Review of Ghost in the Shell (2017) by Graeme H — 04 Jan 2018

Spoilers: A brilliant movie that could have easily became a brilliant series of movies. Set up in a way so that the events of the movie didn't quite go the way of the anime (to leave the writers more wiggle room to explore the character in future installments, clearly) it was still obviously being set so it could evolve in parallel with the anime.

All the threads of the plot are heading in the same direction, just designed to get there a little slower. Had it not been in the center of a storm in a teacup then future movies would have been able to fill in the gaps.

For example, Major doesn't immediately take up the antagonists offer to merge (which would have caused her to become someone else at the end of the movie), but it's clear he has become part of her, leaving the option open for them to merge later once we've had more time with Major.

It was clear they wanted to do more than just a one off, but were instead hoping to create an interesting cyberpunk universe more fully exploring the major, but sadly we only saw one installment thanks to all the complaining.

Any prospect of a followup was killed by insufferable whiners. It's funny but the people who complained about 'whitewashing' are pulling a 'scanner darkly' on themselves. The same people who need an American to be in a movie before they can relate to that movie, have now convinced themselves that there's a conspiracy and that the very American they need, who they themselves literally cause to be in the movie in the first place (by reasons of demographic), who is there specifically for them (for them to relate to).

... is actually there for nefarious and sinister conspiracy reasons. Which is hilarious. American anime fans are going to create an environment in which less studios are willing to take the risk on live action versions of anime.

Going forward, we're going to see a world in which movies won't feature anyone these people need in order to relate to it (so they can avoid accusations of whitewashing), and do poorly as a result, or are going to feature someone these audiences can relate to and but whined into oblivion.

Talk about a lack of self awareness. American anime fans are setting themselves up to become the plot of a scanner darkly; where they think they have their sights trained on something sinister they can investigate but are actually investigating themselves.