Ghost in the Shell: Movie Review

With Ghost in the Shell's theatrical release just days away, Paramount Pictures has released an action-packed clip featuring The Major (Scarlett Johansson) using her high-tech camouflage to hide from her enemy. We have already seen tiny bits and pieces of this epic water fight in the previously-released trailers and other pieces of footage, but this video gives us our best look yet at this whole scene as it unfolds. If that weren't enough, we also have two more previews that go behind-the-scenes, plus a new viral video featuring the character Kuze (Michael Pitt)

Paramount Pictures debuted these clips on their YouTube channel earlier today, the first of which shows that The Major's "shell" can render her completely invisible, blending seamlessly into any environment. While we don't know much about the character whom The Major is fighting, he is clearly out-matched, as The Ghost sends this man flying back farther and farther with each powerful punch and kick. This clip ends with a knockout punch, so to speak, which we've seen before. The Major stands over her unconscious opponent, triumphant.

The studio has also released two behind-the-scenes previews, one of which offers some insight into director Rupert Sanders' process of putting this adaptation together. Scarlett Johansson reveals that the director is a "visionary," creating an homage to the world presented in the manga books and the anime films, while putting his "fingerprints" all over it. Rupert Sanders also says he believes the world he has crafted is just another part of the legacy created by Massume Shirrow, the man responsible for the original manga comics.

The second preview takes fans behind-the-scenes of the iconic "shelling sequence," which is incredibly intricate. We hear from director Rupert Sanders, who explains that they actually constructed a real skeleton for this scene. We also hear from Rob Gillies, who served as the workshop and shelling sequence supervisor, who showcases the skeleton they made, which is the exact height of Scarlett Johansson. There are over 1,400 individual pieces that make up this intricate skeleton, which was used on-screen. Finally, the studio also debuted a unique viral video that shows how Kuze will be targeting several members of the Hamada Corporation for their crimes against humanity.

 

 

The Ghost In The Shell movie is based on the very popular manga of the same name. The story follows Kusanagi (Scarlett Johansson), a cyborg that is a part of an elite cybercrime-fighting task force known as Section 9. The series was originally published in 1989 and was written by Masamune Shirow. It is generally considered to be one of the best manga series ever published. That being the case, other adaptations of Ghost in the Shell have come before, with an animated series, spin-off books and even a video game. This new live-action take looks to become the definitive version for modern audiences.

Ghost in the Shell is being directed by Snow White and the Huntsman helmer Rupert Sanders with a script written by Jonathan Herman and Jamie Moss. In addition to Scarlett Johansson, the cast includes Beat Takeshi Kitano as Daisuke Aramaki, Juliette Binoche as Dr. Ouelet, Michael Pitt as Kuze, Pilou Asbaek as Batou, and Kaori Momoi. The members of Section 9 are played by Chin Han, Danusia Samal, Lasarus Ratuere, Yutaka Izumihara and Tuwanda Manyimo. Ghost in the Shell will arrive in theaters March 31 2017, where it will square off against The Boss Baby, Step Sisters and The Zookeeper's Wife.