Never before has a live-action, science-fiction, crime drama enthralled me as much as Paramount Pictures’ Ghost In The Shell film. With its dark, futuristic undertone, impressive action choreography and one of the best visual feats I’ve seen in cinema over the past year, Ghost In The Shell is one heck of a watch.
Directed by Rupert Sanders, Ghost In The Shell is based on the Japanese manga and anime film series of the same name. Despite being an anime fan, I have yet to watch the anime film and its sequels. This review is written based solely on my experience watching the live-action Ghost In The Shell film, without any preconceived notions or prior knowledge of the franchise lore.
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Juliette Binoche, Takeshi Kitano and Pilou Asbæk, the film initially received some criticism for seemingly ‘whitewashing’ its characters, that is, hiring Western actors to play Japanese characters. Having watched the film, this ‘whitewashing’ didn’t come across as a hindrance to the plot of the film and was handled very well with an implied explanation.
The film follows the Major (Johansson), a cyber-enhanced human weapon, who is devoted to hunting down criminals, hackers and terrorists with her government task force, Section 9. When a new cyber-terrorist attack threatens the very organisation which built her, the Major becomes hell bent on putting an end to it, only to discover a conspiracy surrounding those she trusts.
The plot and narrative pace of Ghost In The Shell is top notch. Set in a dystopian society, the film revels in the notion of cybernetic advancement, dependence on artificial intelligence and reliance on robotic enhancements. Such a concept provides a glimpse into the possibilities in our own futures and illustrates what life could be like should we follow down a similar path. While stemming from a world of science-fiction and fantasy, the idea of human cyber-enhancements is already a part of our reality today, albeit at a smaller scale, with the use of prosthetics, 3D printed organs and other bionics used predominantly in the field of medicine.
Despite being based on a story and character that is already widely known by manga and anime enthusiasts the world over, there was minimal predictability in the film, with every moment keeping me glued to the edge of my seat. It could be argued that the plot is similar to that of the film, Robocop, but the way in which the story unfolds and the handling of the racial differences between actor and character keeps audiences on their toes.
The actors’ portrayal of their characters were fantastic and certainly brought flair and uniqueness to the film reminiscent to that of old 1980s science fiction action flicks. The characters didn’t require in depth backstory for audiences to feel a connection and kinship with them. As someone who has never quite been a Scar-Jo fan, I was impressed with her portrayal of the Major and found the confusion she faced between her programming and her instinct to be believable and one that most others would experience when presented with a similar dichotomy. Even her team of Section 9 soldiers and her ‘creator’ were extremely likeable in that they were loyal and extremely protective of the Major, something which I found quite satisfying, considering that I am used to seeing likeable characters, in many films, betray their own team and sometimes even their loved ones and families.
Ghost In The Shell is a visual masterpiece. Having been raised in Asia with tall skyscrapers, bright lights and billboards galore, the fictional city in which the film is set brought out the inner city girl within me. As someone who thrives and enjoys living in big, fast paced cities, I appreciated the futuristic city and its progressive technology. However, I’m not too sure if I could tolerate being saturated with giant virtual billboards. Only time will tell. I predict that the likes of Tokyo and Hong Kong will be the first to jump on making this kind of future a reality.
Not only was the setting of the film a visual treat, the effects used as well as the fantastic combat choreography added to the film’s allure. The invisibility feature of the Major’s body was absolutely brilliant and a perfect mechanism for stealth investigations or for sneak attacks. The water fight scene too was masterfully done and one which was slightly reminiscent of the epic The Matrix fight scene in which Keanu Reeves’ Neo dodges the villainous Mr. Smith’s bullets. Not to mention the momentous video game-esque gun fire scene towards the end of the film. All of these visually gratifying scenes only made Ghost In The Shell even more thrilling and exciting.
Ghost In The Shell is one film wherein I decided that I would purchase the film on Blu-Ray while watching the film in cinemas. It was THAT good, in my personal opinion. Being a fan of 1980s science-fiction films and psychological thriller anime such as Psycho-Pass, Ghost In The Shell really captured my interest and intrigued me enough that I plan to watch the anime films for more Major Motoko Kusanagi. I highly recommend watching Ghost In The Shell, preferably at an IMAX cinema or in 3D. Bring on a sequel!