Movie Review – Ghost in The Shell

Scarlett Johansson, saying that name alone is enough to get most excited, trust I should know, I’m one of them. Apart from oozing sex appeal and being a great actor – the lady seems to have carved out a niche in the roles she’s involved in of late. Take a look at her previous roles in Lucy and The Avengers trilogy (as Black Widow), and only then does it make sense why she’s perfectly cast in her latest role as Major (very cool name by the way) in Ghost in the Shell.

Cast – Scarlett Johansson, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Chin Han & Juliette Binoche

Director – Rupert Sanders

Genre – Fantasy/Mystery

Running Time – 2 Hours

The Plot

Directed by Rupert Sanders and written by Jamie Moss, William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger –Ghost in The Shell is based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow. The plot is set in the near future where Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals. When terrorism reaches a new level that includes the ability to hack into people’s minds and control them, Major is uniquely qualified to stop it. As she prepares to face a new enemy, Major discovers that she has been lied to: her life was not saved, it was stolen.

Set in a futuristic world, this movie is sci-fi heavy and includes some very cool action sequences. Word of advice though, if you are not quite sold sci-fi related movies then this is definitely not for you. If you are into something different, a bit out there at times and want to fulfil your hunger for an action flick then this is the flick for you. The plot line paints a very interesting picture in terms of what the whole thing is based on and upon reading it (and seeing the trailer), you can’t help but get excited.

Ghost in The Shell is a beautiful movie both from a conceptual and scenery point of view, couldn’t help but be amazed by the elements presented in the world it’s set in. Johansson also does a great job in doing what she does best and that’s pulling off her character, the supporting cast also does a great job in covering the other elements needed to make it an overall good and intriguing watch.

That’s what it is though, just a good watch and at times, intriguing. Upon watching I was at times lost in how weird it is and some of the ideas included. It is at times difficult to describe how watching it is and perhaps that’s where the problem is. Yes it’s a sci-fi movie and so what it presents shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, a part of me can’t help feel that something was missing and something more could have been done especially upon reading the plot as well as seeing the trailer. When it ended, the same part of me felt a bit underwhelmed, got the sense that the audience who were lucky enough to join in also felt the same.

So, it is a bad movie? No, not at all. Despite its weirdness at times, the movie has more interesting scenes than not. With a bit more refinement and care, Ghost in The Shell could have been a great movie instead of just being a good or an ok watch which is probably the best way to describe my reaction after watching but of course, that’s just me – some disagreed and found it amazing so best to make up your own mind.

Weird and intriguing at times, Ghost in The Shell is an interesting concept presented in a mind-blowing setting. Not by any means perfect but it does get the job done. In IMAX 3D it’s mind-blowing. Officially in cinemas on Friday, 31 March, it’s worth checking out with a decent 2.9 out of 5 rating from me.

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#Chin Han #Ghost in the Shell #Juliette Binoche #Michael Pitt #Pilou Asbæk #Scarlett Johansson #Takeshi Kitano

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Thabiso Moloi

With many, many years of PR, digital & influencer marketing work under his belt, Thabiso has worked on a great number of technology, business and consumer brands. In addition, he has become obsessed with most things under the sun including music, series, sports, movies etc which he now regularly writes about. You can find him on Twitter: @Thabz_14