Let me just say for starters that this is a real review written by someone who actually watched the movie, and someone who has actually watched the original Ghost in the Shell movie several times before the live action movie came out, along with Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State society. The live action movie delves even deeper into the story lines in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, and combines elements from all the stories to create a fantastic action sci-fi that is both intellectually and visually stunning.
I'm typing this qualifier because the majority of the other reviews about this movie look like outrage reviews written by people who didn't even see the movie and are just abusing IMDb's review system to promote their own political viewpoints. They aren't interested in actually seeing the movie or giving a thoughtful review about it. They are only here to trash it and this is why IMDb took down the forums in the first place. I know my review will probably get a bunch of thumbs down because people only care if I agree with them rather than whether I wrote a good review or not.
With that out of the way, the accusations of white washing are dubious at best. The Major in the anime was in a white looking cybernetic body even though she had a Japanese name. I base this opinion on the fact that in the original movie there are characters drawn specifically to look Asian and if the Major were Asian then she would be drawn that way. The creator of Ghost in the Shell has come forward to say that he was impressed by both Scarlett Johansson's casting and her acting abilities. If she's good enough for the creator of this movie then who is anyone else to keep arguing against her?
The argument that a character having a Japanese name means that character is Asian is also questionable. I went to school with Asian Americans with white names either because they were adopted or because their families had fully assimilated into American culture. If I were to make a movie about one of them, should I cast a white person to play them simply because they have a white name?
For those who haven't seen it or are discouraged from seeing it because of other people's bullying: I suggest that you don't let anyone else stop you from seeing this movie or enjoying it. I had concerns that it might not be good because there are elements of animation that just aren't translatable to live action. I am pleased to say that I was wrong and this movie took my breath away with both visuals and a story line that delves into who the Puppetmaster is and what his motivations are. After seeing this movie I am interested in finding the television series that goes along with the movies I already have. If a movie can make people interested in the source material then it's done it's job IMO.
Scarlett Johansson made an excellent Major. I could tell she worked hard and studied the original movie closely to mirror the Major's mannerisms and behavior. As for the complaints that the movie didn't delve deep enough into philosophical things, I don't think the original movies did much of that either. Nothing was ever fully explained and the viewer was left to puzzle out their own answers. These are the kind of movies that you have to watch with your brain engaged rather than being passively entertained. The movies aren't meant to be a replacement for formal study of existential philosophy. They are meant to pose a hypothetical scenario with hypothetical reasons behind it and the viewer is supposed to draw their own conclusions.
I do have a few complaints about this movie, but they are fairly trivial considering the movie as a whole. This review is getting long and I only have a thousand words so I won't go into my own complaints that aren't really relevant. Overall though this movie is worth putting money down to see and that's what matters.
I'm typing this qualifier because the majority of the other reviews about this movie look like outrage reviews written by people who didn't even see the movie and are just abusing IMDb's review system to promote their own political viewpoints. They aren't interested in actually seeing the movie or giving a thoughtful review about it. They are only here to trash it and this is why IMDb took down the forums in the first place. I know my review will probably get a bunch of thumbs down because people only care if I agree with them rather than whether I wrote a good review or not.
With that out of the way, the accusations of white washing are dubious at best. The Major in the anime was in a white looking cybernetic body even though she had a Japanese name. I base this opinion on the fact that in the original movie there are characters drawn specifically to look Asian and if the Major were Asian then she would be drawn that way. The creator of Ghost in the Shell has come forward to say that he was impressed by both Scarlett Johansson's casting and her acting abilities. If she's good enough for the creator of this movie then who is anyone else to keep arguing against her?
The argument that a character having a Japanese name means that character is Asian is also questionable. I went to school with Asian Americans with white names either because they were adopted or because their families had fully assimilated into American culture. If I were to make a movie about one of them, should I cast a white person to play them simply because they have a white name?
For those who haven't seen it or are discouraged from seeing it because of other people's bullying: I suggest that you don't let anyone else stop you from seeing this movie or enjoying it. I had concerns that it might not be good because there are elements of animation that just aren't translatable to live action. I am pleased to say that I was wrong and this movie took my breath away with both visuals and a story line that delves into who the Puppetmaster is and what his motivations are. After seeing this movie I am interested in finding the television series that goes along with the movies I already have. If a movie can make people interested in the source material then it's done it's job IMO.
Scarlett Johansson made an excellent Major. I could tell she worked hard and studied the original movie closely to mirror the Major's mannerisms and behavior. As for the complaints that the movie didn't delve deep enough into philosophical things, I don't think the original movies did much of that either. Nothing was ever fully explained and the viewer was left to puzzle out their own answers. These are the kind of movies that you have to watch with your brain engaged rather than being passively entertained. The movies aren't meant to be a replacement for formal study of existential philosophy. They are meant to pose a hypothetical scenario with hypothetical reasons behind it and the viewer is supposed to draw their own conclusions.
I do have a few complaints about this movie, but they are fairly trivial considering the movie as a whole. This review is getting long and I only have a thousand words so I won't go into my own complaints that aren't really relevant. Overall though this movie is worth putting money down to see and that's what matters.