Ghost in the Shell prep

[Bones]

If you're planning on watching the movie, are you doing any preparation ahead of time?

I'm a great fan of GITS in all its forms. Second only to Trek. Anyway I've rewatched the 1995 movie and am marathoning Standalone Complex 2nd gig.

I've been looking forward to a live action GITS for a long time. I'll be watching in Imax 3d, taking Friday off to see it. They better deliver the goods on this.

 

[RAMA]

I haven't watched the original on my bigger screen yet. Could be a good time.

 

[Bones]

They just published the 1st 5 minutes as marketing material. Available here (obviously spoilers) http://www.cosmicbooknews.com/ghost-shell-watch-first-5-minutes

 

[Ridcully]

Well I am just going to say it...they blew it!

 

[Bones]

I liked it. I found it visually stunning and the action was great. Pacing was pretty good.

 

[Kane2026]

I have also seen the segment covering the first 5 minutes. So far I remain skeptical about this movie. I want to like it but somehow the special effects rub me the wrong way. A lot of the background building seem cheaply rendered, not unlike I, Robot from 2004. At this moment I am planning on viewing it on Friday, but a lot will ride on the reviews.

 

[Bones]

Be nice to see some reviews. Wonder what is holding them up.

 

[Steve Roby]

I'm not expecting much from the movie, but I'll see it. I've been marathoning 2nd Gig myself because I basically forgot I hadn't seen it yet, and I've had it for some time. I may get around to Arise soon too.

(I think the whitewashing business is a valid complaint, but we'll see how it all plays out. There's a lot of geopolitical stuff in GitS about the future of Japan, its relations with China, the US, etc, so I wonder just how generic and apolitical the movie's future world will be.)

 

[Bones]

71% on the tomatometer with only 7 reviews in. The number can change a lot, but this is a good start. 64% at metacritic, a little disappointing.

I want 2 things out of this movie. #1 is to really enjoy it since I have been looking forward to it for about 15 years. #2 is for it to do really well at the box office so I get more. Obviously RT and MetaCritic influence box office. They don't represent major obstacles at this point, but they won't provide a lot of energy either.

I'm about halfway through 2nd gig, it will be tough to complete before Friday, but I should be close.

I'd be interested in the geopolitical stuff, especially in the context of the rising tension in Asia. I doubt we'll see much of it based on the trailers.

 

[Q2UnME]

^ Yea, the reviews I've read are less than positive. Over abundance of CGI and action sequences with not a lot of depth, character growth or emotion. I'm still planning on seeing it, but my enthusiasm has diminished. This move will possible break even, but it's not looking like any success story.

Q2

 

[Space Coast]

Fact: Any review that compares it to the Matrix in a way that doesn't mean 'this is based off the movie/franchise that inspired the Matrix' is trash and to be ignored.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Fact: Any review that compares it to the Matrix in a way that doesn't mean 'this is based off the movie/franchise that inspired the Matrix' is trash and to be ignored.

Doesn't mean that people will ignore those reviews though... Not everyone is as knowledgeable as us nerds about such stuff. I'm going to see it in 2D tomorrow. I hear tell that Aramaki speaks in Japanese and everyone else in English -- at least it'll be interesting to see how that works out. If I'm impressed enough by it as a movie, I'll try to catch it again in 3D next week.

 

[Booji]

So, what are the chances we get a post credits Tachikomatic Days?

 

[marillion]

I'm on the fence about this... I love the source material and so far I love the visuals we've seen so far... But I have that itchy feeling on the back of my neck that this will end up being disappointing to me, much like Aeon Flux and Ultraviolet were... I really really hope I'm wrong..

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

I have no idea what the source material is about.
To me it's a Scar-Jo sci-for movie with pretty visuals.
No way that can go wrong... right?




...right?

 

[Forbin]

So, what are the chances we get a post credits Tachikomatic Days?

Noooo! My God, those were grating!!

 

[Admiral2]

I will offer my take at the risk of being shouted down because of prejudging. I am a great fan of the preceding material, and will therefore avoid this movie like the plague, because you can tell from the trailers that they utterly abandoned the original concept and are just making the Bionic Woman starring Scarlett Johanssen with visuals ripped off from the 1995 movie.

 

[Space Coast]

I have every intention of watching it, because even if it isn't a good Ghost In The Shell adaptation, it seems like it'll at least be a decent cyberpunk romp.

Also I guess I just plain want to hear Making Of Cyborg blast out of a theatre's speakers.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I'm going to see it in 2D tomorrow. I hear tell that Aramaki speaks in Japanese and everyone else in English -- at least it'll be interesting to see how that works out. If I'm impressed enough by it as a movie, I'll try to catch it again in 3D next week.

Saw it today -- the tone is pretty faithful to the 1995 anime with a little SAC mixed in -- although the credits only mention the comic, by which, I assume the mean the manga. The story is more comprehensible than the anime. The worries I had about the depiction of Aramaki and Togusa were dispelled. I would have like to have seen more scenes about the Major exploring her identity. As the running time is 107 minutes, perhaps some of that stuff got cut. The music is ok, perhaps too much electronic and not enough oriental, although I was happy to hear some of Kenji Kawai's work included. I'd rate it a solid B+ as it lost some of the philosophy, beauty and reflective stillness of the anime. I doubt that seeing it in 3D would add much to the experience apart from possibly giving me a headache.

 

[Set Harth]

Ghost in the Shell prep?

How about the last 15 years of my life pal

I think the whitewashing business is a valid complaint

It really isn't, as it turns out, as least where Scarlett's character is concerned.

But on the other hand

Spoiler

they whitewashed the garbagemen! D'oh!

I doubt that seeing it in 3D would add much to the experience apart from possibly giving me a headache.

I liked it. I thought it worked well in certain sequences. In one explosion a piece of debris felt like it was flying right out of the frame into your personal space.