Let me state my opinion first, I don't think this movie is a bad movie, it's far from bad.
But I don't shy away from saying that it has a lot of shortcomings: these shortcomings make it a somewhat schizophrenic "sci-fi blockbuster", which affects its quality and box office, making it a bright spot but not out of the mediocrity. bit works.
I don't agree with the "original party" stepping on it to be worthless, and I don't want to make a long defense for it like a brother who has overkilled and gave the movie five stars after watching the original work. I like movies, I like sci-fi, and I like animation, and I want to think about "what is" and "why" about this movie more than arguing and defending.
There is nothing wrong with rational movie fans who understand the Hollywood system and are psychologically prepared for the way they make films. They have the right to be surprised and to feel that they shouldn't be kidnapped by angry "original fans". Fans of the original work also have the right to be angry, because the live-action version of "Ghost in the Shell" is completely different from the spiritual core of the original work (regardless of which original work). The goods are not right, can't we complain?
However, after the rants are over, I can only leave the thin anger that I vented, nothing can change, and I can't deepen my understanding of movies and science fiction, so I'll just throw some ideas for a while. After all, I still have feelings for some of the works in the Ghost in the Shell series.
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I didn't watch Ghost in the Shell live-action in the cinema.
First of all, after the movie was released, there were many distressed comments from fans of the original work. Through these, I knew that the film's destination was "Motoko looking for her mother" (wtf), so I lost all interest.
Also, I don't particularly like cyberpunk cities with neon-colored holographic projections everywhere, and I don't remember where these things were in the Ghost in the Shell animation. So just don't watch it.
This has buried a hidden danger, that is, every time I am a self-proclaimed Ghost in the Shell fan and my partner argues whether the "Ghost in the Shell live-action version" is a hot chicken or not, I will be at a disadvantage.
My partner went to the cinema to see this movie, and he felt that people who haven't watched this movie should not discuss this movie with him, because there is no consensus at all. So every time I taunt it on purpose (yes, I didn't watch Ghost in the Shell live-action and I know it's definitely not to my liking) I get stuck with this sentence. Even though I watched the 95th edition with him (once at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, twice at home!) and "Innocent", it proved that Mamoru Oshii is both powerful and awesome, a Hollywood sci-fi of the protagonist ooc. The "blockbuster" is nothing compared to the original (including the original comic book I didn't read! Humph!). But still can't win the argument.
Hmph, in order to win, I'll pinch my nose and watch this rotten movie!
Just happened to find a good resource yesterday, so I checked out the live-action version of Ghost in the Shell.
Then the mood became very complicated.
It's not a bad movie that makes people insist, on the contrary, there are things I like very much, even if I was biased at the beginning. However, the outdated and simple structure of its main storyline is obviously contrary to the complex spiritual temperament it tries to present visually. These two tearing forces struggle from beginning to end, making people sigh and be at a loss from time to time.
I think the problem with the live-action Ghost in the Shell is the same problem with the Assassin's Creed movie, although the Assassin's Creed movie is a bit more broken - that is, the Ghost in the Shell live-action doesn't really have a real story core to show. , relying solely on the conceptual design of visual effects, actors' performances and emotional tributes, the massive and exquisite details cannot form an endogenous organic whole centered on the core of the story.
It's not art, and the producers don't intend for the directors to make art. After all, the script is limited, and it is to be a commercial film that is aimed at mainstream audiences and conforms to their presuppositions and moral premise. What is the moral premise of mainstream Hollywood commercials? There can be many, such as freedom and democracy, independence of the soul, family values, and self-discovery. But the sci-fi part has never really had a place. Not to mention Japanese sci-fi, which is standing aside. Therefore, in the movie, the director's painstakingly preserved tribute to the original work, and the cyber city that is already the most oriental in Hollywood sci-fi movies, makes people feel sad.
It's not a good genre movie either. The relationship between Section 9 of Public Security and the big evil corporation, the relationship between Section 9 of the government and Section 9 of Public Security, the ultimate goal of the villain, and why Motoko and Kuze were chosen as test subjects, many important contents lack strict logic. People are always confused. Not to mention the film's slightly sluggish pacing and mostly underwhelming action scenes.
Before, I have seen two theatrical animations of Mamoru Oshii (the 95 version and the later "Innocence"), the entire first season of the first season of the TV version of "Ghost in the Shell" supervised by Kenji Kamiyama and the first half of the second season. part. I've only read a little of the manga. After reading these works, the image of Major Motoko is very clear in my mind, and the image of Public Security Section 9 is also very clear. I like the sci-fi imagination of the TV version based on the in-depth analysis of the ills of modern Japanese society. I also like the human members of the Nine Section of Public Security and the cute Tachikoma. However, because of the reasons mentioned above, these things that have moved me either did not appear, or they appeared in a new way. Either become an extremely shriveled and dehydrated version of yourself, or a complete American cognitivization. Especially the protagonist Major Motoko, the controversy can be said to be the biggest. I know that Motoko in Shirou's authentic manga, Motoko in Kenji Kamiyama's tv animation, and Motoko in Oshii Mori's two animated films, all have different characters. In the comics, Motoko is a bold and sexy royal sister-type character, with a very open style of life and a strong sense of humor. Motoko in Kenji Kamiyama's TV version is more calm and intellectual, a good colleague and companion, and also has a unique confusion and gentleness. The Motoko in the Oshii Mori animated film is more "dehumanized" and "deified". It looks younger and more neutral than the Motoko in the TV version, and finally took a step forward and integrated into the Internet. In the sea of data, it has become an omnipresent "god".
This "step forward" has also become a lot of people, including my understanding of the prime.
It's a pity that in the live-action movie, Scarlett Johansson's "Moko" said "no" to Kuze. This sentence sadly reveals that the values of live-action movies are still "humanity first" and family values, and have no intention of involving true science fiction narratives, whether related to philosophical speculation or social criticism. This point has also become the most black point for many fans of the Oshii defense version of Ghost in the Shell animated movie. Through this, everyone seems to have made it clear that Hollywood has desecrated the IP of Ghost in the Shell and the character of Motoko, but I think the gap between Japanese-style sci-fi and American mainstream non-sci-fi values is already very far, and it is not the same thing at all. So don't force it to agree.
Well, the points worth discussing about the movie are basically finished, so let’s summarize.
The advantages of the live-action version of Ghost in the Shell are:
1 The excellent scene concept design presents a convincing cyber city with an oriental style.
2 The performances of the main actors are good, and the styles are relatively uniform. They are more subtle and introverted, and they are integrated into the overall atmosphere of the movie scene.
3 Because of 1 and 2, many of the idle stories have the sad sensibility of the Oshii defense version of the shell animation, even in the "find your mother", which makes people laugh if they don't handle it well, it makes people feel good.
4 The part where the director tries to pay tribute to the original work is quite exciting. The fight on the water when chasing the garbage truck driver is very handsome, and the fragility and sadness of the garbage truck driver after realizing the false memory is heart-wrenching.
5 Although the protagonist's character is extremely American-style, the character framework still retains part of it. Although some viewers felt that Scarlett Johansson's prime was too feminine, too immature and vulnerable, it was better than nothing left. (?)
The slots of the live-action version of "Ghost in the Shell" are:
1 Various stereotypes of oriental elements, this unconscious indifference makes me feel uncomfortable and tingling at times as an East Asian ("Jingri"?) viewer.
For example, the gangster Aramaki speaks Japanese alone, and the frivolous handling of geisha robots, the real geisha walking stiffly on the street, and the miniature landscape presentation of the final decisive battle ruins, etc.
2 The main storyline is neither sci-fi nor genre. In the case of basically abandoning so many excellent settings of various original works of this series, there is no way to start a new story to tell a convincing good story.
3 Too many details from Blade Runner and The Matrix. And it doesn't make sense.
In this era, except for Nolan, the master of the balance beam in business and art, it is very risky for others to make a true sci-fi film with a certain depth instead of other commercial genre films with sci-fi elements. The solution is to either find a way to reduce the cost (such as "annihilation"), or to spend money on word-of-mouth to give the director freedom, and recognize it at a loss (such as "Blade Runner 2049").
Since the road is so difficult, many studios have opted for the easier and easier road. Just like "Battle Angel Alita", which is also adapted from the Japanese manga "Gun Dream", the elements of wasteland couter and complex character relationships have been magically changed, making this film into a teenage dystopian popcorn blockbuster version of steel violence show. After all, in the film industry, the greater the cost, the greater the pressure to return the cost. Science fiction films cost a lot of money for special effects and conceptual design. KPIs force people to look up and cannot express their unique artistic orientation, nor can the director be entirely blamed. It can only be said that it is the common sorrow of the times and us.
Just like this movie, it basically failed in business and word of mouth. But I still appreciate the director's struggle of knowing that he will lose. Although his posture may not be good-looking, I think that at least as a fan of the Ghost in the Shell series, he is really serious and tried his best. I hope he won't be sad and make better movies in the future.
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Additional Thoughts:
I have seen a lot of Japanese sci-fi animation movies and ova, "Metropolis", "Steamboy", "Wolf", "Angel's Egg", "Red Pepper", "Memories Trilogy", "Wang Li Cosmos Army", "Aguila", "Ghost in the Shell" two, which show the cyberpunk city such as "Aguila", "Wang Li Cosmos Army" and "Ghost in the Shell" two Among them, the cyberpunk cities are basically Tokyo, Japan + Hong Kong + Southeast Asian style, and the cultural symbols are relatively rich and detailed. Especially the famous parade scene in "Ghost in the Shell: Innocence", which is based on the wandering spirits in southern Fujian, China, statues, pavilions, colorful boats, playing teeth, and the three princes of electronic music, it is really sincere. Science fiction is hypothetical art, and the creators must have deposited a lot of experience and cognition of the society in which they live. Different countries have different cultural backgrounds and systems, and face different problems, and the required spiritual reflections are even more different. So literary creation really can't count on others.
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