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Ghost In The Shell Movie Review and Why The Critics Are Wrong…

Take a second look.

By Jay AaronPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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Scarlet Johansson as the conflicted android The Major.

I went to the cinema to see the new Ghost In the Shell movie concerned about the 12A rating but found the tone consistently dark, violent, and similar to the original. The tone for me is incredibly consistent throughout this film, the cyberpunk neo-futuristic style pervading every shot. It's true to the animé/manga world set up in the animated film, with the love and passion of the film makers involved easy to see.

I thought, across the board, all areas of this film were extremely well-made. All the cast were great and, apart from Takeshi, Juliet, and Scarlet, I didn’t know any of the other actors and I thought they all did a fine job. A stand out for me was Batou and his chemistry and friendship with The Major. I found it superb and it really sold me on their long-standing relationship.

What I really love about this film is the weird, dark, animé-infused aesthetic it presents. Opening up questions around identity and ethics and huge grey areas with experimentation and the cost of scientific progress. The action is glorious and underplayed, just like the whole film, which is unheard of in the present day for a big, Hollywood blockbuster. I just love the idea of a 12-year-old going in to see this with his Mum or Dad, having not seen anything of animé or manga before and getting their minds blown by this incredible realisation of the future. Because this will happen. This film will introduce more to the wonderful world of manga and animé. Whether they know it or not, this alone is a great accomplishment.

For me, finding an old VHS of part of Akira when I was a kid blew my mind. It was such an inspiring and powerful work of art with incredible direction, characters, and details all culminating in a profound shift in evolution. This all made me fall instantly in love with this strange new world of biker gangs, Neo Tokyo, and old gods and new meetings in beautiful and terrifying destruction.

For me, the humanisation of the Major later in the film really invested me in her character more then I ever did in the 1995 film. This really gut punched me and raised a tear in the final confrontation. I re-watched the original Ghost In The Shell a few months ago. I found I really enjoyed it but I didn’t feel anywhere as invested in the character as I did in this new version. The added details around Batou and the Majors day-to-day life, as well as the plot switching direction half-way through, added to my increased enjoyment.

A big twist in the film around the true origins of the Major really twisted the recent arguments around whitewashing in films, giving the whole story and character a completely different level and depth, producing a level of tragedy only achievable through science fiction storytelling.

Several critics have talked about the plot from the original film being dumbed down here. This wasn’t my experience and I see it more as a clever streamlining to investigate and open up questions that were touched on in the original film, pinpointing and expanding the themes and characters of the original to create maximum impact and emotional investment from the audience. For me, this elevated the source material and created a truly great entry into the sci-fi action genre.

I think this film is an incredible accomplishment. I suggest long-term fans leave any ideas or stories around how this new film should be. Relax and enjoy this beautiful, sad, and profound story. Roll on Bade Runner: 2049!

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