Ghost in the Shell 2017 film general thread (SPOILERS and speculation obviously)

[ANS Kamas P81]

Second trailer hit overnight, and well...here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuJ25aDdw4s

I ... look at the trailer and I see a Bourne Identity remake.  Not Ghost in the Shell.  I also never really saw Section 9 as being an outright assassination unit, despite the famous scene of the Major taking out a defector before vanishing as she falls away from the building.  Most of it, especially with Standalone Complex which appears to be being used, as the Laughing Man is in the credits they were actually a police unit focused on tracking down and arresting criminals, not outright murdering them.

I dunno.  Trailers can often tell a completely wrong story, and often use (a lot of) footage that doesn't end up in the film itself, for a number of reasons both good and bad.  Trailers aren't done by the director or production staff, they're made by separate marketing firms with a different mindset.  Maybe this is one of those; we've had a few recently that were certainly...iffy.

But if this is what the movie really is, then oh good grief.  Waste of time...

[Peter Smith]

Second trailer hit overnight, and well...here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuJ25aDdw4s

I ... look at the trailer and I see a Bourne Identity remake.

I don't.

I also never really saw Section 9 as being an outright assassination unit, despite the famous scene of the Major taking out a defector before vanishing as she falls away from the building.  Most of it, especially with Standalone Complex which appears to be being used, as the Laughing Man is in the credits they were actually a police unit focused on tracking down and arresting criminals, not outright murdering them.

Stand Alone: Unequal Terrorist
Stand Alone: Chinks in the Armor of the Heart - Ag2O
Complex: Left-Behind Trace
Complex: Sunset in the Lonely City
Complex: Smoke of Gunpowder, Hail of Bullets
DI: Reactivation
DU: Natural Enemy
DU: The Rhapsodic Melody of a Bygone Nation
IN: Chain Reaction of Symmetry
IN: Confusion at the North End
IN: Escape in Defeat
IN: Aerial Bombing of Dejima
IN: To the Other Side of Paradise
IN: Return to Patrioism

Fourteen episodes across both Gigs where Section 9 acted more like a paramilitary unit than a police unit. In some cases (start and end of 2nd Gig) they were not even a legitimate government agency. Nothing in the trailer lead me to believe this movie is setting itself up as another Bourne (which I just happened to catch yesterday). To me it felt like...Ghost in the Shell.

[sadlerbw]

I'm sure I have watched, and enjoyed, far worse than whatever this movie will turn out to be. I must admit that I do get a little twitch in the corner of my eye when I see ScarJo playing the major. It's not like Hollywood has a shortage of talented Asian actresses, to play a tiny Japanese chick for crying out loud! She better do a damn good job (which she is capable of) or it will be a sore spot with me.

As for how deep this movie gets into the classic GitS themes of asking questions about the limits of humanity and consciousness, and how massive technological integration with our minds/bodies affects society, I still hope to see those things drive the plot. However, given the amount of money it costs to get ScarJo, I'm pretty sure the plot will be driving them between scenes of spectacular CGI-laden butt-kickery. I think I'm OK with that. It may not be exactly the same as the anime, but I hold out hope that it can incorporate some of the same themes...and awesome butt-kickery.

I understand that when a 'smaller' property gets released as a big-budget Hollywood film, there is a certain amount of change that is GOING to happen. No one lays out $100 million and says, "re-make that cult classic and stay as close as you can to the source to make the current fans happy." They say, "re-make that cult classic, but  change whatever you need to in order to make sure it makes us $200 million." It is a business, after all, and I understand wanting a pretty safe bet when you put up big-budget money for a film. Heck, if it was my $100 million, I might cast a white lady that will draw in fans with her name as well! Of course, I might have gone with Helen Miren. She's just so classy!

[glitterboy2098]

in the Manga the assassination occurs before the major and her team joins Section 9, when they were basically japan's equivalent to a CIA Special Action Team.

the 2nd story in it involves said team working with Aramaki (who was with the police at the time) to investigate a suspected brainwashing facility. Aramaki is able to create Section 9 in the fallout of the failed op and recruit the major and the others since they were fired as a result. (the brainwashing facility in the orphanage was a government sanctioned operation, even though it was illegal. the op was meant to create a scandal for other politicians, and the team's bungled handling of it meant they were convenient scapegoats.

most of the non-manga depictions tend to move the ops around, resulting in their pre-Sec9 military ops occurring while in section 9, which changes the tone slightly.

though i nthe manga, they weren't above assassination either. for example at one point Sec9 was tasked to assassinate "Anaconda", a drug lord and terrorist. who they'd found out was the security minister of one of the areas of japan.

[monbvol]

I'm expecting a rather typical action movie with a little GitS flavor sprinkled in.

[Firesprocket]

Saw the new trailer this evening and it is much better than the first trailer they put out.  It is still appears feels a bit like the amount of CGI is overwhelming on the eyes.  On the other hand there are different and familiar elements from the first motion picture and second motion picture that can be picked out that make me more optimistic than watching that first crappy trailer.

I ... look at the trailer and I see a Bourne Identity remake.  Not Ghost in the Shell.

That is the way I felt after the first trailer.  While the new trailer doesn't entirely eliminate that possibility, it has quite a bit more promise.

 
I also never really saw Section 9 as being an outright assassination unit, despite the famous scene of the Major taking out a defector before vanishing as she falls away from the building.

Since I am not familiar with what you may or may not have seen outside of the SAC anime, Section 9 has never been above using assassination as a tool.  It is an extreme tool and one that isn't used to solve every issue.  If you  haven't had a chance to watch it yet I'd recommend watching Gits Arise and The New Movie (that is the actual title).  It gives a bit more character background for the majority of the cast as well as how the team came to be.  I saw a very small amount of that in the new trailer and that is why I'm now considering taking in a showing when it is released rather than wait until it is put out on DVD.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

In the original graphic novel, the Major was a pretty violent person, borderline sadistic, IIRC.  I still feel twitchy every time I see Scarlet's face in that trailer, though.  It's like a Spider-Man movie where he pulls the mask off and it's, I don't know, Dwayne Johnson or something: she just doesn't fit my image of how the Major is supposed to look.

Still, this has got me in the mood to rewatch both seasons of Stand Alone Complex, so that's a plus.

[monbvol]

While I'm inclined to agree that Scarlet does cause a similar reaction foe me I do think she can pull off the Major by channeling Black Widow.

But the body suit, egads that just looks awful the more I look at it.

[Wrangler]

I'm not feeling great about the film.  It looks bit too Hollywoodize from the preview.  I have admit it was bold for them use the body suit, since its what essentially the Major was using time to time.  Funny thing is that scene, Major was not nake it or down to her cyber skin, she was wearing camo suit.

I'm treating this like anything else that's come out of property, just another take on the story.   

Arise was slightly better revised version but i think it was lacking in spirit of things. 

[Peter Smith]

Arise was slightly better revised version but i think it was lacking in spirit of things.

I should go back and watch it again, but I think my biggest complaint (really only complaint) was that the Major went cyber while still in her mom's womb.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I should go back and watch it again, but I think my biggest complaint (really only complaint) was that the Major went cyber while still in her mom's womb.

That was a false memory implanted by the virus infecting her.

[Peter Smith]

That was a false memory implanted by the virus infecting her.

Like I said, I should go back and watch again.

[Natasha Kerensky]

I ... look at the trailer and I see a Bourne Identity remake.  Not Ghost in the Shell.

I second that.  "They made me but they can't control me."  That's Bourne in a nutshell, but it was never much of a theme in GitS shows and movies.

I can't speak to the books, but the GitS shows and movies have never been terribly introspective about the main characters.  There was a little character development between the Major and Batou and on Togusa's home life, and the occasional background story episode on a character like Saito.  But the bulk of the TV episodes and movies were about the antagonists (Laughing Man, Goda and Kuze, Puppeteer, etc.) and mysterious phenomena (stand-alone complexes) driving the cybercrime/cyberterrorism plots.  For the live-action to focus on the Major's origin story and issues seems like, well, a major departure.

The GitS shows were also very team-oriented and "Dirty Dozen" in flavor.  There's only so many characters that a movie can introduce in 90-120 minutes.  But something will be lost if only the Major, Batou and Aramaki make appearances.

Also, where's my tachikoma?

All that said, I'll still see it in theater.  Love this franchise too much.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I second that.  "They made me but they can't control me."  That's Bourne in a nutshell, but it was never much of a theme in GitS shows and movies.

Yeah, the big existential issue in GitS wasn't "am I my own person" it was "if my whole body is mechanical, am I still human?"  There was never a question about control in the way that trailer is portraying.

[Mech42ace]

Admittidly I've never never seen GiTS, so I'm cautiously optimistic about this film, but given the track record of other live action Anime adaptations, I can't set my hopes to high. This looks like your typical Hollywood action movie and that's the most I'm expecting to get out of it.

It is good for the series as a whole though, due to the increased amount of attention it'll garner. More people will go and watch the source material.

[glitterboy2098]

it was a minor theme in the latest remake anime, GITS: Arise.
which reset the timeline to before section 9 existed. the Major was part of an all cyborg unit, in a time when full conversion was rare and expensive. she was given a prosthetic body straight from birth in that version, pretty much locking her into a military career with her body being owned by the military. if she quit, they'd repossess the body, leaving just the organic parts of her brain. the fact she was not her own person played into the plot of the film-series.. they kept changing her memories and installing sleep programs, and stuff. i think. honestly i had a hard time understanding what the hell was going on when i watched it on netflix. the Subs were good, but sometimes went by way too fast to read, and the plot is heavily convoluted with few in character recap scenes.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Apparently I can't even add spoiler tags on my smartphone,but see my previous post.

[garhkal]

From the previews i was like "Bleh"..  Somewhat similar to a mix of ultraviolet and blade runner in parts...
Guess i will be giving it a pass, till maybe it hits tv. If i see it at all..

[ANS Kamas P81]

if she quit, they'd repossess the body, leaving just the organic parts of her brain. the fact she was not her own person played into the plot of the film-series.. they kept changing her memories and installing sleep programs, and stuff.

Considering the red Arise outfit shows up, perhaps they're leaning in this direction with the film.

[Natasha Kerensky]

A better articulation of my main concern about the most recent trailer:

Now, this is obviously a trailer and we are getting brief snippets of information about the plot but it’s stated that the Major is now not sure of her identity or her origins. That’s a massive narrative departure and one that hits at the heart of what Ghost in the Shell is all about.

To explain, the Major in the manga and anime knows who she is and how she became a cyborg. It’s an important point in the story because it is how the Major centers on her core identity; that while her body is a machine, her mind and soul aren't.

This is why the original manga was called Ghost in the Shell, as the "ghost" is your soul in the machine "shell" of a body. So in this sense, not having the Major know who she is then hits at the heart of Ghost in the Shell’s main narrative identity.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/11/14/the-live-action-ghost-in-the-shell-movie-has-bigger-problems-than-scarlett-johansson-as-the-major/#72461ba04884

[Wrangler]

Masamune Shirow has not been the mix with the franchise since the 90s. I would not be shocked to not hear him interacting with the makes of the live Hollywood version.
Given how Hollywood operates, I'd avoid them like the plague too.

Its going to be wait and see sort thing.

[marauder648]

This films out now? I'll have to wait for it to be released in Ireland so I can sit down and watch it.

[Wrangler]

This films out now? I'll have to wait for it to be released in Ireland so I can sit down and watch it.

It's not last time I checked, their just teasing the general public to death.

[elf25s]

It's not last time I checked, their just teasing the general public to death.

yeah its a new trend...show people teaser trailer and then tell people about a new upcoming trailer and after the trailer tell public about the newer and better trailer........and forget about the movie....
my rule of thumb? more trailer and more teasing? high chance movie will be pile of business end of bull

[Natasha Kerensky]

This films out now? I'll have to wait for it to be released in Ireland so I can sit down and watch it.

March 31 release (I think), at least in the States.

[Moonsword]

Ladies and gentlemen, please avoid the discussion of "whitewashing" as it verges on topics that are covered by Rule 4.

[Ruger]

I just got back from seeing the film...my impression?

IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!

The visuals were stunning (I'd almost want to see this in 3D), the action exciting when it needed to be, and yet, it still made you consider the central concept that has always been a part of the series, and the reason for its title...

While I was a fan of the original movies, and the two tv series, this interpretation just clicked even more with something in me. Personally, I really approved of the diversity of the cast, even as much as some have had nothing but curses about it. It really had the right vibe to me for where the world is headed...

Another thing that I've heard complaints about was the statement they said several times in the film...something along the lines of "Some people think that our memories define us. They don't. Our actions define us." I've read some reviews where the article's author took exception to it, thinking that our memories do define us. To me, this is incorrect, and the statement in the movie is true, if incomplete. To me, it should read "Our memories don't define us. They mold and shape us into who we are. But it is the actions that we take, based on our memories, circumstances, and experiences, that define us."

But that's just my opinion. YMMV...

Ruger

[Maingunnery]

I saw it today and I really liked it. But what stayed with me the most, is that the movie really sticks really well with its own theme.

I see plenty of room for a sequel with Tachikomas.

[Recklessfireball1]

While I'm inclined to agree that Scarlet does cause a similar reaction foe me I do think she can pull off the Major by channeling Black Widow.

But the body suit, egads that just looks awful the more I look at it.

Scarjo in a skin-tight body suit?  It looks better the longer I look at it.   [drool]

Also, I really dig Cyberpunk (couldn't give a fig about any manga or anime, though).

[monbvol]

Scarjo in a skin-tight body suit?  It looks better the longer I look at it.   [drool]

Also, I really dig Cyberpunk (couldn't give a fig about any manga or anime, though).

I'm wondering if I saw an early production version of the body suit or something because the coloration and "seems" initially looked weird and distracting to me but now that I go back and watch the trailer again it isn't that bad.

So either they've touched it up a bit to look better or this last week of graveyard shifts has shifted my perception of reality.

[Maingunnery]

I'm wondering if I saw an early production version of the body suit or something because the coloration and "seems" initially looked weird and distracting to me but now that I go back and watch the trailer again it isn't that bad.

So either they've touched it up a bit to look better or this last week of graveyard shifts has shifted my perception of reality.

The body suit visual quality depends upon the scene. But I just don't care.

[ActionButler]

All I need to know before I decide to go see it...

Did they keep the tank scene and, if yes, was it amazing?

[Ruger]

All I need to know before I decide to go see it...

Did they keep the tank scene and, if yes, was it amazing?

A version of it, yes...and yes, it was...

Ruger

[Scotty]

I think this movie suffered a bit from trying to take themes from all three extant GitS media properties (the movie, Stand Alone Complex, and Arise).  It feels a little bit crowded in terms of what's happening on screen but at the same time is so focused on Major that nobody else really gets much time to shine.  Batou and Aramaki get some good time, but Saito is on screen for literally eight seconds.  That part was really disappointing.  The actual story is pretty good, but it focuses on the Major so much that this movie is all about her and not really about what she is and what that represents to a world increasingly accepting of transhumanism and enhancement.

Visually it's very pretty.  Some parts of it are gratuitous in ways I didn't really like that much, but they were still really well done.

[Liam's Ghost]

This is probably as close as you could possibly get to producing a live action version of the original movie in an American theater with a PG-13 rating.

I find it hilarious to read reviews about it lacking the depth of the original movie when it's essentially the same story, at times shot for shot.

[monbvol]

*nod*

A lot more Ghost in the Shell than I expected.  Recognized elements from the Puppet Master, Solid State Society, and Arise stories in the movie.

Body suit did still wind up needing a bit of alteration and there were tons of bright sudden flashes in dark fight scenes that made some parts next to impossible for me to watch.

CGI was okay overall.

[MadCapellan]

I don't have any problem with this film in principal, but I would like to ask the opinion if a manga reader of the film.

For me, The original Ghost In The Shell film was the worst part of the franchise - a cut-down, bare bones abridgement of the manga that most of the character development and philosophical exploration of transhumanism on the cutting room floor to focus on action sequences.

It's already been mentioned that this is a very Motoko focused film, but how well & how true is it to the philosophies at the heart of Ghost In The Shell? That for me is what interests me in the series and would ultimately make the decision for me whether to see it.

[Scotty]

This one felt more to me like a Bourne movie than a classic transhumanist thinkpiece.  Augmentation is treated far more as "it's here now" and less society coming to grips with the concept.  There are a couple throwaway lines in the beginning where one character gets a prosthetic liver so he can drink all night, and there are of course Batou's eyes (which get more of a "huh this is different" than anything, but other than that it's much much more about Motoko being abducted and reprogrammed.  The fact that she's the first of her kind is mentioned, and fairly frequently, but always in the context of "there were others that failed" and as a plot advancement device than something that truly matters.  The bad guy for the first couple acts is the closest we get to classic GitS, but even he is still focused a looooot more on self-defense and how the evil corporation is the real bad guy than questions of identity and self in a world where 'self' and 'body' are no longer synonymous.

There are actual spoilers in that block, for anyone reading.

[MadCapellan]

So, as I feared, the plot-threads are all extremely Americanized. *sigh* Well, I guess we can't expect much different there, can we?

[Scotty]

The plot, sort of.  The cast, less so than I thought it would be.  THESE ARE REAL SPOILERS Major is given a fake (white) identity by the big bad corporation.  Besides Jack Off-black playing Batou, and a couple other distinctly non-Japanese characters, most of Section 9 is portrayed accurately, despite limited screen time.  Aramaki actually only ever speaks the entire movie in Japanese, which was a nice touch.

The plot honestly feels more like a mashup between GitS the movie and Arise.  "What is a real memory" is much more of a significant question than anything else relating to prosthesis and augmentation.  Which I think has been done a bit too much in Hollywood lately, but it's less of a Hollywoodization than it is them picking which GitS plot appealed.  I don't think it was the best choice.

[Daryk]

I just saw it today, and liked it overall.  There were a couple of places where things could have been done better, but hearing the Major addressed as Sho-sa was pretty cool even though I don't speak Japanese.

[Tymers Realm]

The plot, sort of.  The cast, less so than I thought it would be.  THESE ARE REAL SPOILERS Major is given a fake (white) identity by the big bad corporation.  Besides Jack Off-black playing Batou, and a couple other distinctly non-Japanese characters, most of Section 9 is portrayed accurately, despite limited screen time.  Aramaki actually only ever speaks the entire movie in Japanese, which was a nice touch.

The plot honestly feels more like a mashup between GitS the movie and Arise.  "What is a real memory" is much more of a significant question than anything else relating to prosthesis and augmentation.  Which I think has been done a bit too much in Hollywood lately, but it's less of a Hollywoodization than it is them picking which GitS plot appealed.  I don't think it was the best choice.

I saw GitS w/my GF yesterday. Visually decent, and the Plot was ok and slightly better than I expected. The last few TV spots started to worry me a little.

So to what's spoilered above, the film had shout-outs to almost everything GitS related (Both theatrical films, both SAC seasons, and ARISE). And I think I got most of them.
While I wouldn't call the Major's 'actual' origin in the film a 'twist', I would call it a nice middle finger to those complaining about Johansson's casting as the Major. It works though as the Major takes back that identity in the end.
All I can hope for is decent international earnings and maybe we can get a sequel or two that can allow the rest of Section 9 to shine...

[Wrangler]

It's kinda sad, the movie bombed in the US.   CGI baby movie beating it severely.   Was issues with casting really that serious or was the story not done right?  I still want see it despite criticism raised about it.

[Maingunnery]

I would recommend any GitS or cyberpunk fan to see it.

[ANS Kamas P81]

It's kinda sad, the movie bombed in the US.   CGI baby movie beating it severely.   Was issues with casting really that serious or was the story not done right?

Official opening weekend take, 19 million in 3440 theaters, and with the new F&F movie coming shortly it's going to get destroyed in the box office.  Casting and the in-universe reveal of 'she's actually a japanese forced into a white body' may not have sat well, and the philosophy and concepts are all very western in mindset and not at all like the original.  The last, according to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FvaQmBeCzc
Spoiler review, also some NSFW language (note the 20 dollar bill getting preemptively slipped into the swear jar) and a discussion on the eastern and western mindsets.

[Liam's Ghost]

It's kinda sad, the movie bombed in the US.   CGI baby movie beating it severely.   Was issues with casting really that serious or was the story not done right?  I still want see it despite criticism raised about it.

Can we say "bombed" yet? It's only been out a couple days here.

I'd say it's just not as universally accessible as most blockbuster fare.

[Wrangler]

Can we say "bombed" yet? It's only been out a couple days here.

I'd say it's just not as universally accessible as most blockbuster fare.

19 million (in US Markets) for 110 million dollar film is kinda of a more than a disappointment.  Least US markets wise.  It did better in China, 40 million.  Grand total $59.1 million worldwide as of today.  Hopefully they will reap the money lost. 

I agree with the youtube video review (i stopped watching when spoiler alert came on and 20 bucks was put in the swear jar).  Essentially, the movie went totally opposite of the established mentality of the original source material. I realize it was going be different story if a live American produced film was made, but i can't say i wanted it to be another Dragonball Evolution sort situation.   

I have always despited when Hollywood attempts to convert Japanese anime material into live-action films. They always seem to not get it quite right.  Ghost in the Shell is complicated story, i don't think film is a great way to tell a story from beginning and to satisfied ending.   

Hopefully James Cameron's Battle Angel will turn out better.  I hope to see this film for myself to see how different it is. Reviews aren't promising.  I'm trying not to be negative nancy, however i have alot going against me. I've followed this franchise since it's beginning as Manga when i was but teenager when it roughly came out in Japan.  I actually own the Japanese language manga since art was so fantastic. Dark Horse did good job translating many years later. 

This is why I'm bit put back on this new version of the franchise.  The semi-recent Arise version of Ghost in the shell wasn't as good as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex which my wife actually liked despite hating cartoons.

[Liam's Ghost]

Though I do think this film matched the tone and themes of the original movie pretty well (though they came at some of it from a different direction). On the other hand, there's a bit of tonal drift between various versions of the property (Stand Alone Complex is arguably less grim and serious than the original movie). So I don't think there's a way to fit in everybody's expectations.

[Ruger]

I agree with the youtube video review (i stopped watching when spoiler alert came on and 20 bucks was put in the swear jar).  Essentially, the movie went totally opposite of the established mentality of the original source material. I realize it was going be different story if a live American produced film was made, but i can't say i wanted it to be another Dragonball Evolution sort situation.   

???

Did we watch the same movie? What I saw was almost a verbatim translation from animated format to live action between the original animated movie and this one, with callouts to the other stuff (some of which I've seen already, some of which I will soon).

Just how did it go "totally opposite of the established mentality of the original source material"?

If you were expecting everything from all the Ghost in the Shell franchise (somewhere around 30+ hours of material, correct?) to be put into a movie that was only 100 minutes long, I'm not sure I could buy that...With something this short, you have to concentrate on just a couple items (the Major), and put enough callouts to other stuff to try and satisfy long time fans, and to draw more people in that may have never watched or read any of it (often because anything animated is for kids or because they don't like sci-fi)...

What did surprise me was that when I went to see it, there were only about a dozen people (if not slightly less), and over half appeared to be early 50's or older...

Ruger

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

No need for any of that.

Though I do think this film matched the tone and themes of the original movie pretty well (though they came at some of it from a different direction). On the other hand, there's a bit of tonal drift between various versions of the property (Stand Alone Complex is arguably less grim and serious than the original movie). So I don't think there's a way to fit in everybody's expectations.

There's no arguably about it, Stand Alone Complex was deliberately done as a lighter and more optimistic take on Ghost in the Shell compared to the manga or original movie.

[MadCapellan]

There's no arguably about it, Stand Alone Complex was deliberately done as a lighter and more optimistic take on Ghost in the Shell compared to the manga or original movie.

We talking about this manga?



While the plot of SAC had nothing to do with the original manga, tonally it's much more in step with the slice of life police/paramilitary drama with a side of transhumanist philosophy that was at the heart of the manga storyline. All that hardboiled action and sadboy cynicism was Mamoru Oshii's bag.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The Major was a much, much nicer and more optimistic character in SAC.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Oshii's work is punctuated by three things.
1: philosophical navel-gazing that may or may not make any sense
2: sadboy cynicism
3: ******* DO SOMETHING ALREADY STOP WITH THE LONG MOTIONLESS TAKES

[sadlerbw]

After going to see the movie this past weekend, here is my take:

Imagine your friend told you they got an awesome Lego set for the star ship Enterprise, but when you get over to their house, they have managed to take all the bricks and build the Millennium Falcon instead. That is what happened with this movie. They took the same visuals and scenes from the original and used them to tell a different story.

Now, if you are the type of person who would be pissed that your friend didn't build the ship they were supposed to, you probably won't like this version of Ghost. If you are the type of person who can let that go and appreciate the Falcon as a cool looking ship regardless of what the picture on the box looked like, you will probably have fun watching this movie.

For the record, my wife was pissed she didn't get the Enterprise, and I was perfectly happy playing with the Falcon.

[Colt Ward]

Curious to see all the comments here . . . I took the baby to go see it, and was wondering about doing it 3D because of the holograms but I did not want him to not have something to watch.

I appreciated it for what it was, having seen a few episodes or the movie bits on late night Cartoon Network (I think).  I had a bit of familiarity with the look & tone and knew roughly when a lot of the material came out.

One of the things for me, was that like we talk about BT being the future of the 80s, IMO the original material was the future of the 90s.  And they kept true to that in the movie instead of 'modernizing' the touches.

I am not sure I would agree with the lack of the thought provoking bits.  The movie starts off (maybe, i was a few minutes late) with the diplomatic banquet where the ambassador sets out the moral/philosophical question that they address as a undercurrent in the whole movie- when you integrate with machines, where do they start and your humanity end to paraphrase?

The Major gets propositioned on the street to be 'upgraded' because she looks like a plain human and Batou is really defensive for her even though she can obviously take care of herself.  The unauthorized deep dive into the geishabot where they discuss risks of her whole system being hacked.  They raid a underground chop-shop where some folks are getting upgrades/augments and others are being plugged in for processing power.  Even the 'you do not own me' bit gets onto that ground literally . . . her whole consciousness was downloaded into company owned hardware.  They own the hardware, they update and repair it . . . but she 'lives' in that hard drive (for lack of a better term)- where does the company's ownership of the hardware end and her rights as the 'software' begin?  Everyone answers it differently- the CEO clearly objectifies anyone and comes across as a sociopath when its brought up of all the 'undesirables' being rounded up as test subjects.  Doctor Oulette was persuaded to attempt to destroy the previous model, but has come to see Major as a real person/identity.  Her team mates obviously see her as a person with more upgrades than they have . . . which is not surprising considering the 'foxhole' mentality.

I liked it, I hope they make enough to do a sequel.  I would like to see the themes investigated more and its been enough to make me look some of it up on Netflix.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

This is probably as close as you could possibly get to producing a live action version of the original movie in an American theater with a PG-13 rating.

I find it hilarious to read reviews about it lacking the depth of the original movie when it's essentially the same story, at times shot for shot.

I just got back from seeing it and I'd say that it felt like they took the same scenes from the original movie but hacked them up and put them together differently, losing something in the process.

It was an okay movie, but it wasn't great.  Honestly, I feel like Scarlet was part of the problem: I just don't feel like she really was able to carry the film as the lead by herself.  And too much "hi, I'm having an existential crisis, won't you check out my butt?"

Also the scene with her mother bothered me.  That lady seemed way to happy when talking about the daughter she thought was dead.

[Natasha Kerensky]

I've seen this plot before.  High-tech corporation under morally questionable circumstances "saves" a human by resleeving them in a robotic shell without their consent; the resulting cyborg becomes a unique badass government weapon; said cyborg seeks out their original identity and in the process uncovers evil at root of said high-tech corporation; and said high-tech corporation pays the price for their immorality.

Yeah, I saw this plot 30 years ago.  In 1987.  It was called Robocop.

Disappointing adaptation overall.  It's nice to see some elements of the franchise translated to the big screen.  I kind of hope it makes enough overseas for a better sequel.  But the adaptation lost the soul of GitS and became just another Hollywood lost identity/special effects spectacular instead of a disquieting introspection about the nature of the soul set against a cybernetic police procedural that makes GitS unique.

My 2 cents... YMMV.

[monbvol]

*nod*

Overall it was not the worst movie I've ever seen and certainly not the worst adaptation of an anime to live action I've ever seen but I know I didn't enjoy it as much as my friends did.

The comparison to Robocop is actually rather accurate.  Ghost in the Shell even in the material I am familiar with did deal with a lot of the same introspective/existential themes and government/corporate corruption that lead to it's own downfall did come up too.

So the more I think about this movie the more I do think it both had too much Ghost in the Shell and too little at the same time to do well.

[Tymers Realm]

Natasha,
You're not the first one I've seen relate GitS to Robocop. The one thing that doesn't quite fit is that the Corp in this case used the "saving" as a lie. At least OCP, in either version, was a bit more scrupulous about their 'volunteers'...
In all honesty, my GF felt it related more towards Blade Runner than anything else. But then again most of her experience with any of GitS was seeing some of SAC 2nd Gig as it aired in one of the various runs on AS/Toonami...

[Maingunnery]

Really not that surprising as Blade Runner and Robocop have had a big impact in Japan.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Really not that surprising as Blade Runner and Robocop have had a big impact in Japan.

Except this was an American production.

Here's another thing I realized: this is the only GitS iteration where the Major isn't ex-military.

Also, did anyone else notice that Pilou Asbaek's eyes were visible under the prosthetic eyes any time they zoomed in on his face?  Serious special effects failure.

[Ghostbear_Gurdel]

So the Ghost in the Shell movie is actually kinda good. I give it A +++++ for the visuals / homage to the source material. I give it a B+ to A- for actual story. It feel like they took damn near every iconic scene from the Anime movie and TV series (and probably manga as well) and put them all together into a semi-coherent story. I actually kinda wish the move was about 2x as long simply so some of the events which were glossed over could be better fleshed out. If you already know GitS (and know what Section 9 is capable of) you'll have no problems keeping up, but newcomers might get a little lost towards the end. I give it a very solid 4/5 stars.

[guardiandashi]

I agree with the original Robocop comparison because both stories have the fundamental question "what does it mean to be human" in the roots of their narrative.

the GiTS live action movie has a lot of the same problem I had with the remake of Robocop IE the directors / holly weird don't "get" what made the originals "special" and try to throw lots of special effects at the issue, which frankly IMO exaggerates the fundamental disconnect.

I mean really look at the original Robocop vs the remake in the original one of the doctors is all "we managed to save his arm.." and the OCP dude is like we discussed this I want a total body prosthesis... loose the arm."

in the remake they kept the hand.. connected to the torso by a couple hoses and "wires"  and I am like seriously? what's the point so you "save" the hand to make a more gruesome/disgusting "transformation" scene with the quick disconnect torso and arm scene?