennial question every human being asks
and yet unable to answer– Who am I? Those who think they have the
answer are usually mistaken. Major who is given a body, not just any
body but a Scarlett Johansson body, finds her law enforcement gig less
fulfilling without a memory of her past even when reassured by her
creator, Dr. Phil, played by the lovely Juliette Binoche, that life is
defined by what one does rather than one’s memories or past. And of
course, everybody and his dog know Dr. Phil is full of it. Like Major,
nobody is free from his past and everybody is burdened by history. The
movie doesn’t come with any surprise everything happens just as
expected or even like a déjà vu. Every futuristic cityscape scene is
derivative of Blade Runner except it is a knockoff and ten times
cheesier. The Hong Kong streetscape can be interesting only if the post
production doesn’t feel obliged to add more and more and yet more video
gimmickries to the mix. The few architectural shots are almost
facsimile copies of Peter Stewart’s pictures of the same. The 1.85:1
aspect ratio is supposed to give audience an immersive experience but
sometimes I can’t help but feel like watching 4:3 standard definition
TV, also the PG-13 rating doesn’t help either. Nothing good can come
out of any existential crisis not even good cinema in this case.
Scarlett Johansson does have very good skin which manages to salvage
the movie from downright unwatchable to somewhat entertaining and
somewhat watchable. Between Kong: Skull Island and Ghost in the Shell,
the choice is obvious.
Already seen plot and general idea in so many far better movies.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Ghost in the Shell made in America
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Mediocre
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Disappointing
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
There Seems to be More than One Version of this Movie Playing
There are a few problems with this movie all of which are do to
incredibly poor directing:
1) The exposition. Where is it? Unless you’ve seen the anime (I
haven’t) it’s very unclear who she is, exactly who she is working for
and why she is doing what she is doing (which is what, again?) There
are a lot of regular characters in this movie and none of them received
any substantial character development–so little, in fact that I hardly
know any of their names. The setting is even less developed. It’s not
even clear where/when the movie takes place. I assume some future Japan
but I don’t even think they bothered to give the name of the city much
less explain who they are fighting against and why they are fighting
them.
2) The movie fails to pay anything more than lip service to the concept
of…is she human? Is she a robot? That would have been a compelling
area to explore. The movie almost completely glosses over it and
overall the plot is very shallow.
3) The CGI. There is good CGI bad CGI and Ghost-in-the-Shell CGI which
is undoubtedly the worse. The textures look so unrealistic it’s jarring
to seem them imposed on live action scenes and the movie is
oversaturated with it to the extent it detracts from most moments in
the film. The physics are way, way off which greatly diminishes the
impact of the action scenes. It’s difficult to sell a fight scene when
the characters move completely unnaturally and appear as though they
are weightless. It seems that either:
A) They used decades old CGI techniques which wouldn’t hold up back in
1998. B) They hired a cheap studio for the CGI which has little skill
with it. C) They hired people to do the CGI that have no prior relevant
experience a la Mass Effect Andromeda.
People who are suggesting the visual effects alone are worth seeing the
movie for clearly saw a different version of the film than I did.
4) Dialogue and acting. It’s not very good. Scarlett Johansson comes
off as a human trying to move like a robot and in an extremely
unconvincing manner. This is a shame because I think she is a fairly
talented actress. I will chalk this up to directing because they
definitely should not have gone with the shots they did. If it didn’t
work and she wasn’t up to the task, have her act all human-y instead.
In any case: Poor direction, poor acting, poor dialogue, poor plot and
horrific CGI. If movie standards were building codes, this movie should
be condemned.
Visually stunning but storyline not up to par.
I really wanted to enjoy this film. I enjoyed the anime and although
Scarlett Johanson was a problematic choice for Major, that did not
hinder me from thinking Rupert Sanders would be able to make an
exciting, action-packed film. However, this was not the case. Apart
from being in awe of how visually stunning it was (props to the
cinematographer), I found myself relatively bored throughout. The
pacing was off and even in what should have been exciting fight scenes
I was not captured and I was even yawning. The pacing was really off,
which made the film a relatively sub-par watch that I’m sad I spent
cinema money on.
”Ghost in the Shell (2017)”- While it lacks some of the depth of its predecessors, open-minded filmgoers will find plenty of entertainment in its action and spectacle
There’s been a great deal of backlash against director Rupert Sanders’
American remake of the iconic Manga and anime property ”Ghost in the
Shell.” Whether it be suggestions that the film was white-washed,
accusations of the heady and lofty themes of the original being watered
down or general dismissal of the film as simple eye-candy and nothing
more… the movie’s gotten it’s fair share of flack. It’s one of those
movies that just can’t seem to catch a break.
And yet, I went in with an open mind and found myself very much
enjoying the film. Yes, it’s certainly no masterpiece and it’s safe to
say that the original did it better, but I think it’s also fair to say
that the film doesn’t deserve even a fraction of the hate it’s received
and it’s a great bit of fun. The franchise has existed in one form or
another for nearly thirty years now… and with various adaptations
already existing, I see no reason to bemoan another take on the
material that will introduce newer audiences to the series and
hopefully inspire them to go back and check out its origins. It’s a
perfectly valid retelling of a classic story, and I for one hope that
as time goes on, more people will learn to appreciate it.
We follow Major Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson), a woman in the
not-too-distant future whose mind and ”ghost” (a sort-of catch all
description of one’s being and consciousness) have been placed into a
synthetic cybernetic body after her original form was allegedly damaged
beyond medical repair. Now working as an anti-terrorist operative for
an organization known as Section 9, Major Killian works together with
others to thwart various attacks and protect the public and Section 9’s
benefactors. However, after an assassination droid murders a doctor
working for Hanka Robotics (the same company responsible for the
construction of Killian’s synthetic body), Killian and her partners are
drawn into a deeper and more troubling conflict than they could have
imagined… one that will make them question their allegiances and
wonder just who is on their side…
The strengths of the film lay in its excellent casting and top-notch
visual direction, which both contribute to crafting and maintaining a
constant sense of entertainment and intrigue, despite a somewhat stock
script. Casting controversies aside, every role is well-cast and
extremely well-played, and every player fits their part near-
perfectly. Scarlett Johansson makes for a very compelling and troubled
protagonist, and she does quite a bit with the role. Supporting roles
played by the likes of Michael Pitt, Takeshi Kitano and Juliette
Binoche are quite good and make for a great ensemble. And special
praise goes to Pilou Asbæk in his excellent role as ”Batou”, Major’s
closest friend and human connection. He’s just fantastic in the part.
Sanders’ guidance in the film is just extraordinary, and I’ll be
keeping an eye out for him, because the man clearly knows how to tell
one heck of a visual story. His sense of framing, movement and
composition is slick and stylish and he works together perfectly with
cinematographer Jess Hall in crafting some simply gorgeous imagery.
He’s one of those directors who understands how to competently
construct a sequence without relying too much on gimmicks and lazy
conventions… You won’t see a bland and poorly-framed shaky-came fight
sequence or laughably complex CGI nightmare of a shot here. He’s intent
to glide the camera smoothly around the scene in a very subtle way and
let us take in the sights. Which is quite refreshing. And by god… the
action is just awe-inspiring. It’s exciting. It’s stylish and wild. And
yet it never goes too far. Sure, there’s a lot of digital effects…
but they’re used appropriately and never feel contrived or overtly
fake.
Where the film loses some points however, is in the script by Jamie
Moss, William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger. Not that it’s necessarily bad
by any means. It’s a solid enough storyline. But it’s a bit too stock.
A bit too basic. And yes… it’s missing a lot of the depth and themes
of the original works that inspired it. What we have here is a sort- of
tribute to the source material that doesn’t feel quite confident enough
in itself to sneak in the subtext of what came before. And as a
result… it becomes predictable and unfortunately relies on more basic
tropes and clichés. There’s the shell of a great script here… (I had
to make one ”shell” joke) but the substance is only partially present.
Still, I can’t say that the script dragged the film down too much.
Sanders and his writing team seem intent on taking what came before and
turning it into a beautiful action extravaganza… and I think they
succeeded. Yes, the 1995 film was a better adaptation. But that doesn’t
change the fact that the 2017 film is a great bit of entertainment and
is very much enjoyable in its own way. This is a faster, crazier and
somewhat more blunt ”Ghost in the Shell.” But I think it’s still most
certainly a decent take on the material Masamune Shirow created so many
years ago.
Strictly taking the film on its own, I gotta give it an 8 out of 10.
It’s a blast to behold on the big-screen, and I think fans are doing
themselves a great disservice by so quickly dismissing it. Sure, what
came before might have objectively been better. But this one is still
pretty darned good.
My name is Major E.A. Pooh & I do NOT give my consent . . .
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Just the Shell
Rupert Sanders’ ”Ghost in the Shell” live-action remake is yet another
missed opportunity among 2017’s array of remakes. It has plenty of
stunning visuals and action sequences to entertain you throughout, but
the film is lacking of anything new to deepen the original story (aside
from a few backstory elements). All the things that made the 1995 film
memorable, like the thought provoking philosophies and slow pace that
made it deep and challenging, are lost in order to have a more
entertaining and easy to understand blockbuster experience. They even
added the common ”American corporate” type villain to give the audience
a more defined antagonist. And though the film does mirror key scenes
from the original (such as the diving scene or the water fight), they
end up rushing over them anyways, once again losing important
information to the hands of nostalgia. Remaking this film in 2017 could
have been a great chance to include today’s issues, but instead it was
wasted for box office numbers.
Good CGI effects
When I saw Hong Kong, i definitely love it. The movie makes better view
of Hong Kong.
May be this is not good as i expected, but it still worth watching. As
a blockbuster movie starring Scarlett, the plot may be not good but the
CGI effects are absolutely great.
I didn’t see the original one, but I think the idea of this story is
great. I am looking forward to a sequel but I know it is impossible.
Although this is a Sci-fi movie with lots of action scene, I didn’t
feel any nervous or excitement. But i enjoy watching how Scarlett
punching everyone in this movie. So if you love Scarlett Johansson, you
must go to watch this movie. Just Don’t expect too much is okay.
Wonderful movie
Saw it in 3D and it was a blast.Everyone knows whats it about so i
won’t review it,but it was basically a Bladerunner update,but it was
visually stunning in 3D.Highly recommended.Wanted to see it in IMAX but
it wasn’t playing in my area.I don’t really think it was marketed very
well in the USA. Thats a shame because i would rather see this movie
than all the stupid fast and furious movies put together.
Skip it, watch original instead.
Everything original Gits is remarkable for is lost here. First, and
most important, semantic content completely cut. More or less this is
the reason, why original Gits lives in years. Whole story and
characters are altered by much simpler one, so audience which came from
another blockbuster won’t be discomforted. All visual aspects are very
similar to original, but makes no sense without core. In general, this
is another sci-fi movie, which are hundreds there. This movie is like
when you take fish, clean it, keep scales and fins, and throw away
everything else. Remake, that you don’t watch and watch original
instead. Standard American adaptation.
Amazing remake from the original anime with a few different ideas
First of all, as I always say, if you haven’t’t watched the movie, you
cannot have an opinion about it, and that is for all the people who
decides not to watch it because of the bad critics this movie has
received. Apart from that I would say this is one of the best
adaptations in real image we could have get. It captures perfectly the
feeling of the original anime.
For start, I would say that this is not a direct remake because there
are many ideas from the original anime kept here, but I think for
making it for a bigger public, they introduced more action, a few
changes in the script and a little of romance. Overall the script plays
with the idea of the ethics of the robotics and androids, as the anime
did, and talks about a not very far future full of cyborgs and with
very little humanity.
The acting was great, although a few supporting characters were a bit
useless, but I think Scarlett did an amazing job as the Mayor, as some
of the other main characters, like Bateau or the leader of the Section
9.
Other thing that is amazing of this movie is the awesome visuals that
are used throughout the movie. They really transport you to a future
city of Japan and make you feel like you were there. All the
cinematography and the visuals make the movie worth to be watched at a
cinema. Also I have to mention the perfect score made by Clint Mansell
and Lorne Balfe, a masterpiece full of synths that help the action
sequences, but also the emotive moments, to be even better (what a
shame it’s not going to be released).
Overall I would recommend this movie to the real fans of the original
anime, but also to any other person who wants a great movie with
awesome visuals and a great story. 9/10
Don’t listen to the critics and get an opinion by yourself by watching
this.
Great Film from a non manga fan point of view
First of all I have to say that I’m not a manga or anime fan even
though I’ve watched the GITS anime twice and think is amazingly deep in
terms of its story-line and philosophical topics. I went to see this
movie trying to forget the anime, letting myself be surprised by the
characters and plot. And must say that I really enjoyed the movie,
especially that ”retro noir”, post apocalyptic atmosphere a la Blade
Runner. I never expected to find the same scenes that appear on the
anime, that would be a complete waste of time and effort. What would be
the point on replicating the same scenes? Instead of that, the movie
adds a slightly different approach compared to the original story and
sacrifices some philosophical matters perhaps to keep the fast-paced of
the action. Another aspect worth to mention is the original score, so
magnificent, flowing with the scenes, helping to create that dark,
robotic and apocalyptic look.
Eeesh
I’m a girl and straight, yes, but let me be the first to say that I
like Scarlett Johansson as much as anybody. I have no problem admiring
beauty across the two genders or across races, colors or creeds. When
something is beautiful it’s just beautiful, period. and Scarlett
Johansson is beautiful.
Okay, now … that said … the girl simply CANNOT act, and although
that has not been a problem in some other films of hers, where a
variety of factors such as stronger actors, a strong script, great
directors have taken up the slack, it isn’t the case in Ghost in the
Shell. From the moment Ms. Johansson comes on screen, it’s
uncomfortable to say the least, because you WANT her to knock it out of
the park, and sadly, from the first three minutes of her on here, you
know she isn’t going to.
So how then, you may ask, is it that The Ghost In The Shell boasts a
not so bad rating? Is everything in the film amazing and enough to make
up for the non- acting-skills of the lead? If only! In my opinion, it
is what we are seeing more and more of these days. Ratings
manipulations. This movie boasts one of the largest film crews ever. I
have never seen a movie with more people listed as participants. Take a
look for yourself: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/combined
You can bet that every one of those people have also left glowing
reviews for this film and that is the only reason why it is rated so
highly.
In truth, it is mediocre at best AND TO COMPARE IT TO BLADERUNNER IS AN
INSULT TO NOT ONLY THOSE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THAT VERY FABULOUS,
GROUND-BREAKING AND ICONIC FILM, but to every person who has viewed it
and loves it. Comparing the two is nothing less than comparing a
Kardashian selfie to the Mona Lisa. Just wrong.
As for GiTS, the plot is good, the CGI is very good, the pacing is
okay, the acting on the part of others in the film is alright with a
special note about Michael Pitt who is really very good. (There is a
scene between Michael Pitt and Johansson which is really quite good due
to the fact that Michael Pitt carries it from start to finish).
All in all, even with Scarlett running around in what appears to be
nothing, the film doesn’t quite make it to ”good”. It is pretty much a
film with flashy lights and psychedelic editing and not much else.
Superb
I had no idea what Ghost in the Shell is. The overall score is awful.
Yet, some reviews raised my curiosity. This evening, went there with
wife and son. Simply: superb. The actors are wonderful. The plot is
sci-fi. Yet they made it all feel real. The soundtrack is great. We
loved the film.
Pretty good for a remake!
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Much better than hyper-critical fans would lead you to believe
Let me preface my review by saying that I’m a long-time fan of the
anime. So I came into this movie both nervous and hopeful. That said,
don’t let anyone who’s a stalwart champion of the anime fool you. The
GitS original anime movie is far from the golden standard that people
imply. The voice acting for several roles are wooden, the story pacing
is disjointed, and the resolution is…weird. The SAC series rightfully
disregards this resolution, shores up the deficiencies in voice acting,
and delivers two rock-solid seasons. The Arise series similarly plots
its own storytelling course separate, apart, and unrelated to the
others.
I say all this just to reinforce that anyone who balked at some of the
core items from the anime being re-imagined hasn’t looked very recently
at the anime. Nor does any criticism that labels this movie as shallow
bear up very well if you revisit the original anime movie.
Now, having said all of that, I have to say I enjoyed this movie. It
was fun, had equal parts action and story/character building, and did a
good job showcasing the dystopian, cyberpunk universe in which it’s
set. It lifts several scenes almost verbatim from the anime but wraps
them in a story woven from a few different plot lines from the
originals.
Is it perfect? No. I would have liked to see more of the team have a
chance to shine, particularly Togusa. I also think perhaps Aramaic is a
bit reckless compared to his anime counterpart. And how can we have had
a soundtrack without Yoko Kanno or without some tribute to Origa? And I
did cringe when the Major used her title like a name or call sign.
Nonetheless, it captured the flavor of the universe, provided an
entertaining plot, kept the basic personalities of the characters
intact, and did a good job with the Major’s relationship with Batou. It
surpassed what I expected.
At the end of the day, movies like this have to do three things to
please me: it has to honor (at least in spirit) those elements which I
enjoyed in the original material even if it takes liberties with them.
It has to entertain with more than just mindless action. And it has to
have some heart with the characters. I feel like all those boxes were
checked with me.
Remember, too, that movies like this, Speed Racer, Pacific Rim, and
numerous others don’t translate well for folks who didn’t grow up with
anime. That doesn’t mean they’re not good. This movie has the
unfortunate distinction of missing out on those moviegoers who don’t
get anime as well as being the victim of a hypercritical that views the
history of the show through overly rose-colored glasses.
A Good Film That May Produce Better Sequels
Hanka Security has a government contract to produce weapons and Major
is the most valuable weapon they have, being a synthesis of human and
machine. She searches for the mysterious leader of a rebel force. Along
the way, she discovers a truth that changes her perception of reality
and of herself.
Major is so central to the theme and the action of this film, the
portrayal of Major by Scarlett Johansson is critical to the film’s
success. She does a good job, but not good enough that I was
enthralled, which is what I wanted from this protagonist.
The other major factor is the quality of the CGI, which is a massive
part of this film. And the CGI is fantastic, evoking the futuristic
sensibilities of ”Blade Runner” and some very convincing action scenes.
This is an origin story, so I am expecting sequels. If they can fine
tune the CGI version of Major’s body, the sequels may be more
immersive.
Ghosts of the Past
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A review from a non-fan
I am not a fan of the original and never watched it. I have watched my
share of anime from Japan (probably ten of them in my 31 years) but I
had never watched Ghost In The Shell. For those who do not know it is a
Japanese TV series and films with sequel. It is about cyber crime and
what is life and what is just a machine.
I hope this is helpful for you out there.
I went to watch the film as a first date with a fan. The guy loved and
watched the original and could tell you all about the Section, the
Chief, The Major and Mega Tech. He was unimpressed because the major
lacked nudity, music was not in the right place and also the film
assumed it is more clever and knows more than the original.
Whatever the case, I thought the action was good. Think like Matrix and
its sequels. There are some impressive effects. Scarlet Johansson was
too dry and robotic, but perhaps she is supposed to be. I mean she is a
robot basically. Then again, I never liked her. I mean she is the extra
and unneeded character in the Avengers. She is there for no reason so I
suppose I brought that misgiving with myself into this film.
One last thing guys, to be even more helpful to you, if you are on a
date and you want to do the girl then have a place you can go (i.e.
have your pad empty and available no girl is going to a hotel with you
on a first date). Also, insist a little and have a reason to come back
to your place. Just because we say no doesn’t mean you should not push
it and make a reason. I hope this is easy for your guys to understand
If you know how to think for yourself you’ll love this film
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I liked the live action GitS a lot
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Best anime adaptation so far, lacks the original vision for the future (No spoilers)
OK, so you probably read the other comments and you’re trying to figure
out what to think of this movie. First let me go trough the parts
really quick (TL/DR below):
Visually: 9/10 – The creators really blew me away with a lot of the CG
and special effects love put into the film. The scenes that were
borrowed and recreated from the original gave me goose bumps.
Overall Acting & cast: 8/10 – The makers did a great job of selecting
the characters and especially Batou was 100/100. Even his love for dogs
and long hounds (sorry bad at dog types).
ScarJoe as Major: 9/10 – Really can’t see the criticism here. She does
a great job and also really looks like the Major.
Directing and Cinematography: 7/10 – While some scenes referencing the
original anime were great, I thought it lost some of the ‘weird’
‘uncomfortable’ but very ascetic shots the anime had in favor of more
‘action’-type shots.
Script (THE BIG ONE): 6/10 0 A lot of people are really stuck on the
part that this movie is a simplified version of the original, in terms
of the psychological and ethical dilemma’s that made us think after we
saw the original. And I agree. I was 14 when I watched the original and
it blew my mind. And so we’re a lot of other 14 year old minds in the
day. We watched it over and over and became otaku’s after. I think
that’s what people are expecting again.
If you think about the idea of the original script, it was a new story
and vision about what makes us human vs what makes us a machine. This
topic was very new and untapped at that time. Since the original GITS
hundreds of films were made out of the inspiration this film has caused
– pretty much every sci-fi film out there about man vs machine.
After watching this film I felt some nostalgia, but it didn’t make me
think about the future and the man vs machine relationship the way the
original did. And it’s because it clearly wasn’t the choice of the
makers. They wanted to tap into the nostalgia and make it a homage for
a wider audience.
But if they started in a different spot… If they would have started
with the original idea ”let’s make a new story about what makes us
human vs what makes us a machine” they could have build upon the GITS
vision and the ideas of other sci-fi movies to makes something truly
new and mind-blowing. A recent example was the film ”Machinima”. It
plays with the same tension, but is a truly mind- blowing film. Just
like the Black Mirror series.
It was great seeing the Major again, at the same time I would have
appreciated a totally new take on the theme. One that takes us another
20 years forward. And a movie I would re-watch 10 times, like the
original GITS.
TL/DR As a homage this is the best anime film so far, but they didn’t
nail what made the film great in the first place: a new vision for the
idea and philosophy of ”what makes us human vs what makes us machine”
Ghost in the Shell Review
The film like the anime and the manga the visuals/fight scenes were
quite impressive. There are some similarities to Oshii-san’s fight
scenes from the anime that translated very nicely to film. The kinetic
energy of the fighting and shooting did harken to some of Masamune
Shirow’s manga and earlier works, such as black magic m66 and
appleseed. Added some HK grittiness to heighten the flavor. Also add
Oshii-san fave dog for kawaii factor.
I was impressed with the film to try and to condense the story of
science, eastern religion, western religion, philosophy and psychology
of the manga that Masamune Shirow penned. The story in the manga is
very rich and thick with all sorts of the things stated above. The
production staff probably toiled for many months to try and make the
chaotic world of Masamune Shirow as palatable as possible. I am sure
Frederik L. Schodt and other translators had a similar problem
translating all of the Japanese to make sense. I still was blown by the
story and complex by the source material.
I am only disappointed that the director didn’t have the courage to dig
deeper into this complex and fascinating universe. I guess time and
money like all things hollyweird is always the issue.
Like the manga, it pays to re-read/watch the film again.
I would like to say lastly there technically was an Asian actress in
the lead film… it is based on interpretation.
not as good as the original, but it is considered ”average”
Being a fan of anime and the Ghost In The Shell series, i was pretty
excited to see the anime story come to life in this movie. I had
thoughts that it was not going to be as good as the original but after
seeing this, its not amazing but it gets an ”average” from me. The CGI
and special effects in this movie did make it feel like you were in the
future-day Japan. I also never expected an high-class actor such as
Scarlett Johansson to be in this anime movie but her acting was again,
average. The positives of this movie is that the soundtrack in the
movie and the makeup and costumes made this movie compare to the
original Ghost In The Shell. if they added a little more to this movie,
i would of given it a higher score but for now, i will give it an 7 but
again this movie was not as good as the original but it is considered
average.
Ghost in the Shell, great movie
This movie contained action-pack scenes and the special effects were
amazing. The characters in the movie were well portrayed and also gave
the character the proper edge for this kind of movie. This movie is a
must see and it won’t disappoint. You will want more to see and it is
worth watching. This movie brings a different way of showing anime on
the big screen.
An excellent attempt.
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Yet Another Spin on Blade Runner
This is a special-effects and action-sequence driven, futurist
dystopian drama, like so many others we’ve known and, sometimes, loved.
Juliette Binoche and Scarlett Johanssen make this movie worth watching,
for starters. And the fact that it succeeds in being a formula movie in
spite of so many others failing, is in part because they can act their
parts easily and convincingly enough, and look great in spite of the
cloying excess of brilliant effects and over-designed sets around them
all the time — not to mention the often-vapid dialogue.
There is an element of pathos, similar to Robocop, that never quite
reaches the same height, for unlike this movie, Robocop actually had a
sense of humor. So seven stars but still, (:^-{ I never did catch
Scarlett’s camelfoot the way I hoped to.
This film has GREAT franchise potential.
I went into this film having watched the original 1995 Mamoru Oshii
anime film years ago; and loving it ever since. While I personally
think that for what the remake lacks in story, it makes up for it with
its amazing visuals, gorgeous cinematography and some standout
performances from the cast (particularly Takeshi Kitano as Daisuke
Arakami). The visuals are great, the atmosphere is great, but I oddly
thought that Scarlett Johansson’s performance wasn’t underwhelming
because she wasn’t Japanese like her character is meant to be, but
because she kind of acts like a robot (no pun intended) at times during
the movie.
Rupert Sanders does a fantastic job at emulating Mamoru Oshii’s
directorial style, but he doesn’t have the out-of-body direction that
Oshii gave us with the original ’95 classic. It’s not that his
directing skills are lackluster (far from it); it’s that the script
suffers from simplifying the original source material a little bit TOO
much. There are some changes regarding the ‘Puppet Master’ here, but I
don’t really want to spill the beans here.
Go into this movie for what it is: a Westernisation of an anime classic
that for the most part works. And even when it does fall short of the
original, it’s actually an entertaining ride nonetheless. Give it a
watch, and give it some much-needed love.
God knows the film needs it considering freakin’ Boss Baby is outdoing
its box office!
Pretty good – maybe the best live-action anime remake
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Great stylish fun
This is a beautiful looking film, re-creating the colouring and overall
feel of the original. Johansson is far better than I expected and –
even simplified – the story is intelligent enough in comparison to many
current films. For me, it would be hard to give this a very poor review
as it is so very derivative but while it looks the part, it doesn’t
really add anything new and actually feels a little dated with all it’s
90s cyberpunk references. It’s definitely worth seeing even if you love
the original and if anyone hasn’t seen the original I highly recommend
you do so – it’s awesome.
Best I can offer is ”meh.”
First, I’m a fan of the series, and I really liked the original.
This one loses me for a few reasons, but mainly because the acting is
flat – no emotions seem real, the backstory isn’t well supported, and
the only one who really does a great job (IMHO) is Juliette Binoche.
While I understand that Johanssen’s character is supposed to be a
robotic body housing a human mind, it really irritates that she moves
her body as if trying to look robotic. Gait mechanics are much less
complex than neural interfaces – if you can make a robot that looks
human, and interface an actual human brain, you can’t make one that
walks normally? Pass. The graphics were well done, the CG was great,
and the effects were pretty good, but the acting and the backstory were
a loss. Wish I had deferred this one to Redbox.
Scarlett Johansson walks like a man
The cityscapes and holographic images in this film are quite good and
thankfully, are used throughout. However, the cast is small, there are
very few extras so it seems a little empty and the two-hander,
dialogue-driven scenes you could easily skip or sleep through.
The special effects are OK, as is the storyline but nothing better than
average. Scarlett Johansson, in an attempt to look serious and
determined ends up strutting around with a bit of a butch walk, which
is funny but testament to the lack of detail given to the human aspect
of this film.
Robocop 1987 wipes the floor with this.
About almost irrelevant noise
OK, can there be an uncontrollable ghost inhabiting the brain of a
otherwise totally synthetic cyborg? Is there space for any anima? I
don’t no. In GHOST IN THE SHELL there is. What I was more interested in
is whether there can be something like a hard to grasp anima within a
totally digital 3D sci-fi IMAX production full of neon lights,
holograms and bodies materializing and dematerializing in a landscape
so obviously made out of ones and zeros? I need that anima to feel any
empathy. And I need to feel empathy to lose and find myself within the
cinematic world, to have the essential experience of catharsis. It did
work for me, despite all the technical fuzz on the surface which is, in
this case, the right, adequate form for its underlying, spiritual
theme. It did work because of the story and its climatic composition,
speeding up to an orgasmic high near the ending and it worked because
of the magnificent performance throughout the cast. As long as the
story and the actors manage to keep your emotions flowing, the rest
becomes a not that important mask. It becomes almost irrelevant noise.
Horrible – I had to leave the cinema – DO NOT FALL FOR THE REVIEWS
I usually assure that I watch only good movies. That’s why I read the
reviews here and the 7,x rating was convincing too. So I went to a
cinema with a friend of mine and it was devastating. The beginning was
not even that bad, the music (by Clint Mansell) and the effects are
also decent. But the story is HORRIBLE. Incoherent, simply absolutely
terrible. No act of suspense, no deep connections between the
characters and no profundity.
I even gave the movie a few chances but ultimately I left the cinema
hall after about 40 minutes.
The only way to explain the positive ratings is that these are fake
(isn’t it weird that from 7,6 or so the rating fell to 6,7?) . I won’t
fall for them again and inform myself better next time. Usually you can
say that movies having a rating over 7 must be decent (in the most
cases), but don’t count on the rating when the movie is in the cinema,
the movie industry is not stupid. Eventually the movie is going to get
the rating it deserves.
Great movie from a classic anime
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
As it should be
They took away about 15% of the story from the original anime and used
a caucasian instead of Japanese or Chinese for the android. Even though
this live action version is 00:24:00 longer.
There are the right amount of effects considering the setting and that
this _is_ cyberpunk..
The 15% ‘ish reduction in story is expected from a live action with big
stars where managing budget. My only change would be using a Japanese
or Chinese actor and not make the light so sharp in the effects.
To non-GITS fanatics, this is a GREAT MOVIE!
100% agree with many of the other reviewers who have stated this movie
has been unceremoniously crapped on by critics and hardcore GITS
afficiandos.
I am neither a critic nor was I familiar with GITS prior to watching
this movie. I watched a few clips from the original anime prior to
seeing the film just to have a point of reference to compare, but was
largely unaware of the previous story lines.
When this movie is taken at face value, it is a coming of age story
that focuses on the Major. I though ScarJo did an outstanding job and
the supporting cast was tremendous as well. The visuals are stunning
and the attention to detail in the set design was outstanding. The
storyline is not as complex as the original material, but it wasn’t
trying to be. The complexity of the plot is still miles ahead of most
films made in the genre and I loved every bit of it.
Bottom line, please attempt to see this movie with an open mind and
take it at face value. You will be pleasantly surprised!
Is it right that American film studio hates Japanese?
I am Japanese and I like to communicate with people from different
countries. So no prejudice for foreigners. I just turned 30 this year.
I want to say I am annoyed very much at films from west because they
take Japanese story and always say no to Japanese actress. This actress
had her past made fun of Japan and now takes the same. If you even
don’t watch at the original Ghost In The Shell western title you see in
this film that the android was revealed as originally a Japanese girl.
BUT no in the film. She is western. Shame to studio and this actress.
This for me is the same as Last Samurai. Western man comes from America
kills Japanese man and Japanese man’s wife gives him sex so happy. Also
same as Memories of Geisha. Character is Japanese in Japan but actress
is Chinese. Because people want Chinese in China so studio forgets
Japanese and puts Chinese. I see the same in King Kong Skull Island
just put a Chinese because film needs Chinese for selling in china. As
Japanese I must ask you America do I disturb you? But why do you take
Japanese story?
A robot you could take home to meet mother
Scarlett Johansson is a stunning actress, with unquestionably a
stunning figure that she loves to show off, but you would have to start
questioning her film choices: since there is hardly a hair’s breadth
between the emotionally reserved superhero depiction here and her
recent roles in ”Lucy” and ”Under the Skin”. With her other ongoing
”Avengers” superhero work as Natasha Romanoff, and nothing much else
beyond that other than brief cameos (”Hail Caesar”, ”Hitchcock”) and
voice work, its all getting a bit ‘samey’: I’d like to see her get back
to her more dramatic roles like ”Lost in Translation” that really
launched her career.
Anyhoo, back to this flick. Set in the dazzling fictional Japanese city
of Niihama, Johansson plays a terrorist victim saved only by having her
brain transplanted into an android by the Hanka corporation. In this
time (40 years in the future) human ‘upgrades’ with cybernetic
technology are commonplace, but Major is a ‘first of a kind’
experiment. Hanka are not pure humanitarians though, since they have
turned Major into a lethal fighting weapon with powers of invisibility
and lightning reactions. She works for a shadowy anti- terrorism unit
called Section 9, led by the Japanese speaking Aramaki (Takeshi Kitano,
”Battle Royale”).
The upside of having no human form is that if you get burned or blown
up, the team of cyber-surgeons back at Hanka, led by Dr. Ouelet
(Juliette Binoche), can rebuild her – – they ”have the technology” to
quote another bionic hero.
But all is not necessarily well in the idyll of anti-terrorist slashing
and burning. Major suffers from recurring ‘glitches’ of memories from
her past life: a life that she has no clear memories of. Her latest
mission against a deformed and vindictive terrorist called Kuze
(Michael Pitt) progressively resurfaces more of these memories, since
Kuze clearly knows more about Major than she does.
”Ghost in the Shell” looks glorious, with the Hong Kong-like city being
in the style of Blade Runner but with more holograms. (What exactly the
holograms are supposed to be doing or advertising is rather unclear!).
The cinematography and special effects deserve an Oscar nomination.
Given the film is based on an original Manga series, written and
illustrated by Masamune Shirow and well known for its complexity, this
Hollywood version has a surprisingly simple and linear story. As such
it may disappoint the hoard of fans who adore the original materials.
Treating it as a standalone film, it should have an emotional depth
beyond the superficial action, dealing as it does with loyalty and
family ties. However, the scripting and editing is rather pedestrian
making the whole thing a bit dull. Johansson and Pilou Asbæk, as her
co-worker Batou, breathe what life they can into the material; but
Binoche is less convincing as the Dr Frankenstein-style doctor. The
best act in the piece though is Takeshi Kitano as the kick-ass OAP with
attitude.
Where I had particular issues was in some of the detail of the action.
‘Invisibility’ is an attribute that needs to be metered out very
carefully in the movies: Harry Potter just about got away with it; in
”Die Another Day” it nearly killed the Bond franchise for good. Here,
exactly how the androids can achieve invisibility is never explained
and I disliked that intently. Similarly, the androids can clearly be
physically damaged, yet Major seems to start each mission by throwing
herself headfirst off the tallest skyscraper. Again, never explained.
Even though the premise, and the opening titles, brought back bad
memories of that truly terrible Star Trek episode ”Spock’s Brain”, this
is a dark and thoughtful adaptation with great CGI effects but
unfortunately its pedestrian pace means it is one that never truly
breaks through into the upper echelons of Sci Fi greatness. Worth a
watch though.
(For the full review, with graphics, please visit bob-the-movie-
man.com. Thanks.)
Absolutely amazing movie
I went to this movie not having any ideas about it at all, except from
the previous trailer I saw in the cinema. I was absolutely amazed by
it. It is one of the best movies I saw in a very long time.It is one of
those movies that really leaves an impact on you. The story, the
effects, the acting are all amazingly combined. The writers, producers
and actors all together really did an amazing job and gave us 2 hours
of continuous wonder and enjoyment.Just have an open mind and leave
home all your expectations and preconceptions and you will be amazed as
I was.
Even Scarlett couldn’t make this work
I wasn’t really tempted by the trailer but I watched the movie anyway,
since Scarlett Johansson is one of my favorite actresses. Boy was I
disappointed! The only thing that kept me from leaving in the middle of
the film was the hope that Scarlett will miraculously return to being
her beautiful self- blonde and gorgeous, alas that never happened. I
think this was one of her worst movies ever. And why make her Japanese
is beyond my understanding. In fact, many people in the theater left
just after 20 minutes, since nothing really was happening. And ghost?
Using this word for a soul is a really alien concept for Western
culture. Plain, schematic, unintelligible, shallow- that sums up the
two hours of whatever was happening on the screens.
Nothing deep, but definitely fun to watch
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
reverse bumblebee movie
A ”bumblebee” movie is one that should not work on paper but does
anyway. For example 2016’s Colossal.
A reverse bumblebee is a film that should excel on paper but fails in
execution.
The script is a mess. All the arcs, tones, notes, reversals, setups —
just a mess.
Scarlett Johansson is one of the top action actors on the planet. Her
work in the Avengers franchise is uniformly brilliant. Yet she
struggles here, her biggest enemy is the script and the director.
They should have gone with Appleseed, a much brighter story, would have
been a better film.
Pretty good action flick but disappointing for the fans
It’s a good action flick. Not much more.
I understand why they wanted to ”dumb down” the story a bit for the
mainstream market. I honestly didn’t understand much of the original
story the first time I saw it (Keeping in mind I wasn’t v