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  • Paramount Pictures

    'Ghost in the Shell' is more cyberposeur than cyberpunk

    by 
    Devindra Hardawar
    Devindra Hardawar
    04.08.2017

    Spoilers ahead for the Ghost in the Shell anime and US remake. The original Ghost in the Shell anime feature is a cultural landmark. It was a neo-noir story set in a startlingly fresh vision of a connected world, and it was particularly timely in 1995 since the internet was just finding its legs in the real world. The film's lead was a badass cyborg woman privy to bouts of existentialism. And, like the best cyberpunk science fiction, Ghost in the Shell (and its original manga) asked deep questions about our relationship with technology. There was little chance a Hollywood remake could successfully grasp what was special about its source material. And, unfortunately, the Scarlett Johansson vehicle is just as disappointing as we expected. It completely misses the point of cyberpunk.