REVIEW: Ghost in the Shell

Normally I wouldn't write a review in the traditional sense for something but yesterday I had the privilege of seeing an advanced screening for the new Ghost in the Shell movie ahead of it's official premiere on the 31st.  Because of that I feel like I'm obligated to write a formal review for it.  To begin this comes from the perspective of someone who has not watched any of the original Ghost in the Shell anime, be that the TV series or movies, and as such means this movie was viewed with a clean slate in my eyes.

Ghost in the Shell takes place in the far future where mechanical enhancements to the human body have become common place around the world.  The story follows Major (played by Scarlett Johansson), who's brain was transplanted to a fully mechanized body after a terrorist attack left her original body in a near death state.  Major is then enlisted in a government anti-terrorism division where she hunts down a wanted cyber-terrorist by the name of Kuzé.  The first of her kind, Ghost in the Shell wastes no time in using Major to to push forward the usual themes of human vs. machine prominent in android driven media.  Major questioning her own humanity and existence is to be expected but it's the fact that Ghost in the Shell doesn't really push the envelope in any way beyond that expectation that hurts it.  The plot follows a fairly standard structure that can be anticipated from beginning to end and doesn't give anything for the viewer to really think on.

The predictable story is certainly not helped by the subpar acting of Johansson.  While trying to put forth a serious demeanor her expression came across as confused instead, almost as if she was in a daze the entire time.  This was compounded with the Johansson's stiff speech that sounded as if she was reading straight from a script rather than the flippant, non-nonchalant Major that seemed to have been the aim.  While it was clear that Major was supposed to be rather lacking in the emotion department there is a difference between acting without emotions and acting a character without emotions, and Johansson was the former.

Fortunately, Johansson's shortcomings were somewhat made up for by some solid performances from the supporting cast.  Pilou Asbaek as Batou was a particular standout.  Unlike Major, Batou's aloof personality shined through Asbaek's snappy delivery of lines and movements.  His actions outside of fighting were purposeful yet also carried a hint of lethargy that complemented his character well.   Takeshi Kitano made up for the rather uninteresting character of Aramaki by executing certain key scenes and lines with finesse that got the viewer riled up.

What failed to get the viewer appropriately riled up, however, were the action sequences.  While not necessarily bad they weren't particularly engaging either.  Each fight was rather one-sided and didn't carry a sense of risk or urgency.  Over-reliance on slow motion and over-exaggerated hit reactions resulted in each strike feeling like a dull thud rather than a resounding blow that one would expect from mechanically enhanced humans.  Nonetheless, the fights did serve their purpose of breaking up the story sequences and were enjoyable enough as to not be unwelcome when they did come.

Regardless of the characters' portrayals and combat prowess, one thing that can be said is that Paramount Pictures has crafted a rather fitting world for them to reside in.  The technopolis setting brims with hologram advertisements and is filled with pedestrians with variety of visually interesting mechanical enhancements.  Special effects involving said enhancements were particularly impressive with body parts coming on and off as easily as puzzle pieces or muscle sinew being overlaid on Major with a gel like substance.  Light filtering through mesh gratings and reflecting off of all manner of metallic surfaces dazzles the eyes and the hustle and bustle make the city come alive.  It all carries a dirty and greasy vibe which perfectly conveys the feeling of technology pervading all aspects of society.

Ghost in the Shell is the very definition of a safe movie.  It sticks to well established methods in order to appeal to a more general audience but lost any potential to be memorable in the process.  A lackluster story, flat protagonist, and merely serviceable action sequences won't be making any waves but very little about the feature can be legitimately labeled as "bad".  By the time the credits rolled I felt next to nothing.  I didn't feel disappointed.  I didn't feel like I had wasted my time.  It almost felt as if I had just sat in a seat and spaced out for two hours.  Ghost in the Shell is a forgettable experience that simply fails to leave any sort of lasting impression, good or bad.





Ghost in the Shell
6/10
OK