Coming Attractions

[dodgy]

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Storyline

Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, "GHOST IN THE SHELL" follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic's advancements in cyber technology.

Director: Rupert Sanders  
Writers: Jonathan Herman, Jamie Moss
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Michael Wincott, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano

Action, Crime, Drama

31 March 2017 (UK)



Covers in the Gallery for this title:

  

[Fogdude]

Well, at least it's not animé. I might even give this one a shot, despite the fact that Scarlett Johansson does little for me.  

[ctaulbee]

Probably not

[VincentLupo]

I'll have a look.

[sk-ar]

i'll give this a chance...

[chouette]

Although I normally like this crap, I'm not sold on this one and the trailer is not helping, so pass for now.

[ctaulbee]

RED BAND Trailer: GHOST IN THE SHELL 4K UHD 2017

[ctaulbee]

I wanted to like this but I'm thinking that I probably won't, still to see anything on it that says "watch me"...

[Fogdude]

I wanted to like this but I'm thinking that I probably won't, still to see anything on it that says "watch me"...

You mean... aside from the scantily clad femininity, sexuality, violence & special effects?
 

[ctaulbee]

I wanted to like this but I'm thinking that I probably won't, still to see anything on it that says "watch me"...

You mean... aside from the scantily clad femininity, sexuality, violence & special effects?
 :-O

Well that was the "why" part of why I wanted to like it lol.

[Fogdude]

OK. That makes more sense, now!

[2getted]

New trailer #2 - more details, more vision, ...

Looks like a new take on the series... Damn this is looking good!

[alienmem]

Why watch a remake when the original is a masterpiece? Right?

[2getted]

Well in that case the original would be the manga as the anime was just a remake and extension of that.

For me, as long as it is done well and stays true to the characters portrayed then I'm always appreciative and interested to see the end result.
I do agree that too many have failed making the transition from manga to anime to film (think Casshan or Dragonball Evolution   ).

I think it comes down to the experience on offer and this seems to offer a lot. As a westerner you lose some of the nuances when reading the translated manga and even watching the anime you can miss the subtleties and some context. While a movie made for the western audience can hopefully offer more to the viewer and could be a masterpiece on its' own merits (please make it so).

At least for this film they included some Japanese actors. I'm really looking forward to watching Takeshi Kitano as Chief Aramaki as I always enjoy his films (see Zatoichi and in particular Outrage and the sequel Outrage Beyond).

[ctaulbee]

I like the new trailer, my interest has been raised now

[VincentLupo]

Looks like it's going to be a good one.  I'm in.

[2getted]

The first five minutes of the movie is out and it kicks arse!

Your choice to watch or to wait until the film comes out...

Spoiler Block

For the purists out there the following clip demonstrates the "main difference(s)" with this film and the anime. I think you can spot the obvious points straight away  

This is a shot comparison of Making of a Cyborg/Shelling sequence between the 1995 anime film and the 2017 live action film. The live action clip was recorded by IGN in a press event in Japan. Original composer Kenji Kawai has return to perform a new composition.

[Fogdude]

Like I said, I don't care for animation (even with the more complete anatomical detail), but the enhanced live action is fine. I'm still in.

[topmeasure]

Looks like pure movie escapism, I'm in.

[ctaulbee]

Well the trailers have hooked me I'm looking forward to this now  

[alienmem]

Ok, you're correct. I wasn't refering to the original in other format but you make a point there.

The transition from anime to live action is extremely difficult. maybe oldboy is the only example i find and Ichi the Killer where they pulled it off.

But there is no way in my opinion that they'll stay faithful to the story. Because the original anime was already too complex for viwers to understadn. There is no way in hell that Hollywood wouldn't dumb down the movie(and they'd have to dumb it down a lot for everyone to get it). So it might be entertaining seeing scarlett running aroung and all but I have a lot of reserves this won't turn out a stinker. I hope I'm wrong.

Well in that case the original would be the manga as the anime was just a remake and extension of that.

For me, as long as it is done well and stays true to the characters portrayed then I'm always appreciative and interested to see the end result.
I do agree that too many have failed making the transition from manga to anime to film (think Casshan or Dragonball Evolution  :-(( ).

I think it comes down to the experience on offer and this seems to offer a lot. As a westerner you lose some of the nuances when reading the translated manga and even watching the anime you can miss the subtleties and some context. While a movie made for the western audience can hopefully offer more to the viewer and could be a masterpiece on its' own merits (please make it so).

At least for this film they included some Japanese actors. I'm really looking forward to watching Takeshi Kitano as Chief Aramaki as I always enjoy his films (see Zatoichi and in particular Outrage and the sequel Outrage Beyond).

[2getted]

...The transition from anime to live action is extremely difficult. maybe oldboy is the only example i find and Ichi the Killer where they pulled it off.

But there is no way in my opinion that they'll stay faithful to the story. Because the original anime was already too complex for viwers to understadn. There is no way in hell that Hollywood wouldn't dumb down the movie(and they'd have to dumb it down a lot for everyone to get it). So it might be entertaining seeing scarlett running aroung and all but I have a lot of reserves this won't turn out a stinker. I hope I'm wrong.

I didn't think they made an anime for Oldboy and the film was a South Korean made movie, but yes it is a great film. Although Oldboy is a very good example of how Hollywood can really screw it up when they try to adapt the story. Now I also agree that Ichi The Killer was very well done and true to the anime.


For Ghost in The Shell, I guess that those who will see the live action film will have either seen the Ghost In The Shell anime or not. For those that have seen the anime, they will either be fans or not. So a person's expectation of the live action film could be vastly different. This is important to acknowledge as any review you read or hear will generally be based on that person's expectations.
 

For me though, as you might probably notice, I am a big fan of the anime and have been eagerly but cautiously anticipating the release of this live action film. Well I have now seen the movie and can highly recommend it to those that love their sci-fi action whether you’re a fan of the anime or not.
 

I won’t give away any spoilers or plots but the film is visually stunning and amazing to see on the big screen. I have a decent home theatre setup, 4k, blah, blah, and so I don’t normally bother with going to a cinema to see a film unless it’s something I can’t wait for it to be released for home viewing. But this film should be seen on a big screen just for the visual effects alone.

As a fan you will know the story line, characters and sub plots and might expect to see a remake of the original. Well, yes & no, and that’s all I’m going to say on this. Although there are some nice homages and subtle nuances done throughout the film.
 
But you don’t need to be a fan to enjoy the storyline, stunning graphics and beautiful scenes. While the storyline has been done before it is still a fascinating concept. Remember that the original manga was made in 1989 and the first anime movie was in 1995, so the concepts introduced back then were somewhat new and have even influenced many film makers today.

I really enjoyed the movie and there was so much happening on screen that I will be happy to pay to see this at the cinema a few times to take it all in. I only wish that I could pause and re-watch certain bits to pick up on the finer details and nuances. While I have only seen the 2D version and will again, I also plan to see the film in 3D to see how that works with this film.
 

[Fogdude]

So, you say 'big screen'... is a 60" 1080p 120Hz sufficient, in your opinion?

[2getted]

So, you say 'big screen'... is a 60" 1080p 120Hz sufficient, in your opinion?

As long as you can wait for the home release.
But for the best colour depth I hope it's a plasma screen you're talking about  

For this film I think only an 8K version on a 75" QLED screen would do it justice. The visual effects are really amazing.

But in all seriousness, while I saw it at a "normal" cinema, I was that impressed by the film, I am going to travel further and pay the extra $ to see this again at an IMAX cinema. Just to indulge the senses and immerse myself into the movie.