I am one of the few cinephiles out there that has not seen the original Ghost in the Shell movie from 1995. It has been on my watchlist for a while, but due to time, I was not able to check it out before the live-action remake was released. The trailers looked exciting and enthralling, as there was a Blade Runner meets RoboCop vibe that was being noticed.
Right off the bat, the movie is gorgeous with its outstanding visuals and vibrant cinematography. I adored the look of futuristic Japan and wouldn’t be shocked if the movie gains a Best Visual Effects nomination at next year’s Oscars. Also, Scarlett Johansson is fantastic as Major. She’s a badass in movies like this, but her performance is also very compelling. You know what else is compelling? Not this movie!
That’s right, folks! I was severely disappointed with this remake of Ghost in the Shell and that is coming from someone that has not even seen the original. Other than the visuals and Johansson’s performance, the rest of movie was hollow and wooden as a stick you find in the woods. The direction by Snow White and the Huntsman helmer Rupert Sanders was flat, as the tone was all over-the-place after the first act. It was a drama movie, then an action movie, then a sci-fi movie. Don’t even get me started on the script, as it’s weak. It’s not the dialogue that’s best, as it’s more so with the incoherent tone of the story. I can’t say if it follows the same beats as the original, but I hear the original storyline is compelling and engrossing.
All the characters, except for Johansson’s Major, were really weak and it’s sad, especially when you have talent like Juliette Bionche and Michael Pitt added. These characters weren’t fleshed out properly and when we were suppose to care about them, I didn’t care one bit. The editing is also extremely sluggish, as the movie made me want to sleep a bunch of times.
I saw the potential that was within this movie. But, with how sloppy Ghost in the Shell was put together, it fell down into a pit of garbage. It was not a terrible movie, but it was not very good either. I love Scarlett Johansson a lot and she definitely tried. After watching this, I will be checking out the animation as soon as possible!
