GHOST IN THE SHELL
Released By Paramount Pictures
Review By Jeff Sanders
GHOST IN THE SHELL is based on the anime film and Manga series of the same name from the late 80’s and early 90’s. I remember watching the original animated film around the same time I saw THE MATRIX , but I would be lying if I said I remember it very well. There are still images that float around in my mind’s data bank, but that’s about it. It’s kind of like this new live action version. I barely just watched it and I’ve already forgotten about it, save for a few images.
This is not the fault of the actors. The cast is solid, very solid, in fact. Scarlett Johansson has shown to be a great actress throughout her career. Michael Pitt has proven himself to be an interesting indie actor since his emergence in the early 2000’s with movies like BULLY and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. The great Danish actor Pilou Asbæk, who frequently works with Academy Award-wining director Tobias Lindholm (A HIJACKING, A WAR), plays a supporting role here as Johansson’s right-hand man in policing the future. Juliette Binoche, who needs no introduction, plays a doctor. Japanese auteur Takashi “Beat” Kitano, the wild director/actor/editor/writer who has made a career creating offbeat tough guys, also pops up in what is probably the strongest of the supporting players. Unfortunately, most of these accomplished actors are squandered. Proof that even the greatest of actors can’t overcome boring plots and bloated run times.
Excess is the name of the game here. Well, at least in the visual department. The film is filled to the brim with overly stimulating CGI city scapes and techno-visuals that seem to flood every frame. It’s odd the filmmakers even thought of making this property live action when they collectively decided to pretty much animate the whole world. There is the strangest irony in all of this; A film that seems to get along primarily on excess and an overabundance of computer work for what should have been a down and dirty detective movie.
The major social commentary in GHOST IN THE SHELL is that we rely on technology to such a degree that we have lost our identities and that society has, in fact, become unethical. Well, that is what the film attempts to say before abandoning any sort of point and turning into another by-the-numbers superhero mystery. I wonder if the filmmakers really thought about their movie too much.
There is also a big bad robot called a Spider Tank that we are supposed to be intimidated by in the final act. I don’t know, I am getting pretty jaded by film climaxes’ involving CGI’d actors running around fighting CGI’d monsters in crash, boom, bang, clank! I’ve seen all of this before and I’m pretty sure I can find another film in theaters in a week or two that does it all again.
There truly isn’t much plot that I can remember. A cyborg cop lady stops a dirty business deal involving murders from happening. She goes after the culprit even when she is told not to for some strange reason. She soon realizes there may be more to the mystery and ultimately, asks questions that shouldn’t be asked. She discovers truths about herself and a dirty business deal (might they be related?) and gets attacked by the real culprit (guess who?) She eventually fights back. Some people die, some don’t. The movie ends. That’s about it, really. This seems to be happening a lot in the film world lately. An abundance of movies built upon a simple superhero presence and put through a by-the-numbers detective plot. It’s getting pretty boring. This one, despite a capable cast, is pretty bad.
I’m sorry if this sounds like I’m being overly cynical. I’m not against the idea of big budget superhero/comic book type films. I quite liked KONG: SKULL ISLAND a few weeks back. I love Donner’s SUPERMAN and Burton’s BATMAN. There are countless others. Unfortunately, there seems to be a trend right now with huge budget spectacles where filmmakers spend virtually no time creating an intriguing plot or giving good actors characters to really sink their teeth into. Think of the undeniable creativity at the center of ROBOCOP and all the fun. bizarre plot ironies and strong performances across the board in that picture. ROBOCOP is a movie that feels as fresh now as the first time I watched it. GHOST IN THE SHELL, by comparison, has completely escaped me. In fact, I struggled quite a bit just to remember enough to put this review together.
A shell with a ghost inside.
Seems to resemble a movie.
Opened up.
Nothing.
Perhaps a memory of something.
