Plot
This live-action film adaptation of the original anime is a faithful recreation that does add some new content to ease in newcomers. I am a huge fan of the original "Ghost in the Shell" film as well as it's subsequent anime series. This film does a great job of sticking to the plot and staying true to the source material. The opening act is an amazing tour de force of action,beautiful shots of the futuristic cyberpunk city, and ass kicking...lots of ass kicking! This opening act is what drew me in to the original and it works equally well now. The second act does not keep up the pace and falters midway through the film. This act seems like it what designed to give new comers some much needed backstory and further flesh out the main character. This is a double edged sword. Newcomers who have never seen the original may appreciate the slower pace and character development to fill in gaps and make the plot more cohesive but the film does lag a bit during this phase. It feels a little muddled at times and overly melancholy and just...slow. This does not hurt the film in any way it just slows down the pace of the film unexpectedly. The film then ramps the action and visuals back up for the final act and all is well! I love the plot of this film! Almost every "CyberPunk" film or anime has borrowed heavily from this film, and as you watch, it becomes apparent that films like "The Matrix", "UltraViolet", "Strange Days", "Ex Machina", "IRobot", "Automata","Chappie","Appleseed" and many others borrow many of the same themes and elements present in this film and its original anime. The film tackles the growing dependency of society on technology and the dangers that come with that dependency. There are elements related to human trafficking, morally corrupt political leaders, morally corrupt corporations, Greed, Theology, Individuality, Espionage, Evolution, and what it means to be human. These themes are wrapped in an exterior of great storytelling, beautiful eyecandy, and jaw dropping action sequences.
Visuals/Special Effects
Stunning! This film looks amazing!. The color palette is full of gray, white, and black mixed with splashes of red and neon lights. The mood of the Anime's visuals translate well to live action thanks to the dark/gritty color schemes and lighting. The CG used is equally impressive. Humans augmented with cybernetics look believable and amazing. The androids or "robots" look practical and equally impressive. The city looks like a cyber punk eutopia! Holographic advertisements fill the skyline. Futuristic Skyscrapers and apartment buildings overlook drab, dirty, and crowded city streets below. "Futuristic cars" speed down the roads, and the city backdrop feels alive and actually living. The CG used during fight scenes looks great and doesn't look cheesy or cheap. The characters look like their counterparts from the original. The effects team paid a lot of attention to small details and the film is all the better thanks to that attention! I remember watching the original and wondering what this world and its characters would look like in "real-life" This film answered that question for me with a resounding...BEAUTIFUL!
Cast/Characters
This film did garner some negative feedback due to the "white-washing" of several of the main characters. This does not really hurt the narrative of the film in my opinion. Scarlett Johansson does an overall great job as Major/Motoko Kusanagi. She does approach the role with a stiff and mechanical walk that drove Josh and I crazy, but overall she did a great job. Motoko was a bit brooding and distant, while still keeping an air of vulnerability and uncertainty. Elegant and Beautiful yet tortured and lonely. Johansson did a good job portraying these emotions with her eyes and body language. Pilou Asbaek also turned in a good performance as Batou. he actually looked a great deal like the original character and was likeable. The rest of the cast looked the part and aside from the "white-washing" controversy, the casting is spot on.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was quite good. The remixed and retouched aural infused orchestral tracks add depth and weight to the film. The synthesized bass and drums are noticeable additions and I enjoyed the musical soundscapes that backed the stellar visuals. This film takes full advantage of surround sound and draws you in. The meaty bass delivered when a punch connects, or the clangs of metal on metal really give the film an immersive and realistic quality. Some of the voice acting can be a little bland at times but this minor issue was present in the original as well. The original film had a memorable and engrossing soundtrack and the same holds true to the live-action version.
Lasting Appeal
Ghost in The Shell was one of the first anime I watched and one that I still love to this day. The cyber-punk future it created and the themes and questions it tackled are still relevant in today's society, maybe even more so than when the original film released. I can see myself watching this film over and over again and enjoying it each time. The groundwork is there for a series if the studio thinks it will be profitable. I hope that they release at least two more films for fans to enjoy. Take the time to check out the original anime and anime series as well!
Scores: 1-10 (1=Poor---10=Amazing)
Leonard:
Plot-8
Visuals/Special Effects-10
Cast/Characters-7
Soundtrack-9
Lasting Appeal-8
Josh:
Plot-7
Visuals/Special Effects-9
Cast/Characters-7
Soundtrack-8
Lasting Appeal-7
Plot= 7.5
Visuals/Special Effects= 9.5
Cast/Characters= 7
Soundtrack= 8.5
Lasting Appeal= 7.5
Overall Score
8.0/10
