As an adaptation of one of the most beloved animes of all time, The Ghost in the Shell movie has a lot to live up to. In the first complete trailer of the film, we finally get to see some of the complete project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxeR9Nu0nQs
In terms of plot, a large portion of it seems to be dedicated to the Major as she attempts to find out who she was and what happened to her. There also seems to be at least some semblance of a robot-centric mystery happening, though hopefully one that is less convoluted than those featured in the franchise. We also see some images reminiscent of the original movie and show, like the Major falling from tall buildings, terrifying robots, and Batou (Pilou Asbæk) and The Major on a boat.
IGN also leaked the first two minutes of there film from the premiere, the opening sequence in which the Major is first shelled and awakened in her new body:
There’s definitely an intense tension in this scene as we see the shell slowly being put together amidst bright colors and loud music. It definitely puts one in the mindset of a high tech sci-fi universe that while foreign still retains familiar aspects.
The film continues to be criticized for not casting an Asian actress to play the role of Major Makoto Kusanagi. While I am ready to admit that the part would have been a great opportunity for an Asian or Asian-America actress to break out of the stereotypical roles, Scarlett Johansson is a solid fit. Great physicality, a strong action star, and very personable, Johansson adds a sort of melancholy and longing to the role. Whether or not the film will successfully capture the magic of the original or be a soulless (or rather, ghostless) shell, the visuals seem to be on par with what one would expect.
Ghost in the Shell will debut in theaters March 31, 2017.
Check out editor-in-chief Keith Mitchell’s reaction to the trailer down below:
