You’ve probably already seen or at least been alerted to the trailer for a little movie coming out next year called “Ghost in the Shell.” Well, most of the internet has sure gotten wind of it, with the trailer holding millions of views on YouTube alone.
The film has certainly been controversial with anime fans and especially diehard fans of the franchise. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself; allow me to bring those of you scratching your heads up to speed.
Starting as a science fiction manga (Japanese comic) series by Masamune Shirow, the “Ghost in the Shell” franchise focuses on the exploits of Major Motoko Kusanagi, an agent of a counter-cyberterrorism unit in a futuristic Japan where cybernetics and technology have practically evolved humanity.
The manga spun off into an incredibly successful film in 1995 as well as several TV series, including the popular “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.” The manga, film, and all other ventures of the multimedia franchise have been widely lauded as hallmarks of the sci-fi genre and the anime medium, boasting complex storytelling and a remarkable art style.
In March of next year, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks will be releasing a live-action remake of the 1995 movie—the very film we’re discussing today.
As a fan of the original, I’d like to run through some of my thoughts on the project so far. Let’s plug in and check it out.
The Cast
I’m not going to spend time ranting and raving about the ethnicity of some of the actors in this film. There’s a litany of debate on the subject, and I would highly encourage researching information about this film and the original work to form your own conclusions. Please don’t just listen to the snap judgements or angry comments of other people, and don’t let them sway you from thinking for yourself about the film.
What I’m more worried about is the cast’s ability to capture the essence of the characters from the franchise that they are portraying. This goes especially for Scarlett Johansson, who is playing the lead role of Motoko, an obviously very important character in “Ghost in the Shell.”
I’ve seen strange complaints about Johansson sounding robotic. To refresh the memories of those who have forgotten or to inform those of you unfamiliar with “Ghost in the Shell,” Motoko is a cyborg. I’m sorry if she isn’t acting like Pee-Wee Herman in every scene. But I digress.
I think people also forget Johansson can act; please see “Ghost World” or “Lost in Translation” if you need hard evidence. In that regard, I think she can capture the deeper, less superficial nuances of Motoko’s character, such as her reflectiveness and curiosity about the nature of existence.
I am not too familiar with the other cast members, but I can only hope that they can also smoothly translate their characters correctly in their performances. It has to be said that these characters are far from one-note; all of the actors are going to have to bring their best to ensure the characters don’t become stale or clichéd. This job does need help from the screenwriters, of course, which we’ll get to later.
The Visuals
Four words. This. Movie. Looks. Gorgeous.
If Japan made “Blade Runner,” it would look like this. The high-tech noir aesthetic, the use of practical effects and makeup, surprisingly believable CGI, and the stunning set design have definitely given this film its own voice visually. Even if the worst-case scenario comes to pass and this movie sucks, I think we’ll all be able to say, “Yes, it’s bad, but it looks so good.”
I love how the film possesses the style and details of its source, yet manages to add enough refreshing material to be its own thing. The clips the trailer decided to show visually communicate what “Ghost in the Shell” is all about, so I think this is a great way to let the uninitiated and hardcore fans alike know what they’re in for. I look forward to seeing how all of these visual elements play out.
The cinematography is top-notch. It would have been so easy for the film to rip off similar sci-fi actioners like “Aeon Flux,” but again, the crew seem focused on how original and creative they can be. Given the nature of the material they have to work with, it won’t be too difficult in theory to make this new “Ghost in the Shell” different from other sci-fi films.
The Story
Like I hinted at earlier, the screenwriters and screenplay will play heavily into how good or bad “Ghost in the Shell” turns out. I don’t mean to sound trite; I say this because the original film is very complex and unorthodox with its themes and narrative.
Existentialism, the relationship between man and technology, and other ponderous topics populated the original film, comprising a storytelling experience most films and television shows can only hope to match. Think of the original as a deeper, more abstract version of “The Matrix.”
So far, it’s hard to tell how much of this story-related content is going to be preserved in this new film. From my perspective, the story is likely going to be conventional, unlike its source material. This isn’t inherently bad, it’s just something studios do to reach wider audiences. In fact, it’s possible to have a “refreshing” kind of conventional, as paradoxical as it sounds.
The main point here is that the screenplay must at the very least tell a story that focuses on themes similar to the ones in the original film. It doesn’t need to be an arthouse film to be compelling, but most importantly, it also shouldn’t be a mindless action movie. The original “Ghost in the Shell” is special in so many ways and it would be a shame to see it reduced to nothing more than an uninspired sci-fi flick with all flash and zero substance.
These are just a few of my thoughts regarding the new movie. The best way I can describe my feelings thus far is to say that I am cautiously optimistic. While I acknowledge that what has been shown so far is quite good, there could be a lot of bad we’re not seeing. In any case, I hope that the new “Ghost in the Shell” hits the mark.
