Review of Ghost in the Shell (2017) by Dave C — 13 Aug 2017

The film got a bad rap. I am not familiar with the source material, but in terms of a stand alone film it does a decent job at exploring a complex philosophical premise. Set in the future, it digs into the question of what, in a world where the lines between technology and humanity have become increasingly blurred, makes us human. There is a sense that the answer to this question is found in the equally present theme of aloneness, or lostness. The "ghost in the shell" weaves itself between these two themes as the film goes on, standing as equal commentary for the transfer of ones brain into a robotic composition of parts (or ones "ghost"), along with Johansson's unsettled feeling (the more she finds out about her "ghost") that she no longer knows who she is. The film left me with a lingering sense that it could have explored these themes even more than it did, but the parts are definitely in place and certainly visible enough to make it intriguing and recognizable.

That and the action sequences are definitely top notch, giving Johansson a great vehicle to display her talents. She has to balance the deadpan look of a soulless robot with the more nuanced struggles of a trapped soul lying underneath the surface. And I think she captures this balance well.

It's not the strongest film, but I thought it was definitely worth a viewing. It sets up some possible future films and a larger universe worth exploring. Makes me wonder whether it would have been better as a t.v. series where they could have paced it a little more.