Ghost In The Shell (2017) Ranting Review

[WARNING: I’m going to delve into MAJOR {pun intended} SPOILERS in this post. If you want to see the film clean {and I highly suggest you do} please save this post for another time. Thank you!]

“GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017)” is probably the most important film you will see this year. Reflecting on it now, it’s probably the most important film of the decade! Most people won’t recognize that yet, if ever, over insane internet anti-logic.

Before this adaptation {and in my mind the superior upgrade} of the 1995 anime classic even hit theaters, many people had written it off as Hollywood exploitation. Particular reason being the casting of white actress Scarlett Johansson as the traditionally Japanese Major Motoko Kusanagi. Now I agree that Asians don’t get proper representation in Hollywood anymore, a fact that I don’t understand.

That being said there are three reasons why this casting choice happened:

• The character never looked Asian, but Scarlett looks exactly like the character.

This is the smallest point of fact, but a fact none the less. The next is the most real-world reason that’s created issues throughout modern film as a whole:

• The film is co-produced by 2 Chinese production companies. The Chinese don’t like the Japanese, hence why the film is set in an un-named melded culture country. There is ZERO WAY they would allow a Japanese actress to play a lead role here. Why you ask? It would lose money in China and the Chinese film market is where 95% of Hollywood looks for ticket sales now. That market likes White and Chinese faces. It’s why Marvel does so well there.

That idiotic reason is why they “white washed” the cast. HOWEVER! there is another, far more important reason for the casting. A reason that unless you watched the film you wouldn’t get {MAJOR SPOILER HERE}:

• The Major and the film’s supposed villain are both Japanese characters who were kidnapped by a White company who used a White Scientist to create White weapons. WHITE WASHING IS LITERATELY A PLOT POINT FOR THE VILLAINS!

All the Social Justice Warrior’s railing against this film long before it came out was in vain, the film agrees with you! All the negative reviews are from people who either can’t/refuse/are scared to deal with the philosophical questions presented in the film, or are to interested in virtue signaling to recognize what they watched.

I recognized and understood it despite being some of the WORSE theater conditions I’ve ever had to deal with!

I loved this film and unless “JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)” delivers some secret deeper meaning I’m not expecting Ghost In The Shell will be my Top Film of the year. This film spoke to me in a way that hasn’t happened since “MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)” and like Fury Road, people are going to be talking about this film for YEARS to come!

The themes this film deals with a so important in our ever growing digital world.

• Privacy of thought.
• By making tech such a huge part of your life, what does that do to your humanity?
• What part does your memory/your past play in making you who you are?
• Does your heritage truly matter to who you are?
• What makes the people in your life trustworthy?
• Can you trust people in power?

In the world we occupy now, these are questions everybody has to answer for themselves. It’s great to see a film ask these questions not only thoughtfully, but stylishly and entertaining on top of it!

My hat’s off to director Rupert Sanders for delivering an adaptation I’ve been dreaming of for a long time. You good sir knocked it out of the park for me!

My mind is still in shock at this film’s brilliance so I’ll end things here. One final thought about anime adaptations for the future: Use Ghost In The Shell as an example on how to do it right. This is important to me since these themes repeat in my favorite anime of all time: “THE BIG-O (1999)” and if this film does well I’m sure some studio will get around to my favorite. I want it done properly!

Short-Story-Long:

Ghost In the Shell (2017) is a masterpiece. In order to grow as a human being you MUST SEE this work of true art!

~_M.H._~

Follow Me on Twitter: @MHSmith22

R.I.P. Shirley Temple (1928-2014)

One of the few living legends of the original Hollywood era is no longer living. The world has lost Shirley Temple. At age 85, it seems natural causes have taken their toll on the former child star and diplomat.

Unfortunately I cannot speak at any length, or with any depth on Miss Temple, or her careers. Her era of film is an era I’ve seen the least of and have only heard about in documentaries. My mom has told me about her movies, since she watched them as a child, and even to my mom they were “old Shirley Temple movies”.

From what I’ve read she seems like a great person. One of the first celebrities to actually do something useful with their fame! I mean really, who decides to get out of filmmaking and go into diplomatic relations? Shirley Temple did, and I salute her for it!

So farewell Shirley, you brought joy and hope to many a person, you will be missed!

~_M.H._~

Follow Me on Twitter: @MHSmith22

THE THING…THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE!

{CAUTION: THIS IS A RANT NOT A REVIEW! — POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR 1982 & 2011 BELOW}

        When I first heard that a prequel to the John Carpenter classic “THE THING” was in the works, I had my doubts. I mean it’s an almost 30 year old film, and modern Hollywood hasn’t really impressed my when it comes to tackling horror classics. Yet, as more and more info came out about it I started getting excited! I mean who wouldn’t get hyped hearing that a horror film was coming using PRACTICAL EFFECTS again? Plus knowing it would be about the Norwegian base that Carpenter showed us has some serious horror go down! And hearing the cast and crew talk about how faithful they were trying to stay to Carpenter. The director and producers seemed to “get it”, making me think “finally, Hollywood understands!”

And then I saw the finish film.

Where did this film go so wrong? I mean after all this we had been told about how detail-orientated and how much they wanted to be faithful to the 1982 classic…how does what I saw represent that? Let’s start where I personally think it went wrong:

I believe the studio ALWAYS wanted a remake; from day one. Yet, they had the good grace to know that fans would finally pull a: “Occupy Wall Street” if a full on remake was actually green lit. “But remakes are hip, and make money!” they probably cried in business meetings, then somebody with some form of appreciation for the ‘82 classic said the George Lucas buzzword: “PREQUEL!”

I mean a prequel even makes sense to me, the original set one up very nicely, and that was in an era before Hollywood got desperate! However, even with that premise the Big Hollywood Producers just weren’t satisfied; remakes are the craze these days not prequels {again I sight Lucas}. That’s when I believe they took the turn for the worse. Somebody as twisted and evil as pre-RETURN OF THE JEDI  Darth Vader probably mentioned that 95% of modern audiences in the target age range either had never seen the ’82 version, or had never heard of it. This would allow the producers to SET the film as a prequel, tossing various references for the fans, and yet remake it to whatever they felt the “modern audience” would accept! And like that Hollywood found its way to make the remake they truly wanted!

I wouldn’t have minded a remake. Let’s be honest, we all knew it was inevitable. I just wish Hollywood would have had the courage to TELL ME UP FRONT it was a remake, not lie to me about it being a faithful prequel!

I can’t truly review this film. Not in any depth. All I can say is: Imagine the original, but with a CGI creature that attacks out of boredom, shaky-cam all over the place, no paranoia or tension, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead looking cute. And if you haven’t seen the original: SKIP THE REMAKE AND WATCH THE ORIGINAL!

Truthfully, what’s left to say other than shame, shame Hollywood… I mean the Thing itself does even line up with the ’82 version in its hunting tactics. In the original, the Thing hides and captures its prey in the dark, when they are alone and the ONLY reason we see it is because it’s caught in the act. This Thing just randomly spouts tentacles and goes running after people! WHY?!?!

Oh and let’s not talk about the ending! Yes, we all know it would end with Lars on the helicopter chasing the dog shooting at it. That’s the one part Hollywood actually got RIGHT! But HOW DID LARS SURVIVE HIS ATTACK? HOW IS HE  STILL ALIVE, AND WHERE DID HE GO FOR THE LAST 20 MINUTES OF THE FILM?

Short-Story-Long:
This movie is total crap on a stick; don’t waste your time or money on it. Maybe that will teach Hollywood not to lie to the fans! {It won’t, but I can dream can’t I?}
~_M.H._~