"Ghost in the Shell" Review

Title: Ghost in the Shell

Directed by: Rupert Sanders

Written by: Jamie Moss, William Wheeler, Ehren Kruger

Year: 2017


I was very late to watching the original Ghost in the Shell, having only seen it in preparation for this live-action adaptation. I found the 1995 anime feature to be very ambitious and quietly engaging. It certainly requires future viewings on my part to get a more concrete opinion, but I did enjoy it and admire its boldness. Now, this live-action remake sets out to do things a little differently. Is this jump to reality a ghost of its former self?

In the future, cybernetic enhancement among humans has become a common trend. As such, one person has taken advantage of this by hacking into people's minds and controlling their actions. The Major must track down this individual and take him out, all while grappling with the fact that her entire life might be a lie.

Unquestionably the most noticeable aspect of this film is its visual style. The animation depicted a vibrant but lived-in world full of color, akin to the environments found in Blade Runner. This version manages to capture the same look and atmosphere to an astonishing degree. The world illustrated in the film is hypnotic and alluring, encapsulating the audience in a highly detailed science-fiction. Ghost in the Shell is a gorgeous looking motion picture with dazzling color schemes and remarkable lighting (it seems that 2017 is a great year for cinematography so far).

The visual effects are equally impressive, with the extensive CGI blending in seamlessly. The diegetic world is highly advanced and made memorable through superb special effects work. There are many instances of creative and imaginative ideas being channeled through the CGI, especially when it comes to the Major's thermoptic suit, which allows her to become invisible. Ghost in the Shell is a delectable feast for the eyes that is backed with amazing visual effects.

Scarlett Johansson heads the film as Major Mira Killian, which is a bit of a name-change from the animated version (Motoko Kusanagi). Johansson owns the role with both a commanding presence and a subtle performance. The Major has a very cold personality, which means the task of making her a likable protagonist is all the harder. But Johansson pulls this off with apparent naturality, a credit to her acting capabilities.

Pilou Asbaek gives a fantastic portrayal of Batou, who is the Major's cybernetically enhanced partner on her missions. Asbaek captures the humanity of the character perfectly, which is the most important aspect. Batou's humanity is arguably the soul of the original film, and is used to counterbalance the Major's robot-like behavior. The rest of the cast includes a wildly strange but antagonistic Michael Pitt, and a well-utilized Takeshi Kitano. The minor characters that populate the rest of the world are mostly forgettable, but service the plot efficiently.

As for the story, it is faithful to the original in many respects. The first half of the film follows the original's plot in a broader sense. There is an unseen villain causing trouble in the city and the Major is tasked with discovering the criminal. Many of the story beats from the animation carry over to this live-action counterpart. For example, the opening scene plays out similarly to how it is depicted in the anime, with just a tad more action. Another instance is when the Major and Batou are chasing down a suspect, which climaxes in a massive but shallow pool of water. Not only is this the best scene in the film, but it is also consistent with how it appeared in the 1995 picture. The story in the first half of the film is solid in execution and similar enough to the beloved animation to still be recognized as the same property, while also throwing in its own singularities to create a different flavor of the well-known brand.

However, it is with some of these changes that Ghost in the Shell suffers its greatest drawbacks. The film adds an extra storyline concerning the Major's past in an attempt to flesh out her character. In many regards, this does work. In the original, we knew next to nothing about the Motoko, which helped to emphasize her cold nature and robotic enhancements. This film however, tries to focus more on the humanity of the character while still acknowledging her completely cybernetic body. In some respects, this does make Mira a more three dimensional character than Motoko was.

But the problems lie within the storytelling itself. Contrary to the source material, this film goes a very clichéd route with a few of its plot threads. While this 2017 remake does offer more character depth for the Major, it does come at the cost of a well-trod story. The idea that Mira's past was taken from her and that she goes on a mission to learn about who she truly is is a storyline that has been done dozens upon dozens of times. As a result, the remainder of the picture comes off as familiar, but in all the wrong ways.

The villain is another weak point. In the original movie, the antagonist was abstract in a sense. Its motivations probed at bigger existential questions about the difference between machines and humans leading to a more thought provoking product. By contrast, this modern film's criminal is much simpler, with his evil deeds being chalked up to a classic revenge tale. It is disinteresting to say the least. Furthermore, the fact that both the Major's past and the villain's story take over the second half of the movie severely downgrades the film.

Ghost in the Shell has a hefty amount of merits, but its faults severely weigh it down. The visuals are splendorous and mesmerizing; the performances from the core cast are great all around; and the first half of the film is engaging. The film falters in its second half, when its new concepts and ideas tale the helm, steering the film in a very trite direction. Though the changes from the 1995 anime do provide some positives, most of the original content works against the premise of the film, leaving this to be an enjoyable and gorgeous, but conflicted flick.

Grade: B-