Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Directed by: Rupert Sanders | 107 minutes | action, crime, drama, science fiction, thriller | Actors: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt, Chi Han, Danusia Samal, Lasarus Ratuere, Yutaka Izumihara, Tawanda Manyimo, Peter Ferdinando, Anamaria Marinca, Daniel Henshall

Science fiction films often give us a not too positive picture of the future. For example, humanity is often at war with some alien people, we are held back by a totalitarian regime in a dystopian society or we have become just a little too dependent on our always innovative technology. ‘Ghost in the Shell’, a remake of the Japanese animation classic from 1995, falls mainly into the third category. In this reality, humans have the opportunity to improve themselves through technological adaptations. Damage to the eyes? Just replace those old-fashioned organs with improved binoculars and see better than ever before. An intriguing idea in an (at times) intriguing film.

In ‘Ghost in the Shell’ we follow Major (Scarlett Johansson), an android who has a human brain. With her team from the Ministry of Defense (Section 9) she takes down cyber criminals. In this vision of the future, these have suddenly become even more dangerous. By replacing organs with technology, it is now possible to hack people and download data directly. However, the hacker in question, Kuze (Michael Pitt), is more interested in killing all the scientists who helped create Major. The first of its kind, the ghost in the shell. It is up to Section 9 to find and kill Kuze if necessary.

The witch hunt for the hacker makes for a fast-paced movie that turns into an entertaining sci-fi thriller. Johansson does a great job in the lead role and works well with Pilou Asbæk who takes on the role of sidekick Batou. He provides the necessary human elements in the story and is more than once the comic relief in the film. Another outlier is the Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano. Aramaki, the big boss of Section 9, steals the show in every scene he has.

Furthermore, ‘Ghost in the Shell’ is a bull’s eye, especially in the visual aspect. The city looks like a best of of all the cool sci-fi towns of the 1980s and 1990s. A bit of ‘Blade Runner’ here and a touch of ‘Fifth Element’ there, drenched in neon light and accompanied by a really cool synthesizer soundtrack (composer Clint Mansell does a great job once again). The shots that show the different streets and parts of the location are always a feast for the eyes. The same goes for the different action scenes. Although there is a lot of reliance on the slow motion effect to get everything nicely in the picture.

The biggest countervailing force that ‘Ghost in the Shell’ has is that it is a remake. It is therefore always clear how things could have been done differently (and often better). The dark philosophical themes familiar to fans of the original are largely left out here. And even if the original animation film is not taken into account, it is a shame that it is mainly the action scenes that are well developed while a film about a robot with a soul can be capable of so much more. For those who simply want to see a live action adaptation of the coolest action scenes from the original or who have never seen the Japanese animation film, you can safely add a star to the final rating. Those who want to feel the same doubt about their own existence will certainly be entertained with this version, but secretly better wait until Ridley Scott or Denis Villeneuve want to try a future remake.