Ghost in the Shell: Scintillating visuals and a defiant Scarlett make it buzzworthy

Director: Rupert Sanders

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Juliette Binoche, Peter Ferdinando

“We cling to memories as if they define us, but they don’t. What we do is what defines us.” This recurring punchline pretty much sums up the storyline of this VFX-laden part-sentimental live-action feature of Rupert Sanders.

Major Mira Killian is an elite cyber-terrorism fighter of the Japanese government’s high profile section 9. Believed to have survived a combat against terrorists in the line of duty, Major, understandably enough, devotes herself to the service of the nation in general and her rescuers in particular.

The opening shot of Major free-falling to catch hold of a supposed enemy hacking into the minds of her team will give you a cinematic high. This sci-fi extravaganza is rightfully a generation ahead of its 1995 counterpart by Masamune Shirow, both in terms of character treatment and execution of action sequences.

Flashy and fast-paced, this flick has kept the essence of the manga-inspired legendary anime series intact, giving the Japanese crowd a faint reason to grin about after having ‘majorly’ been disappointed with the star cast.

Defiant, mostly withdrawn and engaged in a constant scuffle with haunting flashes from her little-known past makes Major Mira the subject of sympathy. While Johansson’s portrayal of the fearless fighter is fierce and deserves a pat on the back universally, the emotional bit lacks depth and the barely-there humane scenes could have been explored more; the character’s desperation to discover minute details from her past life does not match with her unabashedly badass behaviour.

For instance, the scene between Johansson and the hooker, without delving much into details, should have been a lot more psychic. Scarlett is brilliant in the film as the top-notch fighter but is a bit of a let down in emoting during her human encounters. Not to forget, the climax is insipid.

VFX wizards MPC, Atomic Fiction, Framestore, Method Studios, Raynault VFX and Territory Studios deserve a standing ovation for giving us a blazing insight into what enhanced humans would have looked like had Hanka (the robotics company that transforms Scarlett’s body into hybrid human-android fighter) existed for real.

If you remember Rupert Sanders’ last outing, ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’, then you would definitely agree that Sanders is hell-bent on giving his films a very effective 'Sanders’ touch' and not just make it a replica of its predecessor, unlike Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Johansson, too, has upped her game in terms of ferociousness and imbibing sincerity into her characters since ‘Captain America: Civil War’.

After all the whitewashing controversy, which is totally justifiable, given that the ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano’s character and Major Mira discussing the deadliest of plans in their respective languages is hilarious, this film will need a wizard like Harry Potter to turn it into a  blockbuster. But if you go with an open mind, it will get into your head and soul; and your ghost will cherish it too.