'Ghost in the Shell'

Ghost in the Shell is a cyber punk classic released in 1995. The original anime classic was based on the manga by Shirow Masamune and since its release, it has become one of the most popular anime films of all time. This year, it has had a live action remake starring Scarlett Johansson. Live action remakes have had a very bad name in the past but the Disney action remakes like the global smash hit Beauty & The Beast starring Emma Watson has started giving them a good name again.

Ghost in the Shell tells a story about a cyborg policewoman who is on the hunt for a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master. The story itself is full of plot twists and character development as the Major tries to discover who she is and find out the truth about her past. It's full of plot twists and the ending is very satisfying. I have watched and enjoyed both versions of the film.

I thought that the live-action remake was original to the source material. I thought the cast was good and I thought that Scarlett Johansson played a very convincing Major. And I liked the edition of Japanese legend, Takeshi Beat Kitano as Daisuke Aramaki. Especially how he talks in Japanese and the English subtitles circle around him while he talks. I think it's nice because it shows its pride in its original Japanese roots. Makes the scenery feel more authentic as if the film is really taking place in a modern-day Tokyo. IGN's trailer comparison makes it very clear that both films are visually stunning in their own right and are full of colour.

I know people complained about white-washing with Scarlett Johansson being cast as the main star instead of a Japanese lady, but now I've warmed up to it. I think she bears some good similarity to Major's original design and I think she really made the role her own. I was impressed with her and found her performance to be genuine.

Here is another shot comparison that I would like to show. It's a comparison to the opening sequence of the film featuring the mesmerising opening track by Kenji Kawai.

Kenji Kawai's music blends perfectly with this video. I think it's a shame that his music doesn't feature much in the remake other than in the closing credits. Another thing that surprised me in the comments was that people were complaining about the lack of nipples. Although I think this is a petty and minor comment and doesn't interfere with the film. The only thing I was disappointed in with Ghost in the Shell was having Kenji Kawai's music at the end, and I think it would have been better if it was at the beginning. I also thought it would have been nice to feature a small tribute to the deceased Russian singer, Origa who sang a few songs for the Ghost in the Shell series.

But other than that I thought that the remake of Ghost in the Shell was really good. The casting was great and the action sequences were exceptional and the CGI was perfect. Although I don't think it's as good as the original anime, I think it did a very good job of telling the story.

For anybody who is still confused about Ghost in the Shell and have seen the remake, but not the original, then I think this video by Film Herald gives a wonderful analysis of the film and the only thing that is missed about is that Major (real name Mokoto)'s brain is entirely organic, it's just her body that's been replaced by robotic parts.