ANIME REMAKE | 'Ghost in the Shell' Film
'Ghost in the Shell' is set in the near future where Major is the first of her kind: a human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world's most dangerous criminals.
Fans of the original 1995 film or the series that followed are likely to be disappointed by this cinematic remake.
Though visually impressive with its futuristic Japanese imagery, the script is ripe with whitewashing, casting a predominately Caucasian cast, including its protagonist, Major (Scarlett Johansson). We see no legitimate reason for such a casting decision.
And while fulfilling the requirements of a film script, when compared to the original, this version just isn’t well fleshed out, skimming over necessary details in favour of visual appeal.
On the other hand, the overall design truly portrays the atmosphere of the original anime - its decayed, dystopian city an impressively created world. However, the advertisements appearing throughout the cityscape don't seem to make much sense on screen. But could this be symbolic mise-en-scene?
Though the atmosphere and landscape remained on point, some changes were made to the characterisation that didn't sit well for most, while others served a purpose. Major (Johansson) wearing a skintight suit instead of baring her naked body, for example, was a welcome adaptation.
In short, 'Ghost in the Shell' is a simplified version of its source material. The elements that made the original story so great have been watered down, resulting in a generic script and bland characterisation.
Unfortunately, such mistakes lead to a lack-lustre film devoid of emotion, and one that is unable to delve into the ethical or philosophical implications of dealing with a story such as this.
However, 'Ghost in the Shell' still shows a semblance of quality, if only visually, making it a relatively watchable film. A steady 5/10.
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