Ghost in the Shell

I've never seen or read any Ghost In The Shell.
A friend tried to turn me on to the first animated movie long ago, but I found the animation lacking and therefore distracting.
I was bored/irritated after about 30 minutes and stopped watching.
So I know next to nothing about GitS.
This movie looks good. I will definitely rent this when it comes to my local Redbox.

Looks like Johnny mnemonic meets the Matrix. But I'd watch Scarlet just sitting in a chair for two hours, ;-)

I'm very excited to see the film in it's entirety

I saw a spoiler image from the book. Plus after seeing all the shots and scenes ripped directly from the original anime movie makes me believe this movie will truly suck.

This is Ghost in the Shell, if you could even call it that from the change in the story, for people who don't want to watch the now classic anime movie.

bwayne64 said:

Looks like Johnny mnemonic meets the Matrix. But I'd watch Scarlet just sitting in a chair for two hours, ;-)

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Have you heard her reading verses from the book of Deuteronomy in a sultry voice for a comedy radio? ;-)

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Wakeem said:

I saw a spoiler image from the book. Plus after seeing all the shots and scenes ripped directly from the original anime movie makes me believe this movie will truly suck.

This is Ghost in the Shell, if you could even call it that from the change in the story, for people who don't want to watch the now classic anime movie.

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Ohh..... I see. You've read the script, and therefore know the entire story.

That must be nice.

I'm not clear on what you mean to imply, by saying that you've seen "all the shots and scenes ripped directly from the original anime", and then turning around and saying that there is a "change in the story" which makes it so you can't even call it Ghost in the Shell.

So, do you mean to say that it's too much like the original--and therefore will suck--or that it's not enough like the original--and therefore will suck?

I'm sorry... I'm just so confused.

Reelo said:

Have you heard her reading verses from the book of Deuteronomy in a sultry voice for a comedy radio? ;-)

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

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No, I missed that one. I think Song of Solomon might have been a better choice though, ;-)

Joe

kristen jones said:

Ohh..... I see. You've read the script, and therefore know the entire story.

That must be nice.

I'm not clear on what you mean to imply, by saying that you've seen "all the shots and scenes ripped directly from the original anime", and then turning around and saying that there is a "change in the story" which makes it so you can't even call it Ghost in the Shell.

So, do you mean to say that it's too much like the original--and therefore will suck--or that it's not enough like the original--and therefore will suck?

I'm sorry... I'm just so confused.

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I think some people are getting caught up on this live action movie being a remake of the 1995 movie, which is not the case. It's another adaptation of the manga that draws heavy inspiration from prior adaptations. There have been so many different adaptations and none of them are consistent with each other.

From what I know about this movie, think of it as "Major Begins" and an introduction to the universe.

kristen jones said:

Ohh..... I see. You've read the script, and therefore know the entire story.

That must be nice.

I'm not clear on what you mean to imply, by saying that you've seen "all the shots and scenes ripped directly from the original anime", and then turning around and saying that there is a "change in the story" which makes it so you can't even call it Ghost in the Shell.

So, do you mean to say that it's too much like the original--and therefore will suck--or that it's not enough like the original--and therefore will suck?

I'm sorry... I'm just so confused.

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I haven't read the script. But I know the Ghost in the Shell series well and I'm able to piece together what this movie will be from what I've seen and heard.

Plus, I've seen enough movies sold as "remake, reboot, reimagining, new interpretation, new vision, etc" that then decide to use homage or even directly lifted shots to know this movie won't be that special. Add in the usual form of marketing and even direct marketing by Scarlett Johansson herself at times, which was both kind of surprising and sad at the same time. All give me the same bad feeling I had before with similar movies like Star Trek into Darkness, Tron Legacy, The Thing, that recent Terminator movie and many others that I've thankfully forgotten. None of them are ever even close to the level of the originals.

foxbatkllr said:

I think some people are getting caught up on this live action movie being a remake of the 1995 movie, which is not the case. It's another adaptation of the manga that draws heavy inspiration from prior adaptations. There have been so many different adaptations and none of them are consistent with each other.

From what I know about this movie, think of it as "Major Begins" and an introduction to the universe.

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There aren't that many separate adaptations of Ghost in the Shell. Only three that I can recall. I never got into the videogames or novels.

1. The Original Manga Stories. I believe there are three.

2. The Movies (1995 & Innocence) and the Stand Alone Complex TV Series. The Stand Alone Complex series actually ties into the 1995 movie at the end of 2nd Gig and then Solid State Society. It's not the best tie in probably because they didn't think they were going to make Solid State Society but it works.

3. The Arise series. I'm not crazy about this one as it came off as a kind of pointless reboot. But they also have a homage scene to the 1995 movie at the end of the Arise movie.

I would recommend anyone who hasn't seen the series watch the original 1995 movie and Innocence first. Then the Stand Alone Complex series. I'm sure many know that Ghost in the Shell is seen as one of the best Japanese animated movies. And also in the same league as Blade Runner. It's that good. Innocence is very good too. I like Stand Alone Complex but of course the style is different compared to the movies. But the story is very good.

Agreed. Apart from the horror story that is the "Rise" reboot, the two films and the TV series have a strong continuity. For one thing all the lead characters are exactly the same in appearance ,backstory and tone, and virtually all the storylines tie into existing themes and timelines with the odd discrepancy here and there. Its only with the later SSS do things start to feel slightly divergent with the origins of the Puppetmaster. I don't really want to talk about "Rise" in connection to whats gone before.
The biggest issue I have with the new film is that it has (as has been said and to judge from the trailers) lifted so many of the iconic moments from the original 1995 film shot for shot. So watching it will make it feel like an odd combination of a straight live action remake with a brand new rebooted storyline, which kind of fractures it for me.
It will now feel like it will have the wrong narrative structure to the sequence of events with what already pre-exists it. If it is to be a brand new story then fine, make all of it shiny new, but don't copy all the same "best highlights " from the old existing scripts and crudely stitch them into this. That won't work well for me because I'll keep recognising all the old elements and it will pull me out of the new storyline.
I really kind of strongly experienced this watching "Rogue One". So much was missing from the trailers (which I had viewed so many times) that when I watching the actual film I almost felt like I had slipped into a parrallel universe .Definitely "Star Wars BUT NOT the "Star Wars " I was expecting. After a second viewing it wasn't so strange but as more and more reboots happen this is definitely becoming a problem for me.
For anyone fresh to the franchise it won't be so. But with so many of us knowing the exact source materials the way to avoid this is for the film makers NOT to copy them exactly. Weird camoes cause the exact same problem for precisely the same reason.

PS I'm also slightly concerned that no reviews have been posted for this as yet with just two days to go.

No way are SAC and the 1995 movie considered the same adaptation. The characters are a bit different but even if you consider the events being part of the same universe, they are so tonally different they must be considered separate.

I think this comes down to a vocal few who have already decided to hate it....and that's fine. Each of us has the choice to either give it a chance, or burn it before it even gets released. I'd never tell anyone they aren't allowed their free choice.

foxbatkllr said:

No way are SAC and the 1995 movie considered the same adaptation. The characters are a bit different but even if you consider the events being part of the same universe, they are so tonally different they must be considered separate.

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I always found it funny how SAC is a more tonally faithful adaption of the Manga than the movies. Before SAC came out, there was a Ghost in the Shell game released for the PlayStation and my friend showed me parts of it saying how it utterly destroys the look and feel of the universe. There are cute spider tanks with kiddie voices? Ha! Oh, the reaction of his face when I told him that was actually more faithful than the movie.

Wonder if the new movie will make any kind of reference to the Tachikomas. Or better yet, the Major's other hobbies. We 'MUST' adhere to the source material!

foxbatkllr said:

No way are SAC and the 1995 movie considered the same adaptation. The characters are a bit different but even if you consider the events being part of the same universe, they are so tonally different they must be considered separate.

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Where do the differences lie? I am curious on your POV. Apart from the origin of the Puppetmaster in SSS just about everything ties in with the events leading up to the 1995 GITS. Any TV series is going to differ slightly from the film, particularly the long drawn out tech/ geo political discussions but I was always impressed by how each of the character stories seemed to tie with the original film. I haven't a clue about the manga because I don't read it, but I felt nearly everything worked well enough as a self contained universe. I know a lot of people disliked "Innocence" for where they took the story, which ,in my opinion more closely resembles the SAC series. So I'd like to know where you think it all fails to connect properly.

CutThumb said:

Where do the differences lie? I am curious on your POV. Apart from the origin of the Puppetmaster in SSS just about everything ties in with the events leading up to the 1995 GITS. Any TV series is going to differ slightly from the film, particularly the long drawn out tech/ geo political discussions but I was always impressed by how each of the character stories seemed to tie with the original film. I haven't a clue about the manga because I don't read it, but I felt nearly everything worked well enough as a self contained universe. I know a lot of people disliked "Innocence" for where they took the story, which ,in my opinion more closely resembles the SAC series. So I'd like to know where you think it all fails to connect properly.

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Here's just one example. In GITS '95, The Major comments on how Togusa was brought onto the team and is valuable because he has almost no cybernetic enhancements. He's valued for that reason. In SAC, she actually suggests he become a cyborg.

The Amazing Atheist did a video of PSA for ghost in the shell
NSFW cause of language
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqZ2N1qfCAA

It's getting pretty decent reviews so far. Hovering around fresh on RT (though it was higher yesterday).

Here's Chris Stuckmann's review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89yKotapLFE

I liked it.

I have seen the 1995 OVA and some of SAC....but that was a number of years ago for SAC (I rewatched the 1995 OVA about a month ago)

There were a number of changes, but I felt it worked well, and some of the additions streamlined the story and made it a bit easier to follow...maybe a bit less esoteric.

I'd be down for another if they choose to make one.

Jeyl said:

I always found it funny how SAC is a more tonally faithful adaption of the Manga than the movies. Before SAC came out, there was a Ghost in the Shell game released for the PlayStation and my friend showed me parts of it saying how it utterly destroys the look and feel of the universe. There are cute spider tanks with kiddie voices? Ha! Oh, the reaction of his face when I told him that was actually more faithful than the movie.

Wonder if the new movie will make any kind of reference to the Tachikomas. Or better yet, the Major's other hobbies. We 'MUST' adhere to the source material!

Click to expand...

I was never fond of the animated movies but liked the style of the game's animation and I have all of SAC and to me that's the best GIS we're going to get. From now on it's just going to be bad remakes constantly like they're doing with Appleseed. I saw MTV promoting this movie last night and that right there told me it's not for me.

Yeah another the big bad company stole my identity and now I gotta find out why and bring them to justice. Good to look at. Garbage story rewriting.