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Ghost In The Shell Trailer Is My Childhood Come to Life

Taylor Holmes
cinema

Ghost In The Shell Trailer Is My Childhood Come to Life

oh. Oh. oh. I just buffer over ran. 500 errors abound. Must reboot. Must. Do. Something. Holy Moses and the 12 apostles on roller blades. Just watch this.

Back story. Or maybe you just won’t understand.

ghost-in-the-shell-arise-5586165First piece, is more an observation than anything else. Is it me, or is popular culture appropriating more and more of Geek culture whole sale? Oh, I know why… because we geeks knew what was really amazing long before everyone else did. It was hard work finding and procuring the best comic books in the world back in the 90’s. But oh was it worth it.

Second piece, I was a junior in high school when the first Ghost in the Shell comic book came out. I saw it immediately because by then I was an enormous Akira and Appleseed fan. Are you not exactly sure why Manga and Japanese comic books were the rage back in the 90’s? Simple hint… this image here is just one of a million amazing pages from Ghost in the Shell. Do you see this detail? The intensity? The chaos? Such amazing detail and brilliance here. THIS IS WHY manga comic books of the day were such enormous hits. That and the mind blowing story lines.

Third piece, oh nothing, just this trailer. Did you even watch it? It’s Bladerunner on steroids. Manga fanboys are already decrying it as a sacrilege. But you know what? I don’t buy a word of it. I enjoyed the original comics back in the day, and I’m glad the rest of the world now gets a chance to see just how fantastic this story was. There was so much here to investigate… so much rich goodness. And most of it is hinted at here in this trailer.

How was the Major created. Where did she come from. Who’s side is she on? What is her larger purpose? What are we not understanding in this Mad Maxian dystopian future hell of a landscape? Because you know what? There is a ton going on in this plot. I promise you this. If they just take 10% of the complexity of the original Ghost in the Shell comic to create their outline, you will be struggling to keep up with it in the 100 minutes of celluloid they hand you in 2017. Promise.

Here, just so you know what is coming your way, why don’t I just walk you through the high level plot of the story of the comic book. Honestly, can’t tell you where the movie will go, but I promise it will have this basic level foundation if nothing else.

The books were set in the middle of the 21st century. The city was known as New Port City (or Niihama Prefecture). And the story follows the members of a special operations task force called Public Security Section 9. Political intrigue and countering corrupt political entities are pretty standard fare for Section 9. But boy do those stories unravel quickly on them always threatening the city and the country at large. But more importantly, in the world of New Port City, computer technology has advanced so far as to give many in the city cyberbrains. These are units that allow them to interface their biological brain with larger neural and internet like networks. These technologies help replace broken or destroyed human capabilities in the cases of trauma. Technology has also allowed for full body prostheses allowing individuals to fully become cyborgs… fullon cyborgs. Major, or Motoko Kusanagi (never forget that name) has been given a full prostheses and cyberbrain after a terrible accident happened to her at a young age. Only problem? These prostheses and cyberbrains are open to cyber attack, which bends the individual to another’s whim and will. Ghost in the Shell (based on what I can see from the trailer) will be about the large scale hunt for the Puppeteer… a cyber criminal that has been ghost-hacking humans in order to commit a number of crimes throughout New Port City. As Section 9 gets closer and closer they begin to realize that the Puppeteer is actually a highly advanced AI program created by the Japanese Government. You see?

And the fourth and final piece? Holy cow what about that Depeche Mode cover of Enjoy the Silence by KI Theory!? Such amazing-ness. I literally started crying when the first few distinguishable twangs of Enjoy the Silence hits the trailer. Literally, tears, running down my face. Such a fantastic play. Because the Ghost in the Shell and Depeche Mode? Here… I’ve even found this remix cover by KI Theory for your aural enjoyment. Man, is this movie going to rock the Casaba.

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Taylor Holmes

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2 Responses

  1. Thanks for your positive view on this. I’ve been a huge Ghost in the Shell fan ever since I saw the first anime of it. I’ve also enjoyed the anime series’ that have come along. And most recently I’ve been enjoying the short Arise series and am anxious to watch “The New Movie” which wraps those up.

    Other than being perfectly awesome in every way, the common thread has always been super-intelligent writing and direction. It’s almost like GITS is revered in Japan and no one wants to be the one who makes a bad version. But when I found out about the white washing, well, I was sad because I thought it could ruin it… but then, Scarlett Johannson, so maybe everything will be okay. But then, the director of Snow White and the Huntsman… ummm… well, maaaybe just maybe it will be okay. I’m scared, which is unlike me, but this is a huge deal.

    This trailer makes it look like they’re going to stick with the story from the first anime, more or less, which would be safe. I just hope that when it all comes together that all the elements that were just so perfect for the first anime will be there: high sci-fi brain bending concepts, deep philosophical pondering, daring imagery and cinematography, perfect pacing (mix of dialog and action), and epic music. Because without all that, it’s just not Ghost in the Shell.

    p.s. I really really want the original manga, but it’s so expensive! Someday…

  2. I’m with you. I totally hear ya.

    White washing. Hrm. I get that. And I’ve followed the conversations around it. But when Hollywood makes a movie – it is instantly and almost always a Caucasian lead. Or even better put, an AMERICAN doing the lead. Is this ok? To appropriate a Japanese idea and forklift it into USA? I don’t know. We’ve been doing it for so long.

    Personally adore International films and love subtitles, and enjoy the experience of them. But Americans, on the whole, do not. Definitely. I’ve heard people say, “Really? If I wanted to read I’d get a book… and believe me, I don’t want to read.” Which baffles the mind really. But then again, we just elected Trump, so I take that all back. So yeah, it’s appropriated. But Scarlett. Right. She really can pwn.

    And yeah, it does look like it is running with the original idea from Ghost, which makes sense. (Funny to hear you refer to the anime as the original, when my original are the books. But I get it.) It’s such a fantastically good storyline. So I’m fine with that. So much to plumb there. Anyway, I do have my fingers crossed. Begging for a fantastic screenplay – it all hinges on the screenplay – and I don’t know Jammie Moss at all. So, who knows. That worries me more than the Rupert play… but I really dug Snow White. So who knows. I’ll definitely be there opening night regardless.

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