★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Ghost in the Shell and refused to go away, destroying any remaining chance it had of being taken seriously. Scarlett Johansson’s perfectly arranged bangs and dyed tips echoed the look of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World’s manic pixie dream girl so irritably that every accusation levelled at the films whitewashing came flooding to the forefront. “Ramona flowers?” – Two words that entered my mind during Rupert Sanders’ remake ofand refused to go away, destroying any remaining chance it had of being taken seriously. Scarlett Johansson’s perfectly arranged bangs and dyed tips echoed the look of’s manic pixie dream girl so irritably that every accusation levelled at the films whitewashing came flooding to the forefront.

Ghost in the Shell is a story predominantly focused on philosophical themes of humanity, identity and artificiality. Its heroine, Major (played here by Johansson), is a human brain encased in a cyborg body, honed and exploited by a tech corporation in near-future Japan to take down dangerous criminals. In this version, Major begins to question her identity when repressed memories emerge, coinciding with her attempts to apprehend criminal mastermind Kuze (Michael Pitt). First a manga comic, then a critically revered anime,is a story predominantly focused on philosophical themes of humanity, identity and artificiality. Its heroine, Major (played here by Johansson), is a human brain encased in a cyborg body, honed and exploited by a tech corporation in near-future Japan to take down dangerous criminals. In this version, Major begins to question her identity when repressed memories emerge, coinciding with her attempts to apprehend criminal mastermind Kuze (Michael Pitt).

There is no reason whatsoever that a direct live action remake of Mamoru Oshii’s film couldn’t work: it could surpass the odd barrier that some audiences have with anime and possibly make room for more recent developments in the philosophical debate concerning our ever-evolving relationship with technology. To its small credit, this new version does make extraordinary use of contemporary digital animation, recreating the futuristic landscape with aplomb. Cinematographer Jess Hall should be applauded for some truly stellar work, as should composer Clint Mansell…but both deserve to have their work attached to a far better film.

Batman Begins and condemning the film by its own mouth as shallow and second-rate. Anyone who’s seen the 1995 animation will be left exasperated by the film’s spoon-feeding approach, and new audiences will gain little they cannot find in other, far worthier films. Screenwriters Jamie Moss, William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger shy away from doing anything that might remotely challenge an audience with the fervour of a vampire shunning daylight. What philosophical statements the film does exude are unoriginal at best, and issued with the grace and volume of a foghorn at worst. “What we do is what defines us”, Major blankly mutters to camera, simultaneously stealing the central thesis ofand condemning the film by its own mouth as shallow and second-rate.

Ghost in the Shell also turns iconic characters into replaceable archetypes. Besides the obvious crime of casting a white woman in a decidedly Asian role, conscripting Johansson as another physically perfect but morally dubious killing machine is a thoroughly uninspired move, and it shows. Pilou Asbæk does what he can as Major’s sidekick, Batou, but is often lost in the scenery. Takeshi Kitano (the one Asian actor in the main cast) brings his usual gravitas despite an underwritten role, but Juliette Binoche (playing the Doctor behind Majors mechanical enhancements) looks plain bored. Not content with merely turning a treatise on what it means to be human into just another “asset out of containment” thriller,also turns iconic characters into replaceable archetypes. Besides the obvious crime of casting a white woman in a decidedly Asian role, conscripting Johansson as another physically perfect but morally dubious killing machine is a thoroughly uninspired move, and it shows. Pilou Asbæk does what he can as Major’s sidekick, Batou, but is often lost in the scenery. Takeshi Kitano (the one Asian actor in the main cast) brings his usual gravitas despite an underwritten role, but Juliette Binoche (playing the Doctor behind Majors mechanical enhancements) looks plain bored.

In all fairness, I think I’d have given up trying long before her when presented with such a predictable script. Empty platitudes aside, it’s just a bit insulting to have everything laid out so blindingly: for some reason, Batou’s cybernetic eyes have a backstory, and the telepathic communication between augmented humans are directly referred to as “thought-comms”. Those odd, unexplained elements that helped the original stand out have been muted by the heavy-handed exposition one would expect from a prequel, not an outright remake.