GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Running Length: 1:47
Cast:  Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt, Chin Han, Peter Ferdinando
Director: Rupert Sanders
Screenplay: Jamie Moss and William Wheeler based on the comic 'Ghost In The Shell' by Masamune Shirow

As I've never seen the animated version before (touted by many as a classic anime), I was actually looking forward to GHOST IN THE SHELL because I didn't want to have any baggage or benchmark whatsoever.

Yet, the experience turned out to be meh at best. Much of the effort was put into turning this film into a visual fest. And indeed it delivers in that department with interesting visuals and imagination (although some scenes look like a trailer to a fantasy game). I actually like how they used the stunning architecture of Hong Kong city as the landscape to represent a dystopian Japan (see HERE). The soundtrack is atmospheric too with a hint of cyberpunk. But that's about it.

Everything else seems dull. The actors' performance are lethargic ("Beat" Takeshi looks bored throughout). The action choreography is nice to look at but it doesn't have any sense of danger or energy. And the themes explored here is overly familiar. If only the filmmakers could have just updated it with some plot twist to what we already know.

And speaking about the wafer thin plot, Johansson plays Major, a field commander of an anti-terrorist unit called Section 9. She has a prosthetic body with a "cleanup" human brain. As the film progresses, she starts to recall bits and pieces of her past and thus, starts questioning who she really is.

Personally, I think Johansson should stop playing such AI sort of roles; she did it with Her and Lucy. Her stiff performance here doesn't really payoff when she realizes she's more human than robot. The rest of the supporting cast are just serviceable. Our very own Malaysian Pete Teo does a "serviceable-me" job too! ;)

Eventhough there are many things happening on the screen at any given time, this movie just wasn't engaging enough. I believe this is what Youtuber Nerdwriter talks about Moments vs Scenes, where the filmmakers try hard to make every 'moment' picturesque and cinematic hoping the audience will be awed. Instead, it should have been balanced out with longer 'scenes' allowing the audience to connect and stay longer with its characters.

RATING: 5.5/10