Dreamworks/Paramount's Ghost In The Shell - Part 3

[jfurioso]

The big thing for me is all of Tomino's isms in characterization. His characters often act odd, erratic, or even downright unlikeable. It could definitely be offputting to general audiences if not handled carefully. (To bring it back around, there's an argument to be made that GITS failed because it was hard to advertise a movie with an emotionless protagonist.)

It was hard to enjoy a movie with an emotionless protagonist, too.

 

[moreorless]

Actually, I saw an analyst argue it did contribute to the failure, just not in the way people would expect. No, it didn't cause swarms of people to boycott the movie, but it did have an effect on the geek and film blogosphere, who would usually be counted on to help sing the praises of movies like this. A lot of those film and geek sites were a lot more antsy about providing positive coverage of the movie than they normally would be, which can have an effect on online buzz and word of mouth.

From just my experience, the casting conversation seemed to pop up in every single article about the film I encountered, even ones that weren't specifically about it. And unlike Marvel, Ghost in the Shell doesn't have the built-in name recognition that will automatically put butts in the seats no matter what the reception is.

Yeah that tends to be my view, I don't think the whitewashing issue in itself was THAT big but its more that I coloured so much of the coverage of the film. These days I think that plays a massive role in how films are received, something people are gunning for prior to release generally needs to be exceptionally good to still get praise.

In retrospect I think they probably should have at least hinted at the twist ending saying for example that the film would comment on issues of nationality to some degree. That's probably an easier sell that the more complex argument about the Major's body obviously not being original and indeed of the idea that the major deliberately looks like this standardised western beauty as a way of personalising her.

Honestly I suspect that the whole thing being worked on by so many studios likely ment that nothing promotion wise really seemed very focused, so so trailers as well.

I think the bigger issue though is that Scarjo is not necessarily the big A-list action opener Hollywood assumed. Lucy seems like it was kind of an anomaly in her overall filmography. She's a talented actress who happens to have leading roles in a hugely successful franchise that is marketed more off name recognition than the actual actors in the roles.

Hollywood has a habit of telling audiences who is or isn't a bankable A-list opener without actually waiting to see if that's the case.

To be fair I don't think this was sold quite as much on her as Lucy was but even then I think the issue is that were really no longer in an era of "action stars". Big names do still count of course but I'd say moreso when linked ti certain roles rather than just in anything as with Arnie, Sly or latter Willl Smith, out on there own I think they need more positive buzz.

As far as the film itself personally I actually felt it was something of a pleasant supprise. I'd kind of geared myself to expect a total dumbing down from Oshii's films into standard blockbuster fare, granted that did happen somewhat and you get the sense this it was operating within parameters setup by studio execs but within that I didn actually feel it had a decent amount of ambition. Whilst there was obviously a lot of pilfering of Oshii's original visually Sanders did also introduce some interesting new elements himself.

Casting wise honestly I never got the fuss as Johansen always seemed like the obvious choice to me, beyond looking rather similar to Oshii's major pretty much all her best films(Lost in Translation, Pearl Earing, Under the Skin, Lucy, etc) have been playing more introspective roles. Actually felt she supported much of the film along with the visuals It kind of ended up a reverse Lucy moving from less to more human and picking up as it did so.

I spose the question is really should it have been a $100 million blockbuster or something smaller? the budget did allow it to realise the environment but did mean did ultimately had to operate as a blockbuster, the days of big budget art films are pretty much over. Something say around £30-40 million could have had a bit more freedom, ex Machina obviously comes to mind.

 

[StarLord]

Blu-ray cover for the UK is up on Amazon. Release date is August 7th.

 

[Teelie]

Despite my mediocre opinion of this when I saw it in the theater I want to watch it again and see if my view improves of it.

 

[OfficerK]

I hate super busy blu ray covers, they should have just went with this cover;

 

[Mysteryman]

I hate super busy blu ray covers, they should have just went with this cover;

I like it.
The other one looks like Majors Angels or something.

 

[moreorless]

Seems like a catalog of poor choices with the promotion when it came to choosing art. They did have some excellent stuff like this but barely used it...

Even when they decided to sell it mostly on Johansson on release I didn't see the sexy poster above much but rather her staring blankly forward.

 

[dark_b]

How Not To Adapt A Movie
[YT]v2soHxEN79c[/YT]

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I watched GITS a few days back. It was 0k. Scar-Jo was actually not bad, I liked her in this. The trailers were not doing a good job to show her acting but she did reasonably well in the movie. Batou was cool. The visuals were top-notch.

The movie suffered from being non committal. It wanted to be about the existential struggle of Major/Motoko and simultaneously wanted to be an action blockbuster type movie. While it failed as both IMO. Not committed enough to either. The action was boring, unimpressive and writers/directors barely scratched the surface when it came to the dramatic parts. In the end, it was really generic and cliched.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Some scenes are relaxing, some of the action is cool, and visuals look great even when the buildings at night look like they are ripped from a modern anime.
The music is generic, it's sound you hear in so many movies, but I like listening to it.
The overall story is pretty bleh, still not one I like.

I was between 5 and 4, landed on 4.

 

[Elayis]

Both Kevin Kiner and Lorne Balfe have released some tracks from the film, Reipl on his website on Balfe on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Metrophonics11/videos

Better than nothing at this point.

 

[OutOfBoose]

I gave it a 5, mostly for trying.

 

[rashad]

How Not To Adapt A Movie
[YT]v2soHxEN79c[/YT]

This was a great analysis.

 

[MbJ]

On the subject of anime that could be adapted into a live-action movie without controversy, did we ever hear anything more about Ron Howard's Tiger and Bunny film? I know last year at Comic-Con it was mentioned but I don't think there was ever any update.

That's a property that seems like it'd be difficult to screw up. It's inspired by American superheroes, is set in America, there's only like three Asian people in the main cast (Kotetsu, Dragon Kid and Kotetsu's daughter) and it's a fairly straightforward story without a lot of that pesky symbolism and subtext Hollywood seems to hate.

 

[Loki882]

I mean something like Black Lagoon, which has a multi-ethnic cast (and the only truly prominent main character who's Japanese is the protagonist), kinetic action, crime, backstabbing (literally in some cases), a cast of colorful and fun characters, and where even the writer of the manga himself says that he imagines the character speaking in English, would be perfect for a western adaptation I think. Other good examples:

-Baccano (multi-ethnic cast).

-Attack on Titan (which has a really obvious European-inspired aesthetic to it). Also Mikasa being the only Asian left in the city is an actual plot-point.

-Fullmetal Alchemist (which is heavily inspired by late 19th-Early 20th Century Europe, Germany in particular).

-Monster (which is set in Europe and the only Asian character of note is the main hero).

-Code Geass (multi-ethnic cast).

-Hellsing (mostly European cast, set in Europe).

-Etc.

 

[Teelie]

How Not To Adapt A Movie
[YT]v2soHxEN79c[/YT]

This was a great analysis.

That was spot on perfect. Everything visual about the movie was good though as the criticism pointed out, even that was at times bland and nonsensical.

 

[Elayis]

A soundtrack release may be coming; director Rupert Sanders is going to look into getting something going, even if it's only a digital one. Not sure what music will be included, as Mansell was very put off by the whole experience (basically having all of his score rejected and replaced a few weeks before the premiere). It may only include Balfe's work.

 

[harlequinade]

A soundtrack release may be coming; director Rupert Sanders is going to look into getting something going, even if it's only a digital one. Not sure what music will be included, as Mansell was very put off by the whole experience (basically having all of his score rejected and replaced a few weeks before the premiere). It may only include Balfe's work.

Wait what? So whose music was in the movie? Poor Clint, this and he is not scoring the new Aronofsky film

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Edit

 

[Elayis]

Wait what? So whose music was in the movie? Poor Clint, this and he is not scoring the new Aronofsky film

Lorne Balfe.

 

[Kane52630]

What weird trilogy...

 

[Black Narcissus]

Hnnngh. Hnnnnnngh. Hnnnnnnnnnnngh.

 

[Consona]

How Not To Adapt A Movie
[YT]v2soHxEN79c[/YT]

This seems like directors now don't know even the basics of their craft. Like the shot of Major in her flat with a city behind her example. Even to me, who's not a filmmaker, it is clear that the visuals of that shot are so strong and in a contrast, the colourful city vs the dark silhouette of Major, to send some message visually. The hollywood version has a glowing bed as a point that draws your attention. Huh? Scenes in the film are there to tell us something, not to fill up the footage so the film is over an hour and half long. Especially these quiet and intimate scenes. And you use light and shadow and contrast and camera focus and all those visual things to do that. Why a glowing bed as a focus? Does it tell us something important about Major?
Spielberg or Hitchcock would never make a mistake like that. Even a pulp adventure like Raiders of the Lost Ark has very precise usage of a visual language. Hitchcock is basically a study of telling story through visuals.

And if the movie does tell a different story, with a different points, why to remake these iconic sequences when they don't serve their purpose...

And the same goes to music actually. Who can now tell a coherent story through a deliberately structured long-form score like Williams or Goldsmith did?

No wonder hollywood movies ticket sales are lower and lower. Screenwriters mistake plot and twists for drama, directors cannot shoot and composers cannot compose in a symphonic manner./rant

 

[TheVileOne]

Also, no more opening credit sequences. They get tossed in the trash.

 

[Teelie]

Record low box office for the past 16 years to just after 9/11. Record low attendence going back 25 years.

But let's not blame ourselves for lazy rehashes (sequels, prequels, reboots, spinoffs), poor story writing, not understanding the modern audience and instead finger-point at Rotten Tomatoes, blame "piracy," streaming services and anything else to distract from the lack of quality movies being released.

Obviously if they put out more Wonder Woman or GotG 2 type movies and say less, Alien Covenant or Ghost In The Shells the audience might come back.