REVIEW: “Ghost in the Shell” stays true to its roots
In the not too distant future, cyborgs and humans live together seamlessly, although unknowingly.
Major Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson) is told she has been in an accident where her body was transformed, and her mind is placed into the body of a cyborg known as a “shell”.
The plot of “Ghost in the Shell” revolves around Killian tracking down a hacker taking control of other shells. While doing so, she begins having visions of her past that lead her to question the truth of her existence.
After apprehending the antagonist, Killian, finally has the opportunity to question the hacker and ask the questions she has been searching for about her existence.
Although the live-action movie was just released, the film is based off a 1995 anime. The anime was one of a kind in theory and the basis of what led to other sci-fi movies that we know and love, such as “The Matrix”.
“Ghost in the Shell” follows the original anime almost exactly with a few scenes being almost identical. The protagonist in both films is a highly skilled assault leader for a public security sector where enhanced individuals are able to connect to the Internet through cables connecting to the back of the shell’s neck.
If someone takes over other enhanced cyborgs, aka shells, that person can manipulate the shell, taking over the ghost, which is within.
Killian begins having glitches within her system and seeing bits of information from her past, making her think outside the realms of what she is built to do. When given the chance, she takes it upon herself to confront the main antagonist hacker and find answers for what she is seeing.
Casting Scarlett Johansson for the role of Killian split the fan base in two. Although the character of Killian is Japanese in the original anime, she is not in the live-action film. Some felt that Johansson matches the essence of the anime character, even if she does not match the ethnicity. However, others were upset at the fact that the lead was not given to a Japanese or Japanese-American actress. Although Johansson is not Japanese, she does an exceptional job of portraying Killian as a character and is a great fit for the part.
If viewers can accept the role of Killian as a Caucasian, Johansson does an outstanding job portraying her.
Johansson’s performance as a confused, powerful and thought-provoking cyborg, who thinks outside the box and is always searching for more about her past, adds layers of detail that make for a believable character.
The CGI of the 2017 film is based on the animation from 1995 and does an excellent job of creating a realistic megalopolis feeling from the 3D holograms on buildings to the neon lights. Even the cars are similar to the futuristic style portrayed in the anime without being overbearing. The city looks and feels exactly as it should for the remake and accurately captures the same revolutionary style of the original.
The cinematic techniques combined with CGI will not let fans of the original down. The majority of the scenes were shot in New Zealand, using green screens and other visual enhancements. The CGI is tastefully accomplished and combined with real robotics in some of the scenes, giving the movie an accurate depiction of the world from the original animation in 1995.
Overall the movie is very well done. Johansson did an amazing job playing the character Major Mira Killian, aka Major Motoko, and the vast amounts of CGI and special effects make the viewer truly feel as if they are in a futuristic Asian megalopolis city. The acting by the rest of the cast was pretty good for the most part, and Johansson made viewers feel they were watching a lost individual in search for the truth. Other than the casting, the film stayed true to its roots.
Also published on Medium.
