For a movie that has an incredibly exciting and interesting premise, Ghost in the Shell feels surprisingly hollow. If it weren't for the fact that I'm a huge fan of the cyberpunk aesthetic, I probably would've found this film to be even more devoid of meaning. While it is technically speaking great, and while it manages to capture the cyberpunk feel perfectly (at least as far as I'm concerned), the story and the characters feel utterly shallow.
Now, I should note that this was my first touch into the Ghost in the Shell franchise. I have never read the manga or seen any of the animated films, so it is entirely possible that those versions offer the depth that I found myself searching for. In fact, having heard nothing but great things about the original animated film, that probably is the case. Bringing the focus back to this particular film, I want to start with the good things, as I did feel like there were quite a few of them. First of all, as I already mentioned, this film was technically speaking great. Although the dystopian cyber infused world did often feel a bit empty, the way it captured the gloomy neon-filled cityscape, more than made up for it. I have always been a fan of the cyberpunk aesthetic, and everything that comes with it, and I certainly found myself often enamoured by what I was seeing on screen. Another aspect that I quite appreciated, was how good everything looked. There are plenty of moments that are filled with 'futuristic' effects and beings, and everything looked great. For a film like Ghost in the Shell, it is, of course, crucial that that be the case, as the only way it will ever make any impact, is by making the viewer believe in the world that it is building.
With all that being said, the unfortunate reality still remains, that this film just isn't particularly good. Its greatest downfall comes in its inability to leave an impact. The story, while seemingly filled with great ideas and questions that challenge us to think about humanity and its infatuation with technology, never quite manages to bring forth those ideas in an impactful manner. This could, again, be different in the manga or the animated film, but as far as this live-action version is concerned, I found myself yearning for more. What astonishes me is the relatively short run-time. Especially nowadays, when movies with a run-time of over two hours are commonplace, I would've thought that a film that clearly has so much to say, would've reached at least those two hours. In fact, I can't come up with any other reason as to why this is than the fact that the focus was so heavily on worldbuilding, that everything else was forgotten about. Indeed, despite its short run-time, there are plenty of scenes that add nothing else to the film, but something nice to look at. These moments, which could've been used for building up the characters and thus making the final moments that much more impactful, are, instead, used for what can only be described as eye-candy.
More than anything, I'm disappointed by Ghost in the Shell. Going in, knowing nothing about the story or the world, I was intrigued from the very get-go. However, as I quickly realized, this film wasn't what it at first seemed to be. By throwing aside the deeper conversation about the themes that are relevant throughout, it managed to be nothing more than average. In fact, I assume that I liked this film more than I should have, simply because I cherished the world it built around its story.
Now, I should note that this was my first touch into the Ghost in the Shell franchise. I have never read the manga or seen any of the animated films, so it is entirely possible that those versions offer the depth that I found myself searching for. In fact, having heard nothing but great things about the original animated film, that probably is the case. Bringing the focus back to this particular film, I want to start with the good things, as I did feel like there were quite a few of them. First of all, as I already mentioned, this film was technically speaking great. Although the dystopian cyber infused world did often feel a bit empty, the way it captured the gloomy neon-filled cityscape, more than made up for it. I have always been a fan of the cyberpunk aesthetic, and everything that comes with it, and I certainly found myself often enamoured by what I was seeing on screen. Another aspect that I quite appreciated, was how good everything looked. There are plenty of moments that are filled with 'futuristic' effects and beings, and everything looked great. For a film like Ghost in the Shell, it is, of course, crucial that that be the case, as the only way it will ever make any impact, is by making the viewer believe in the world that it is building.
With all that being said, the unfortunate reality still remains, that this film just isn't particularly good. Its greatest downfall comes in its inability to leave an impact. The story, while seemingly filled with great ideas and questions that challenge us to think about humanity and its infatuation with technology, never quite manages to bring forth those ideas in an impactful manner. This could, again, be different in the manga or the animated film, but as far as this live-action version is concerned, I found myself yearning for more. What astonishes me is the relatively short run-time. Especially nowadays, when movies with a run-time of over two hours are commonplace, I would've thought that a film that clearly has so much to say, would've reached at least those two hours. In fact, I can't come up with any other reason as to why this is than the fact that the focus was so heavily on worldbuilding, that everything else was forgotten about. Indeed, despite its short run-time, there are plenty of scenes that add nothing else to the film, but something nice to look at. These moments, which could've been used for building up the characters and thus making the final moments that much more impactful, are, instead, used for what can only be described as eye-candy.
More than anything, I'm disappointed by Ghost in the Shell. Going in, knowing nothing about the story or the world, I was intrigued from the very get-go. However, as I quickly realized, this film wasn't what it at first seemed to be. By throwing aside the deeper conversation about the themes that are relevant throughout, it managed to be nothing more than average. In fact, I assume that I liked this film more than I should have, simply because I cherished the world it built around its story.