The 1995 hand-drawn anime version of Ghost in the Shell was, arguably, the high water mark for Eastern animation and was widely watched in grainy NTSC or PAL VHS; along with a few other favorites, such as Akira, Bubblegum Crisis and Dominion Tank Police. From the trailer, the Mar 2017 film, Ghost in the Shell, exceeds the animation while also being more Blade Runner than Blade Runner.
A remake could easily fall into the category of a shallow money-grab, like Dune, The Italian Job, Alfie or The Day the Earth Stood Still. Furthermore, the choice of Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi has been described as cultural appropriation. I'm just disappointed that a lead actress was cast who, to me, looks like a less attractive, less successful sister of a celebrity. Admittedly, she does some of her own stunts but, heh, it overshadows casting of the character Batou, who, like Gogol from Cyber City Oedo 808, has cybernetic eyes and a determined certainty when his gun is drawn.
The trailer indicates that some of the best scenes have been matched or improved and it will be complete eye-candy in IMAX 3D. Compare jumping from a building versus jumping from a building. Or a fight in shallow water versus a fight in shallow water. The trailer's inclusion of a remix of Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode adds greatly to the dystopian mood. "Words like violence / Break the silence." However, "All I ever wanted / All I ever needed / Is here in my arms." jars against Major Motoko Kusanagi's untrusting dependence upon an evil corporation.
Where the rebirth sequence differs from the animation it more closely resembles the failed remake of Robocop. (And both have hints of the 2012 Judge Dredd film. For example, OCP's building looks like the Justice Department building.) The Ghost in the Shell film appears to have some lesbianism. Does this follow the manga or is this more befitting of Tromeo and Juliet? I don't know. Unfortunately, the Ghost in the Shell film also seems to have strand of emo angsty existentialism; much like the deeply unsatisfying Jason Bourne films.
Despite the poor casting and thin plot elements, Ghost in the Shell will be the kinda dumb effects extravaganza that I enjoy. Furthermore, it is likely to be hugely culturally influential. For example, the creepy mannequins in the circular frames from the Westworld television series are equally indebted to Ghost in the Shell and the Proportions of Man.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MostCynical on Saturday December 17 2016, @09:32AM
I will see it. I łved the original. I have the hots for Scarlett.
It may be awful. I will cope.
At least it isn't just a live-action remake of a live-action movie, just because the original made 100x times its budget at the box office.
Alas, I can't see them re-doing this scene in the live action version: [NSFW] https://seeanimeondaniel.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/ghost-in-the-shell-2.jpg [wordpress.com] [NSFW]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @10:32AM
I have the hots for Scarlett.
I don't mind her acting, or looks if we're getting into that, but I just don't feel like she was the right person for the role. I will admit I'm not a hardcore fan so my judgement means nothing but it's my opinion nonetheless.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @01:23PM
There have been a lot of complains already that the casting is quite poor, Aramaki could be an exception, Motoko is a bit off, but personally I'm a bit more worried about Batou.
First, his eyes. They made them sticking a bit too much out, making it look a bit weird.
Movie: http://empireonline.media/jpg/70/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/c/features/582aeb3a737b36a418464d36/ghost-in-the-shell-pilou-asbaek-batou.jpg [empireonline.media]
Animated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batou#/media/File:Ghost_in_the_Shell_Stand_Alone_Complex_Batou.png [wikipedia.org]
Second, Batou in the Manga and Movie is IMHO more of a big, tall guy (but trained, so he has muscles), but not a full blown body builder (as I get the impression of the movie footage).
I do hope they get Batou doing some of the humor that he is known for in the manga (which was a bit lacking in the animated movie as well). That, and I hope for some Tachikomas (even if it is just some cameo).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @04:01PM
She was pretty good as the alien in Under the Skin. [youtube.com]
She was also very nude in a completely asexual way.
I wouldn't be surprised if that movie is what put her in consideration for GITS.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @09:34PM
I think I could muster up the courage to see them re-do that scene...
(Score: 1) by Fock on Saturday December 17 2016, @11:01PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @09:33AM
Manga had amazing amounts of lesbianism. Lots of Motoko fucking other cyborgs, and talking how great it is to have super body with huge number of feeling cells in skin.
The "emo angsty existentialism" was probably how Hollywood tried (and inevitably failed) to emulate Masamune Shirows philosophical ideas, he intertwined into plot lines (or just plopped on viewer via dialogue).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @01:00PM
Well, if I recall correctly the first series of the manga only had one explicit lesbian scene (2 pages). Not sure about series 2 and 1.5 though, maybe someone else can give some info regarding that.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 19 2016, @03:06PM
Two pages? I thought it was only one until I realized that those pages in my copy were stuck together . . .
(Score: 5, Insightful) by r1348 on Saturday December 17 2016, @10:15AM
An abominable dubstep remix of "Enjoy the Silence" now "adds greatly to the dystopian mood"? Is the author even familiar with the musical choices of the original movies?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Saturday December 17 2016, @11:05AM
Article can be safely ignored.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Saturday December 17 2016, @11:51AM
S.J., natural redhead: Wishful thinking.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Saturday December 17 2016, @03:36PM
With no unique thoughts about humanity, no meaningful art direction, and nothing philosophic about it.
Yeah, I would much rather read.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @05:15PM
hollywood author says hollywood is racist if it doesn't go out of it's way to not have the actors it already has in it's stables play lead roles if they are white or other roles if the original character was of a different race. i thought race doesn't matter? i guess that's only one sided... who's the racists? Also, movie making is a business. you cater to your audience. Does bollywood fly in crackers to play white characters?
(Score: 2) by Zz9zZ on Saturday December 17 2016, @09:45PM
Hollywood doesn't have to go out of its way, there are plenty of quality actresses that would be a better match. Whatever author you're referring to could have a point, I don't know how much hollywood tries to whitewash. However, its more likely they are just using a big name to try and cash in big time for the remake.
There are plenty of white actors that work in other countries, and plenty of all races in Los Angeles.
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 2) by Arik on Saturday December 17 2016, @10:58PM
Author of said link unironically and without shame *assumes* that casting a non-white-males in roles written for white males is good and praiseworthy, but giving a white person a role originally written as Asian is blameworthy or problematic.
Assumes. Doesn't even feel any need to argue the point, just assumes that this is obviously correct and proceeds from there.
I'll give you my take on it. "Good" adaptions don't stick slavishly to the format of the original but they try not to change things that don't have to be changed, especially things that have some importance to the story. Was Scarlett Johansson really the only actress available qualified to play the role? I guess it depends on what you mean by 'qualified.' Not in any sense that I would care about, but perhaps in the minds of the Hollywood folks that actually get to decide the main qualification here is name recognition, and there aren't any Asian actresses whose name they could remember?
Just reminds me that Hollywood is trash. So to that point, in a way, I actually kind of agree with this line of thought.
But then I hit this;
"In flipping both race and gender to cast Swinton as a character who in the original comics is a Tibetan-born man, Marvel admirably went out of the box to correct one aspect of underrepresentation in its cinematic universe, but did so at the expense of another. "
So, they cast a European woman in a role originally written for an Asian man, and these authors are confused about how to feel, cause they think it should have been rewritten as an Asian woman and feel this change is half right?
I want to say they should at least try to show some consistency, but in a way, they are. They're consistently racist and sexist, and consistently unashamed of the fact.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by esperto123 on Saturday December 17 2016, @05:57PM
Why some much vitriol for something you not even have seen? And bringing the Bourne trilogy down why?
And it is a trilogy, the 4th and 5th films are abomination, but I can say it because they were out and we can evaluate it, not say it will be crap based on trailers and preconceptions.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @06:24PM
> Why some much vitriol for something you not even have seen?
Because it turns out geeks are the most conservative and reactionary group of people when it comes to 'their' culture.
Go ahead and disrupt the lames. But keep your hands off our stories! We are special!
(Score: 2) by Zz9zZ on Saturday December 17 2016, @09:57PM
So, like every other enthusiast group on the planet then? Most people get upset when their culture is turned into a cash grab, and basically every remake is just that.
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 17 2016, @10:58PM
>Most people get upset when their culture is turned into a cash grab, and basically every remake is just that.
Every make is a cash grab.
Remakes are no different.
You just didn't realize the original was making money because it was brand new to you.
Embrace the remixes, the mash-ups, the remakes, the covers, the variations on a theme.
Because there is nothing truly new under the sun.
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Sunday December 18 2016, @01:05AM
Considering Brian Herbert only recently completed his father's original story arc and has been writing more books in the universe, doesn't it make sense to finally give the the series the full, DC universe treatment, and start production?
Oh, and the 2012 Judge Dredd film was great.
compiling...
(Score: 2) by r1348 on Sunday December 18 2016, @07:08PM
Except that Brian Herbert's books are awful.
(Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Tuesday December 20 2016, @02:33PM
Yes, Dredd was great. I don't think they need to make more Dune though.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Sunday December 18 2016, @01:48AM
CULTURE IS APPROPRIATION.
And, using the phrase "cultural appropriation" without a regular roman empire citizenship is the epitome of hypocrisy.
Have a nice day, barbarians.
Account abandoned.