Title: Movie Reviews: Ghost in the Shell
Author: Fame
Recovered Author: Fame
Published Date: 2017-03-30
Original URL: https://geeknode.co.za/2017/03/movie-reviews-ghost-shell
Wayback URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20171028032630id_/http://www.geeknode.co.za:80/2017/03/movie-reviews-ghost-shell/
Recovery Confidence: high

- Fame

- 7 months ago

- 0 0

When it comes to Anime I am still very much wet behind the ears. Sure I have watched Dragon Ball Z- I mean really, who hasn’t?

Still, when it comes to other cult classics like Akira, Naruto and the like, I just haven’t got down to it yet. I have begun to get my feet wet by dipping into the shallow end of the pool with the Street Fighter offerings, though the purists among the Anime-addicts denounce this as being “the real deal” apparently.

Ghost in the Shell is often recommended by my anime connoisseur friends, so when the chance came up to watch the new live-action movie, I pounced at the opportunity. A little know fact; it is one of the main inspirations for the acclaimed Matrix movie.

Story

The plot is pretty simple, Major (ScarJo) is a human brain (“ghost”) in a mechanical body (“shell”). This supposedly makes her the best of both worlds (take that Albany!) – all the intuition and heart of a person with none of the vulnerabilities. She helps fight crime for the company that created her and the government. All is well until she begins to unearth her true past…

While I would be failing in my duty to you if I were to ignore the fact that it features Scarlett Johansson scantily clad in geek inspired regalia (which is pretty awesome on its own), the movie has all the familiar tropes of a science fiction classic.

You are immediately absorbed into this futuristic world filled with bright lights and colourful characters. The city in which the movie takes place is beautifully rendered with ultra modern high rise buildings mashed with Japanese culture (and pop culture). There is this sense of “sensory-overloading” with the notion of what advertising will be in the not so distant future which I felt was pretty spot on.

The science behind the plot may seem a bit farfetched but is so well written that it becomes easy to suspend one’s disbelief and melt into this fictitious world. However, it does raise questions on mankind’s supposed next evolutionary step and how it may stumble to the floor.

The movie plays on some pretty deep themes, from child abduction to existentialism. It is a movie that is superficially entertaining for the average viewer while having a deeper side as well.

World class special effects that rival some of the best we have seen together with some snarky dialogue and we have ourselves a pretty decent all-rounder of a movie.

Verdict

With comic book movies flooding the market, the sci-fi genre has seemed to have taken a quite seat in the back of the line, happy to pick up whatever scraps are left. Ghost in the Shell aims to challenge this in a big way, with bold statements.

Scarlett brings her usual sensuality and charm, which adds weight to the main characters human element. Whilst the production and marketing phases leading up to the release of the movie were mired in controversy due to allegations fo “whitewashing” of the characters, the performances of the cast do justice to the characters they portray. Far be it from me to jump into the murky waters of political correctness – suffice to say that if you can leave the politics at the pop-corn counter you will probably enjoy the performances of the cast.

In keeping with the theme of food, suffice to say that this movie is a veritable buffet of features that will prove to satisfy even the most difficult of pallets.

When it comes to Anime I am still very much wet behind the ears. Sure I have watched Dragon Ball Z- I mean really, who hasn’t? Still, when it comes to other cult classics like Akira, Naruto and the like, I just haven’t got down to it yet. I have begun to get my feet wet by dipping into the shallow end of the pool with the Street Fighter offerings, though the purists among the Anime-addicts denounce this as being “the real deal” apparently. Ghost in the Shell is often recommended by my anime connoisseur friends, so when the chance came up to watch the new live-action movie, I pounced at the opportunity. A little know fact; it is one of the main inspirations for the acclaimed Matrix movie. Story The plot is pretty simple, Major (ScarJo) is a human brain (“ghost”) in a mechanical body (“shell”). This supposedly makes her the best of both worlds (take that Albany!) - all the intuition and heart of a person with none of the vulnerabilities. She helps fight crime for the company that created her and the government. All is well until she begins to unearth her true past… While I would be failing in my duty to you if I were to ignore the fact that it features Scarlett Johansson scantily clad in geek inspired regalia (which is pretty awesome on its own), the movie has all the familiar tropes of a science fiction classic. You are immediately absorbed into this futuristic world filled with bright lights and colourful characters. The city in which the movie takes place is beautifully rendered with ultra modern high rise buildings mashed with Japanese culture (and pop culture). There is this sense of “sensory-overloading” with the notion of what advertising will be in the not so distant future which I felt was pretty spot on. The science behind the plot may seem a bit farfetched but is so well written that it becomes easy to suspend one’s disbelief and melt into this fictitious world. However, it does raise questions on mankind’s supposed next evolutionary step and how it may stumble to the floor. The movie plays on some pretty deep themes, from child abduction to existentialism. It is a movie that is superficially entertaining for the average viewer while having a deeper side as well. World class special effects that rival some of the best we have seen together with some snarky dialogue and we have ourselves a pretty decent all-rounder of a movie. Verdict With comic book movies flooding the market, the sci-fi genre has seemed to have taken a quite seat in the back of the line, happy to pick up whatever scraps are left. Ghost in the Shell aims to challenge this in a big way, with bold statements. Scarlett brings her usual sensuality and charm, which adds weight to the main characters human element. Whilst the production and marketing phases leading up to the release of the movie were mired…

Movie Reviews: Ghost in the Shell

Movie Reviews: Ghost in the Shell

2017-03-30

Fame

Ghostly Good

Rating - 8

80
8

Stunning

A fitting adaptation to an Anime classic, filled with charm.

User Rating: 4.25 ( 1 votes)

8

We’d like to invite those of you who attended our Ghost In The Shell early screening to vote in the poll below and tell us what you thought of the film.

-

What were your thoughts on Ghost in The Shell?

A great movie, deserves a sequel

Passable

Far from the cult classic

Faithful adaptation

Results

Vote

What were your thoughts on Ghost in The Shell?

A great movie, deserves a sequel

7 ( 100 % )

Passable

0 ( 0 % )

Far from the cult classic

0 ( 0 % )

Faithful adaptation

0 ( 0 % )

Back

What were your thoughts on Ghost in The Shell?

A great movie, deserves a sequel

7 ( 100 % )

Passable

0 ( 0 % )

Far from the cult classic

0 ( 0 % )

Faithful adaptation

0 ( 0 % )

Back

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Fame

Entertainment / Gaming Author at Geek Node

The possible result of lab experiment gone horribly wrong, a real life Anti-Hero with all of the sarcasm/attitude and non-of-the superpowers. Still tears up each time he sees Arnie lowered into the molten metal. Thinks he is super funny… others beg to differ. Was going to live his life ¼ mile at a time until he converted it to the metric system… and would choose the red pill every time. Driven by Dreams and Fuelled by Passion.

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