So I went and saw a weird action movie
starring Scarlett Johansson. No, I didn't just rewatch 2014's Lucy.
I saw Ghost in the Shell, a sci-fi action flick that's gotten
pretty mixed reviews so far. Before I begin, it may be helpful to
mention that I know nothing at all about the source material, so I'm
not going to be commenting on it's faithfulness to the original manga
of the same name. I'm also not going to touch on the whole
whitewashing controversy (mostly because I don't care). If you want
to read about people ranting and raging over that topic, there's
plenty of other websites you can try. But come on, this movie has
ScarJo in a skin-tight bodysuit. It can't be that bad!
Ghost in the Shell takes place
in the year 2XXX in the sprawling city of XXXX-ville, in the Republic
of XXXXX... in Asia somewhere. In this world most people have
cybernetic enhancements, even to the point where experimentation with
brains transplanted into completely artificial bodies are taking
place. One such cyborg – the first of her kind – is Mira Killian,
a counter-terrorism agent working for the Department of Defence. Her
investigation of a botched assassination attempt leads her into a
plot of corporate corruption as well as a path of self-discovery. And
it's all presented in a typical cyberpunk tone that isn't too
serious, but at the same time isn't over-the-top silly. This isn't
exactly the most original plot in the world; you'll be able to tell
where some of the threads are leading. Additionally, some of the
movie's themes – what it means to be human, etc. – could have
been developed a bit more. The story isn't awful, but it is Ghost
in the Shell's biggest weakness.
Thankfully, the movie's characters are
interesting enough to hold the film up. Scarlett Johansson does a
great job with her magnetic portrayal of Killian, the unsure
protagonist longing to know more about her past. Pilou Asbæk is fun
to watch as Killian's badass partner agent Batou. There's also a
widowed lady character played by Kaori Momoi who, while she doesn't
have many scenes, still manages to leave an undeniably potent
impression. As with the film's themes, Ghost in the Shell
doesn't fully flesh out every one of its characters, instead giving
us several brief tastes of persons it would have been cool to
learn more about.
Ghost in the Shell's visual
effects are very impressive. While it is obvious that the film uses
CG, the effects are incorporated so seamlessly that spotting the
seams is no easy task. (So just do what I did: give up looking for
them and just enjoy the freakin' movie. OK?) This visual proficiency
lends itself well to supporting how imaginative this film's world is.
Many characters have cybernetic enhancements that you'd never have
imagined seeing before. I was taken aback by a few of them that I
wasn't expecting. The action scenes are pretty cool too. Fight scenes
involving invisible people never felt so cool.
But the biggest thing Ghost in the
Shell has going for it is its visual style. Equal parts
daytime-Blade Runner and 1980's neon sci-fi-fest, this film's
spectacle is a sight to behold. From the costume/hairstyle design, to
the bright, colourful lights, and futuristic metropolis – even the
darkwave synth soundtrack – you won't find a more 80's sci-fi film
this side of the new millenium. One glance at the cars shown in this
flick is all the proof you need.
I don't say this often, but I think the
critics are wrong about this movie. Ghost in the Shell is a
respectable action movie that gets more things right than wrong.
Could it have been better in certain aspects? Yes, but I still
thoroughly enjoyed it despite (or possibly because of) not being
familiar with the source material. And if you're a fan of cyber-punk,
futuristic, sci-fi films with a cool vision, then chances are you'll
like it too.
Grade:
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