Ghost in the Shell (2017)

2017 | Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

100 mins

In the near future, 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. She will stop at nothing to recover her past, find out who did this to her and stop them before they do it to others. Based on the internationally acclaimed Japanese Manga, “The Ghost in the Shell.”



Produced by Paramount Pictures
Director Rupert Sanders
Writer Jonathan Herman
Cast Scarlett Johansson, Michael Pitt, Christopher Obi, Josep Naufahu, Pilou Asbæk, Philippe Joly and Takeshi Kitano

Images And Data Courtesy Of: Paramount Pictures.
This content (including text, images, videos and other media) is published and used in accordance with Fair Use.

Added By

Andy K

Added this item on Feb 23, 2017

Ghost in the Shell (2017) Reviews & Ratings (73)
9-10
5.5% (4)
7-8
39.7% (29)
5-6
39.7% (29)
3-4
11.0% (8)
1-2
4.1% (3)

Post Type

Hidden Post

Archived Post

Ghost in the Shell (2017) reviews from people you don't follow
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
2017 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
CGI and action are well done. (0 more)
Story is a mess. (0 more)
Even in 3D and starring Scarlet Johansson, this is a convoluted mess.
I was hopeful about this one. Even took the time to make sure to watch it in 3D. I love Scarlet Johansson. Figured I had made everything possible to enjoy this film I had read many terrible reviews of. Now, 2 hours later, I just sit here empty. Sure, the movie is visually stunning. The CGI and action is well done. But all that doesn't matter without a story. Story here is convoluted and messy to say the least. There were several times when I just found myself bored and didn't care about the characters or what was happening. It's a shame something with so much potential turned into such an empty shell. Or maybe how fitting...
(3)   
40x40

Ross (3284 KP) rated

Aug 13, 2018  
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
2017 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Great SFX, little elsewhere
The Ghost in the Shell refers to the emerging technology of being able to put a human brain/soul (the ghost) inside an artificial body (the shell). In a world where everyone is getting cybernetic enhancements added to their bodies, Scarlett Johansson plays Major, the first such fully artificial creation, as she awakes to find herself inside a body she is unfamiliar with. From there her career as a soldier begins, looking to root out the growing threat of brain hacking in the city.
I feel like the plot has been done so many times before that as soon as the phrase "the first of her kind" was uttered I knew most of what was to follow. While the SFX were quite special, as with Ready Player One, I felt they were a little overdone and possibly just thrown in to distract from the clichéd plot and sparse action scenes.
(2)   
40x40

Bostonian916 (449 KP) rated

Sep 2, 2020 (Updated Sep 2, 2020)  
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
2017 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Ghost in the Shell (this movie) got a ton of vile response when it was announced and released. While the source material differs from this film VERY much, as a standalone movie, Ghost in the Shell is actually quite good.

I'm a big fan and advocate of letting a movie based on anything else (comic book, novel, whatever the case might be) stand as its own entity. Conveniently, this allows me to enjoy a ton of movies that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to. This is a classic example of this mentality in action.

Scarlett Johansson does a fine job in her role, regardless of whether people think she should have ever been cast in what is traditionally an Asian role. She doesn't deserve a lot of the hate that she received. She is doing a job that she is being paid to do. Simple as that, the same way that you and I go to work every day and do things we might not be in love with.

Anyway, if you can get over the disconnection from the source material, Ghost in the Shell is an enjoyable experience. The only way to know is to watch for yourself.
(1)   
40x40

Jeremy King (346 KP) rated

Jun 10, 2019  
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
2017 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Ok i am just going to say right from the beginning i thought that casting was an issue in this film. Dont get me wrong but it was good casting but not great.

I found there was a lot of good ideas in this movie but it was dialled back. The villan should have more depth. The fx were great. I feel that they focused on making it to much like the 1995 anime and not try to make it it's own thing.

So if the expanded on some characters and dove more in to the story lines. It would have been better if they explored the different story lines that they would have needed to set it up as a two movies.
(1)   
Ghost in the Shell (2017) reviews from people you don't follow
40x40

Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated

Jun 10, 2019  
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
2017 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Turning the beloved Ghost in the Shell manga franchise into a Hollywood film that’ll please picky Western audiences was always going to be a tough job for director Rupert Sanders (Snow White & the Huntsman).

Casting the central lead, The Major, proved even more difficult. When Scarlett Johansson’s name was attached to play the role, Hollywood was once again accused of white-washing, a tag lobbied at Gods of Egypt last year. The finished product is now in cinemas around the globe, but is it the disaster many predicted?

In the near future, Major (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind: a human who has been cyber-enhanced to create 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 finds truths about her past that changes her view on the world forever.

The greatest accolade that can be given to Ghost in the Shell is that its pre-release detractors haven’t stopped people from going to see it. The cinema was busy on its opening night, with many itching to see how such a universally loved manga could be fine-tuned for a Western palate.

Visually; the film is absolutely stunning and is best viewed on the biggest screen possible. Each frame is dripping with detail and the naturally heavy use of CGI doesn’t detract from creating a vibrant metropolis that feels every bit alive.

The story is simple to follow and easy to enjoy. It’s exciting, emotional and boosted by a fine, if slightly uninspiring performance from Johansson. The rest of the cast can also be described as fine, with only Juliette Binoche’s mother-like Dr. Ouélet creating any sort of lasting impact.

And this is Ghost in the Shell’s fundamental weakness. Outside of Binoche, the rest of the cast are largely forgettable and that’s a real shame considering the characters in its excellent source material were, for want of a better word, magical. Even the villain is devoid any sort of tyranny.

Thankfully though, the impressive set design and well-choreographed action sequences mask the disappointing array of characters well and steamroll this thrilling adventure to a very satisfying conclusion. It’s also accompanied by a gorgeous soundtrack by Clint Mansell and Lorne Balfe that compliments the futuristic nature of the film beautifully.

Sitting in the theatre, it felt at times like I was watching an updated version of Total Recall, and that’s no bad thing. Comparing it to a cult classic is probably what director Rupert Sanders was trying to achieve and despite its poor characters, Ghost in the Shell has every opportunity to succeed as a film we look back on in 30 years and think “hey, that’s actually pretty good”.

Overall, Ghost in the Shell is one hell of a good-looking film. Couple this with impressive special effects and a rollercoaster ride of a story and you have a big screen experience that’s great for 106 minutes, but probably won’t have any lasting impact once the end credits roll.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/03/31/not-without-its-faults-ghost-in-the-shell-review/
(1)   
40x40

Sarah (7800 KP) rated

Feb 6, 2018  
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
2017 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Forgettable
I’ve never seen the original anime, so I went into this with a fairly open mind but sadly the film just didn’t deliver.

The trailer made it look like a very slick futuristic thriller almost, and although the sfx are fantastic and really well done, the rest of the film is a letdown. The initial idea of her being a human brain inside a cyborg is a good one, but it’s sadly ruined by the unoriginal and predictable discovering her origins story. And I’m sorry, but I really don’t rate Scarlett Johansson. She isn’t bad, but she isn’t particularly great either and lately she always seems to be playing a similar sort of character. Pilou Asbæk is the only one who really excels in this and he’s the only truly likeable character. However I did spend the entire film trying to figure out where I knew him and his name from, and it’s only now I’ve realised he’s Euron Greyjoy, gah. To be honest I was pretty bored watching this and great sfx can’t make up for a very dull plot.
(1)   
40x40

Kevin Phillipson (10072 KP) rated

Jun 26, 2023  
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
2017 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Scarlett johansson (0 more)
Watched again remember watching in the cinema and thinking that it looked good back then now I've rewatched now not as good as i remember there are some good stuff in there the visuals the city and decent action but for me it feels like I've seen done before but better
  
40x40

Bob Mann (459 KP) rated

Sep 29, 2021  
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
2017 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A robot you could take home to meet mother.
I was intrigued to watch the other day (purely for the interest in the technology employed of course!) a short Guardian video on the development of the world’s first fully functioning sex robot: a disturbing watch, requiring a fairly broad mind. Watching it on the same day as going to see Scarlett Johansson’s new film “Ghost in the Shell” though was a mistake, since the similarities between Johansson’s character (‘Major’) and the animatronic sex doll (‘Harmony’) were… erm… distracting.
Johansson is a stunning actress, with unquestionably a stunning figure that she loves to show off, but you would have to start questioning her film choices: since there is hardly a hair’s breadth between the emotionally reserved superhero depiction here and her recent roles in “Lucy” and “Under the Skin“. With her other ongoing “Avengers” superhero work as Natasha Romanoff, and nothing much else beyond that other than brief cameos (“Hail Caesar“, “Hitchcock“) and voice work, its all getting a bit ‘samey’: I’d like to see her get back to her more dramatic roles like “Lost in Translation” that really launched her career.


Anyhoo, back to this flick. Set in the dazzling fictional Japanese city of Niihama, Johansson plays a terrorist victim saved only by having her brain transplanted into an android by the Hanka corporation. In this time (40 years in the future) human ‘upgrades’ with cybernetic technology are commonplace, but Major is a ‘first of a kind’ experiment. Hanka are not pure humanitarians though, since they have turned Major into a lethal fighting weapon with powers of invisibility and lightning reactions. She works for a shadowy anti-terrorism unit called Section 9, led by the Japanese speaking Aramaki (Takeshi Kitano, “Battle Royale”).

The upside of having no human form is that if you get burned or blown up, the team of cyber-surgeons back at Hanka, led by Dr. Ouelet (Juliette Binoche), can rebuild her – – they “have the technology” to quote another bionic hero.
But all is not necessarily well in the idyll of anti-terrorist slashing and burning. Major suffers from recurring ‘glitches’ of memories from her past life: a life that she has no clear memories of. Her latest mission against a deformed and vindictive terrorist called Kuze (Michael Pitt) progressively resurfaces more of these memories, since Kuze clearly knows more about Major than she does.

“Ghost in the Shell” looks glorious, with the Hong Kong-like city being in the style of Blade Runner but with more holograms. (What exactly the holograms are supposed to be doing or advertising is rather unclear!). The cinematography and special effects deserve an Oscar nomination.
Given the film is based on an original Manga series, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow and well known for its complexity, this Hollywood version has a surprisingly simple and linear story. As such it may disappoint the hoard of fans who adore the original materials.

Treating it as a standalone film, it should have an emotional depth beyond the superficial action, dealing as it does with loyalty and family ties. However, the scripting and editing is rather pedestrian making the whole thing a bit dull. Johansson and Pilou Asbæk, as her co-worker Batou, breathe what life they can into the material; but Binoche is less convincing as the Dr Frankenstein-style doctor. The best act in the piece though is Takeshi Kitano as the kick-ass OAP with attitude.

Where I had particular issues was in some of the detail of the action. ‘Invisibility’ is an attribute that needs to be metered out very carefully in the movies: Harry Potter just about got away with it; in “Die Another Day” it nearly killed the Bond franchise for good. Here, exactly how the androids can achieve invisibility is never explained and I disliked that intently. Similarly, the androids can clearly be physically damaged, yet Major seems to start each mission by throwing herself headfirst off the tallest skyscraper. Again, never explained.
Even though the premise, and the opening titles, brought back bad memories of that truly terrible Star Trek episode “Spock’s Brain”, this is a dark and thoughtful adaptation with great CGI effects but unfortunately its pedestrian pace means it is one that never truly breaks through into the upper echelons of Sci Fi greatness. Worth a watch though.