Ghost in the Shell (Teaser)

Hand of Evil · Sep 22, 2016

[video=youtube;vWDBpTB6T0Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=vWDBpTB6T0Q[/video]

Just see this as being done wrong but it is a teaser.

Imaculata · Sep 22, 2016

I realize this is only a teaser, but you'd think they would actually include some stuff that would give people who were in doubt a hint that they were going in the right direction with this.

But I don't see any of that. I wish they would have included something that would have at least shown that they nailed the cyberpunk look and mood of the original story. Also, this does not convince me that Scarlet Johansson is a good Major.

Pretty ineffective as a teaser.

There are 4 more teasers, here's a playlist with all of them in a row:

[video=youtube;HapT0SKcyfY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HapT0SKcyfY&index=1&list=PLVjwdZylAT2m2nfBKVXeCupsbV3PGmRVU[/video]

So far the only teaser I like, is of The Major waking up in front of the window, which is reminiscent of the opening of the animated movie.

Stylistically though, I think the animated version looks way better. The high contrast reduces the Major to a silhouette (which may be packed with symbolism), while the slow building soundtrack enhances the feeling of emptiness and loneliness. The scene even holds on the window for a very long time, while waiting for the Major to get dressed off screen, and then leaving for work. It is a work of art.

Original scene from the animated movie

I appreciate that they are paying tribute to the animated movie (or maybe they are simply copying frames from the manga). But I have my doubts if they'll be able to even get close to the Cyberpunk mood of the animated movie.

Hand of Evil · Sep 22, 2016

Talk about body language, Scarlett looks like a person waking up scared and weak in her image. In the animated, she looks worn and tired facing another day.

Istbor · Sep 22, 2016

I don't know how much I need this. All the Ghost in the shell stuff out there has kind of wore me down on this to where my excitement level is...meh.

Glad to see Scarlet creeping out from under the Marvel shadow though.

Imaculata · Sep 22, 2016

Hand of Evil said:
Talk about body language, Scarlett looks like a person waking up scared and weak in her image. In the animated, she looks worn and tired facing another day.

Indeed. A lot of people have commented that a cyborg should probably not be trembling so much. In the animated movie the Major has these dead eyes, and she has the emotional range of a machine. Johansson looks too human, and she looks afraid to hold a gun.

Kramodlog · Sep 23, 2016

The esthetics of #1 and 5 are awesome and promising. GitS was alwasy more about esthetics than plot and characters dept, so if writers did something decent this could be the start of a whole new franchise!

Ew. Franchise. Never mind.

Maybe the start of a wave of white washed live action adaptations of mangas and animes?

Imaculata · Sep 23, 2016

Truth be told, I'm less concerned with the white washing thing with this movie. They needed to cast a well known star in the roll, and they went with Johansson. Not a strange choice, considering her popularity. And the race of the Major is not really all that important to the character.

But I do wonder if Johansson is right for the part, and I have serious doubts if they can nail the world of Ghost in the Shell. Apart from Bladerunner, I know very few movies that managed to do Cyberpunk right.

Also, how did a Director like Rupert Sanders, with such a short resume, land this huge movie deal? All I know him from, is Snowwhite and the Huntsman... Alright, now make the next Bladerunner.. Yeah, I don't see that happening.

Jhaelen · Sep 23, 2016

Imaculata said:
Johansson looks too human, and she looks afraid to hold a gun.

Have you seen her in Under the Skin?
She can definitely play the part of a completely emotionless alien being...

MarkB · Sep 23, 2016

Imaculata said:
I realize this is only a teaser, but you'd think they would actually include some stuff that would give people who were in doubt a hint that they were going in the right direction with this.

But I don't see any of that. I wish they would have included something that would have at least shown that they nailed the cyberpunk look and mood of the original story. Also, this does not convince me that Scarlet Johansson is a good Major.

Pretty ineffective as a teaser.

There are 4 more teasers, here's a playlist with all of them in a row:

[video=youtube;HapT0SKcyfY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HapT0SKcyfY&index=1&list=PLVjwdZylAT2m2nfBKVXeCupsbV3PGmRVU[/video]

So far the only teaser I like, is of The Major waking up in front of the window, which is reminiscent of the opening of the animated movie.

View attachment 76808

Stylistically though, I think the animated version looks way better. The high contrast reduces the Major to a silhouette (which may be packed with symbolism), while the slow building soundtrack enhances the feeling of emptiness and loneliness. The scene even holds on the window for a very long time, while waiting for the Major to get dressed off screen, and then leaving for work. It is a work of art.

Original scene from the animated movie

I appreciate that they are paying tribute to the animated movie (or maybe they are simply copying frames from the manga). But I have my doubts if they'll be able to even get close to the Cyberpunk mood of the animated movie.

I think the cityscape works better in the live-action one. The view in the anime version looks quite ordinary by modern standards, whereas the one in the live-action conveys a sense of claustrophobia, the high-rises having grown and clustered to the extent that they crowd out the sky.

Kramodlog · Sep 23, 2016

Imaculata said:
Truth be told, I'm less concerned with the white washing thing with this movie.

Few people care about diversity.

But I do wonder if Johansson is right for the part

Her role as Black Widow and Lucy in Lucy probably convinved the producers she is viable as an action star and draw crowds to an sci-fi action flick by herself. Lucy, a sci-fi action flick staring Johansson, made 463 million dollars world wide on a 40 million budget. I'm pretty sure producers want to recreate that success with GitS. Plus she can act, is pretty and is famous.

Also, how did a Director like Rupert Sanders, with such a short resume, land this huge movie deal? All I know him from, is Snowwhite and the Huntsman... Alright, now make the next Bladerunner.. Yeah, I don't see that happening.

Young directors with little experience handling big projects is the trend now. Some are successful (Guardians of the Galaxy) others less so (Fantastic Four). Snow White and the Hunstman focused a lot on estehtics, so he does seem like a good fit for GitS. The teasers tell us he doesn't disappoint on that front.