Is it really that bad?
There was a lot of controversy about Ghost In The Shell, the american remake based on the Japanese animation of the same name. It mostly got bad reviews and was criticized for whitewashing the Japanese characters. So I went into the movie with pretty low expectations and was a little surprised.
The story is centered around a female cyborg supersoldier who wants to know about her past, while she also has to stop a mysterious cyber terrorist.
Spectacular visuals
First, I think the visual aspect of Ghost In The Shell is gorgeous. The city basically looks similar to Blade Runner, which actually had a big influence on the original as well. The city somehow feels really vibrant and alive, there are plenty of details and everything is very colorful, also the special effects are really well made. The fight scenes are well shot, without everything shaking too much, even though there is actually not that much action here. Also it was nice to see many scenes of the original again in a new look.
Likable characters
I think Scarlett Johansson did a good job to bring the Major to life. She was able to make the role actually more emotional and investing. If there is one complaint I have with the original, it is the lack of depth with the characters. It was quiet difficult to get attached to them in the Japanese animation but here we have more of a back story and it is easier to care about them and Scarlett Johansson made the Major look a bit more human than robot.
Is it really whitewashing?
Well, I would have much rather preferred to see Asian actors here and it would be nice to see more diversity in Hollywood in general. But i'm not really sure if it can really be considered whitewashing here because the Major of the original didn't really look Japanese at all. Actually the way they explained it in the movie kind of made sense, even if it was pretty awkward. I think most of manga characters actually do look more like westerners than Asians. That being said, I still hope Hollywood will give more chances to all the talented Asian actors.
How is it compared to the original?
I think both remake and original have their flaws. The original had more interesting philosophical ideas, but boring and distant characters. The remake is more straight forward and conventional in it's storytelling but has more investing characters overall. Maybe a mix between the two would be perfect.
Bottom line
I went in with no expectations and was actually positively surprised, Ghost In The Shell might be a bit too conventional but compared to other movies it was actually a well made science fiction thriller and definitely doesn't deserve all the hate.
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