GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017) (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Video: 1.78:1 1080p Widescreen
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 Core), French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1
THE RATINGS
The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰
Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
Special Features - ★ ★ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall - ★ ★ ★ ½ ✰
_____________________________________________________________________________
THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
Got Ghost?
Got Ghost?
Reviewed by Gavin King
Well... this was unexpected. The 2017 live-action adaptation of the classic anime feature film Ghost in the Shell spurred fairly strong anticipation from movie fans nationwide, hoping for a remarkable, faithful tribute to the ever-so-beloved manga. It should have been a film that won box office moolah, made fans more than satisfied, and achieved nothing but pure excitement leading up to release day in late March. Tragically, all of that didn't happen. In fact, it was pretty much the bare opposite. Contorversy arose thanks to questionable casting choices, mostly with Scarlett Johansson's portrayal of the main character, Major, with some considering her position as "whitewashed". Worse, its opening weekend box office debut was only a puny $18.6 million, and its reviews weren't great, either, aiming a meh 45% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. Ouch. That's gonna hurt Paramount quite a bit. But, you ask, my opinion on the new live-action iteration? Far from perfect action movie fodder, but still decent popcorn-munching entertainment with a sprinkling of though-provoking themes throughout.
Major is my name, cyberterrorist preventing is my game...
Society has reached a point where the line between man and machine is practically blurred. Of these many machines, Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson) is a survivor of a lethal cyberterrorist attack which deceased both of her parents. Her injured and damaged body is used as a test subject that utilizes her brain enclosed in a shell that integrates a human brain, rather than artificial intelligence. One year later, her body advances, and she meets an enchanced man name Batou (Pilou Asbæk) who she's partnered up with as part of an anti-terrorist allegience. The duo is sent on a mission that could change the way she thinks about herself.
The way the film builds its artifcial intelligence-centered universe is hands-down the most thought-provoking aspect of this new iteration of Ghost in the Shell. The film, as mentioned in the synopsis above, explores a pretty complex world where man and machine's line has become dissolved. Obviously there's going to be some expected changes in government but it's interesting to see what society would be built off of if the world was built off of a completely digital, completely machine-oriented arena where analog would be practically nonexistent. It's sort of like today's continuously digital-revolving age where, for example, movie theaters' traditional 35mm projection systems have been wiped by the supposedly "superior" 4K digital projectors. That's another good theme; what can we trust in an ever-growing digital world, and what's up for debate when it comes to what's lost and what's gained in these sorts of utopias? Themes like these are what really build Ghost in the Shell to enjoyable aspects, and not only that, but also biting ones that touch on today's society and how it could possibly grow in the near future, too.
That's Batou for you.
When talking about the film's core storyline, it's fairly standard-route. Two heroes are sent on a mission to undo the blasthemy that's plaguing said city/hometown/country/area. Of course, the action is there - gunshots, slow-motion standbys, heavily stylized set pieces - and they're essentially what moviegoers and popcorn-munchers expect from these 2017 action thriller spectaculars. Honestly, the plot is nothing we haven't seen before. It can easily be argued as a "standard entertainment" vessel, one that's less of a true edge-of-your-seat thrill ride (at least for general viewing audiences) and more of, somewhat, a rainy day Sunday Redbox (or Netflix, if that's how your boat floats) rental. Still, there's some general fun to be had scattered throughout, such as in that titular opening sequence with Scarlett Johansson's character crashing through a window and shooting a gun in slow-motion that was so heavily idolized in the film's trailers. In terms of overall plot originality, though, don't expect much revolution. It should also be noted that this reviewer has not (yet) seen the original Ghost in the Shell anime film, so most of my mild nitpicks are directed towards this film, and rather not the classic manga.
Scarlett Johansson, in her main role as Mira Killian, or Major, is actually pretty well done. Mind you, it's nothing breathtaking or mind-changing, but it's a more than servicable role, and she wrings out just enough emotional and superficial energy to make her interpretation of Major a fairly satisfying one and, better yet, one that really wasn't worth all of the hyperbolic controversy. Supporting roles help to balance out Johansson's front-and-center presence. The film is quite the visually alluring experience, with tons of appealing designs on exteriors as well as bright, yet intentionally bleak, interior stylistic designs. Pacing, however, can be an issue. It can be sluggish, espeically when the film crawls towards its sixty-minute mark where there's less action and more of a buildup to the film's final act involving a giant robot spider.
GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017) Blu-ray - Video Quality
Ghost in the Shell encapsulates on Blu-ray with a reference-quality 1080p transfer. The digitally-shot image is very clean though never simmers down to unlikable glossy facades, instead having the large benefit of a sleek but super attractive presentation that brings life to the Ghost in the Shell universe. One of the benefits of the sharp digital capture is the startling amount of details all across the board. A great example is at the beginning of chapter three. We can make out the tiny pores and facial features of Scarlett Johansson's character, as well as the ridges and creases on her hand as it moves into focus. This amount of textural power is evident all throughout the film's length, whether droplets of rain on a recycling truck, various apparel and clothing on certain characters, and mounds more. Colors remain a bit drained by creative intent but nevertheless enjoy a very natural, very lifelike representation of the futuristic world, with assorted brights and lights scattered around in the city being the obvious standout but also not skimping out on fiery oranges as well as dominant blue hues in a nightclub. Black levels play a big part in telling the story's elements and action, and they're consistently deep and inky throughout. Not a single compression artifact - not even banding, which would prove a troublesome eyesore in the film's darkest of scenes - was spotted in the midst of this high-definition presentation. It's safe to say that Ghost in the Shell's video presentation is easily the highlight of the Blu-ray disc.
GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017) Blu-ray - Audio Quality
Ghost in the Shell is the latest Blu-ray release on the market to feature a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, and it sounds really, really good. Don't expect a full-on barrage of overhead elements, but those upper channels help to refine and add a good sense of atmosphere to the film's many locations, such as the bustling digital cityscapes and other related ambient noises. The track makes excellent, powerful use of the film's many battle sequences, such as the opening scene where we see Major shooting her gun in slow motion. This scene among many others feature a wonderfully immersive and bassy oomph through various gunshots and action-esque elements, as well as a supportive surround element that isn't exactly an extension of the fronts but certainly gives the battle scenes a nicely empowering effect to them. Those aformentioned atmospherics feature strong surround-sound immersion, too, with citywide noises and a boat ride out on a lake offering up all of the spot-on fidelity and lifelike realism that the film's sound mixers have pushed into the track. The last-but-not-least conclusion to an already terrific track is crisp, well-prioritized dialogue and excellent stage representation of the film's score. This Atmos track for Ghost in the Shell is one that audiophiles all across the nation won't be disappointed with.
GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017) Blu-ray - Special Features
- Hard-Wired Humanity: Making Ghost in the Shell (1080p, 30:05) This is a very detailed, very thought-out piece that talks through the themes of the film, translating iconic scenes from the anime to the live-action film, casting choices, production design, and lots more. This is a featurette that fans are going to eat up.
- Section 9: Cyber Defenders (1080p, 11:29) A featurette that digs deeper into Section 9, the team that, in the film, is sent on missions to take out cyberterrorist attacks. There's also discussion on the characteristics of Section 9's members as well as how it was constructed in the film.
- Man & Machine: The Ghost Philosophy (1080p, 10:36) This featurette delves into the themes that make up the film, and how its themes of the line between man and machine could transfer into society's near future.
GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017) Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation
Ghost in the Shell is a film that never quite finds its true identity, pinballing back and forth between whether it wants to be a thought-provoking piece of science fiction or simply a time-killing popcorn flick. Both sides show their benefits, though the thought-provoking side of things expectedly sees to be the most substantive of the two viewpoints. Many of the film's themes are very interesting, peeking in to how future society could act upon, although the film has a few balancing acts to uncover, such as overcoming some mild issues associated with standard action flick fare as well as some pacing conflicts towards the middle of the film. As a whole, not everyone is going to appreciate Ghost in the Shell immediately, and it's not too hard to see why, but go for the biting themes and less for the standard action sequences and you'll find yourself with a mostly satisfying movie experience. Paramount's Blu-ray release doesn't disappoint. Unfortunately there's only three supplements, but at least they're interesting and fascinating, and the video and audio quality are top-notch. Recommended.
Additional screenshots:
