By Travis Johnson
Why make a live action version of Ghost in the Shell? This. This is why. Because it looks freakin’ amazing.
ICYMI: watch an extended clip from #GhostintheShell from the beginning of the movie. pic.twitter.com/pk2YVOkqlL
— ParamountUK (@ParamountUK) March 22, 2017
We knew going in that director Rupert Sanders was a gifted visual stylist – say what you want about Snow White and the Huntsman, but it looked great – and he’s bringing everything he’s got to the table here. Based on this snippet, GitS 2017 is taking pains to do things beyond the scope of animation, taking its cues from its predecessors but doing it bigger, denser, richer and weirder. The frame is packed with visual info, but you’re not overwhelmed – it’s a beautifully designed film. The lazy shorthand would be Blade Runner by way of The Matrix, but that’s barely scratching the surface. This is really impressive. There are so many little details to drink in – look at that spider-walking geisha droid, for crying out loud. That’s just fantastic.
Also, it’s got Michael Wincott, who was in the second best cyberpunk movie of all time. Nice metatextuality going on there.
Ghost in the Shell hits on March 30, 2017, and we’re genuinely excited.
