Ghost In The Shell - The Quest

I suppose it's time I weigh in on the remake of the anime classic "Ghost In The Shell".

My knee-jerk reaction to remakes is always negative, but this time was a little different - let's just say I'm... apprehensive.

I didn't learn about this remake until only a few weeks shy of its release, and at first became a bit excited because our CGI technology has advanced since this animation was first released over 25 years ago. Even when I heard Scarlett Johansson would play the lead, I still held out hope. But as the story line played out in the trailer, my heart sank a little.

From what I can tell, this live-action movie is going to focus more on "solving the mystery of her origin" and only touch upon the philosophical question of whether self-consciousness equals life. And while there are scenes that mirror the original, it looks like there are plenty of new ones due to this plot change and addition of a few characters. This at least has the basis to be a really good reboot, we'll just have to wait and see.

What I found really sad was that a young movie reviewer on the Fox News channel made the moronic statement that this film reminded him of "The Matrix" and believes this was inspired by the Wachowski Brothers film. If that guy had taken two seconds on Google he would have realized it's the other way around. The original 1995 anime inspired "The Matrix." Just goes to show that the "experts" aren't always experts.

Without actually having watched the film, I'm not going to say much more - this post isn't meant as a movie review, but I do want to view this remake/reboot with an open mind.

Do I believe I'll like it? There is a decent chance I will.

Will I own it? If I like it half as much as the original 1995 movie, yes.

Will I like it more than the original? Highly unlikely. The original will always have that nostalgia for me - that certain mystique I felt at that age of an exciting, action-packed technological future where artificial intelligence and humans team together. 

Until Next Time...
Here's the IMDB page of the new Ghost in the Shell for more info.

Futuristically Yours,
Michael     

Motoko Kusanagi is Japanese

The thought never occurred to me, but I suppose it should have. Tor.com has published a story that a live action adaptation of Mamoru Oshii’s classic anime movie Ghost in the Shell is in the works. For those who don't remember their cyber-punk history, Ghost in the Shell is the animated movie that inspired the 1999 Wachowskis brothers' blockbuster movie The Matrix, and pumped a little more life into a sub-genre of science fiction that had experienced slowing sales the previous few years. The movie, which was an extension of the print anime begun in 1989, dealt with the theme of artificial intelligence, the definition of life, and the concept of a soul.

What does surprise me is the casting. Scarlett Johansson will be portraying Motoko Kusanagi,  a Japanese cyborg cyber-crime fighter. Yeah, that Scarlett Johansson.

I guess the fact that the protagonist is Japanese and that Hollywood has decided to cast a non-Asian actress shouldn't surprise me, especially considering that movie execs would rather invest in big names than worry about something like "story-accuracy," but still...seriously? Ms. Johansson is a fine actress, and I have nothing against her or her acting ability - doesn't mean she's right for the role and it doesn't mean I have to like the decision to include her.

At this point, according to the article, the project has yet to be fully approved and funded (insert sigh of relief here), but attaching Scarlett's name to the effort may increase its chances of making it to the screen one day.

One can only hope they don't screw this one up too terribly bad.

Until Next Time...
Cyborgly Yours,
Michael