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The stolen identity trope has lost its appeal.
With the story centered on Scarlett Johansson’s Major Mira Killian attempting lớn piece together the events of her past, the film diverges from its source material in an attempt at originality. The move to lớn differentiate Johansson’s character with a new backstory would be admirable, if that backstory actually felt new. As it stands, *Robo
Cop’*s police officer turned into invincible cyborg has a plot that’s remarkably similar, right down to the heartless corporation pulling the strings—and anyone who has seen an entry in the Jason Bourne franchise could predict what happens when amnesia & defense training combine. Taking the conceit readily associated with male protagonists and reimagining it with a female lead might seem groundbreaking—if it weren’t for Geena Davis doing the same thing about two decades earlier in (the very excellent) film The Long Kiss Goodnight.
The special effects don’t feel that special.
Much of the praise directed khổng lồ Ghost in the Shell has been focused on its sleek look và seamless visual effects. While few could argue with the beauty of the work done by Moving Picture Company, the majority of the eye-catching moments are culled directly from Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 adaptation. This is not an egregious case: Hollywood films often borrow from anime, lifting scenes & reinterpreting them to suit the new material. The Wachowskis drew inspiration from the original Ghost in the Shell for many of the visuals we now associate with the The Matrix, while Christopher Nolan’s Inception dreamscapes borrowed heavily from Satoshi Kon’s equally trippy film Paprika. In both those instances, enough of a difference existed khổng lồ justify each project’s existence, but in GITS we're offered reduction, rather than innovation. Sure, the sight of the Major leaping from a building và fading into the city sky as she turns on her thermoptic suit is cool—but we’ve seen it before.
The moment Scarlett Johansson’s casting was announced, complaints arose regarding the choice to lớn use a Caucasian actress khổng lồ play a Japanese character. Though the filmmakers balked at accusations of “whitewashing,” the Asian erasure isn’t just an online concern: It’s a plot point. With Johansson’s version of the Major (an Asian woman whose brain has been placed into a trắng body) the story seems especially tone-deaf. Though the film features Asian actors like Japanese cinema icon Takeshi Kitano & acclaimed Singaporean star Chin Han in supporting roles, it doesn’t counteract the use of the blonde, blue-eyed Johansson in a part that could have easily gone khổng lồ well-known Japanese performers lượt thích Rinko Kikuchi, or rising stars like Tao Okamoto or Sonoya Mizuno.
The film’s director, Rupert Sanders, has pointed to Johansson’s international popularity as the reason behind her casting. But his justification highlights the catch-22 that performers of màu sắc face: If roles are chosen based on box office, and Asian actresses are rarely if ever given a chance to lớn prove their bankability, where does progress come in? (Also, have we learned nothing from the success of Hidden Figures?)
The deeper meaning of the manga got lost along the way.
Ultimately, Ghost in the Shell isn’t supposed to lớn be about one woman’s tìm kiếm for her past. In the manga, & corresponding animated films, the hero’s journey is only one part of the tale. The Major, while important, is a gateway into an entire world, one where people have become indistinguishable from the giải pháp công nghệ they’ve created. The scope extends beyond simple sci-fi, & the answers—when they come— only lead lớn more questions. With existential speeches happening nearly as often as shootouts, & psychobabble mixed in with talk of hacking the metaphysical & mechanical, it makes for a story that is bold & challenging và scarily relevant khổng lồ our lives today.
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None of that translates into the live-action version; challenges are replaced by neat conclusions, and existential dialogue has been ditched for platitudes about memory. All the elements of the original that were interesting have been watered down, presumably to attract viewers unfamiliar with the franchise, but in disservice to the story. It’s a Hollywood lesson in settling for less, and ironically, one that it seems audiences are refusing khổng lồ settle for.
Ghost in the Shell boasts cool visuals and a compelling central performance from Scarlett Johansson, but the over result lacks the magic of the movie"s classic source material. Read critic review
In the near future, Major is the first of her kind: a human who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to lớn stopping the world"s most dangerous criminals. When terrorism reaches a new cấp độ that includes the ability to gian lận into people"s minds và control them, Major is uniquely qualified khổng lồ stop it. As she prepares khổng lồ face a new enemy, Major discovers that her life was stolen instead of saved. Now, she will stop at nothing lớn recover her past while punishing those who did this lớn her. Show More
Rating: PG-13 (Some Disturbing Images|Intense Sci-Fi Violence|Suggestive Content)
Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 2017 wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 7, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.5M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, Crystal Sky Entertainment