@notoriousx
"I know you can fit just so much in one and three-quarter hours, but this is ridiculous."
I don't know, what you mean with this sentence. The original anime did it in 83min with a far more complex story.
The simplification in this movie to the usual Hollywood plot happenings, changing the ideas of the story in important parts, instead concentrating on the 2 key action scenes made it worse by force. No matter the length of a movie.
And you can't say Gits1 (or Gits2) anime are fast paced...
@jamatiknakmuay
That line was meant to be somewhat ironic, but such things don't translate well into text.
Generally...I do agree with you, but I often find that anime and live action movies are very different in how they convey a story. This even applies to live action made in Japan. For some reason, anime seems to translate "bad" to the live screen. Comparing the two can be a bit unfair, as the tools are quite different...
BUT...In this instance, I think they try to explain too much. They try and convey a complex universe to those that haven't seen the anime. Yes...they simplified and changed...and failed miserably.
Review by GreeneidalVIP 9BlockedParent2017-08-02T01:32:35Z— updated 2022-05-27T22:45:40Z
Update
I wanted to give Ghost in the Shell another chance. This time with other people in the room to chime in, and… The result is about the same as the first time I saw it (check the old review if you are interested). Still pretty as hell, but lacking in almost everything else. Stick with the anime for your Ghost in the Shell fix. Which reminds me, that one is long overdue for a rewatch...
Old review - same rating
When it comes to cinematography Ghost in the Shell is by far the best in some time, but story and acting wise it leaves a lot to desire.
The story is shallow and has plot holes the size of Grand Canyon. I know you can fit just so much in one and three-quarter hours, but this is ridiculous. I have no idea how someone that isn't aware of the universe from before has a snowball's chance in hell to make sense of this. And to add insult to injury, there's so little character development that you barely care for the Major let alone the supporting cast.
When it comes to the acting, Scarlett Johansson does a passable Major, but for some reason, she lacks the elegance of the Major from the anime. She reminds me more of an alien than a robot with a human brain. The supporting cast is mostly ok. The ones we get to see enough of to make an opinion on that is...
I can't really recommend this one to anyone, but you might wanna watch it if you are a hardcore fan of the anime universe just for the sheer beauty of it...
Definitely beautiful, but severely flawed...