Ghost in the Shell - Blu-ray

Movie: In a not-too-distant future, the line between man and machine becomes increasingly blurred. While it was previously only possible for humans to pimp themselves out with cybernetic parts, the technology now exists to transform the human mind into a completely cybernetic body. Major (Scarlett Johansson) is a prototype for this new technology. Her abilities make her the perfect crime fighter. Together with her partner Batou (Pilou Asbæk), she is on the hunt for a hacker who has managed to log into the human psyche and thus alienate people. Only Major seems to be armed against it. But she has no idea what shocking truth the search for the mysterious assassin will lead her to.

Ghost in the Shell is arguably one of the most well-known and popular manga ever. Mamoru Oshii's 1995 anime adaptation, in particular, contributed significantly to its worldwide popularity and provided some iconic images that are now inextricably linked to Ghost in the Shell. Following other films, television series and video games, the first live-action adaptation of the manga is now coming to cinemas. Director Rupert Sanders has taken a strong visual cue from Oshii's anime, though the whole thing has been visually smoothed out a bit and dramaturgically simplified with the widest possible audience in mind. The live-action adaptation is ambitious, but barely penetrates beneath the fascinating surface of the Ghost in the Shell universe.

Now this may sound very negative. But even if the immense potential offered by the original was only marginally exploited here, the film still offers enough spectacle and suspense to still please in the end. Scarlett Johansson, despite all the controversy, is a good choice for the lead character, as she not only cuts a fine figure as a sexy fighter, but can also convey the quieter character moments quite neatly. Dane Pilou Asbæk is also very well cast as her partner Batou, which is especially evident when he gets the artificial eyes this character is known for. And veteran beat Takeshi Kitano as her superior is also a real casting coup.

Manga and anime dealt with sometimes very philosophical questions around being human and around the relationship between man and machine. These questions are also dealt with in the live-action adaptation, but also in a much more superficial and almost clumsy way - so that everyone really understands it. That's a pity, because especially the anime belongs to a milestone of the genre because of its dramaturgical complexity. It's a pity that the makers of this film adaptation apparently don't trust their audience with an intellectual reflection and rather rely on sledgehammer philosophy here. Here the chance was given away to let the real adaptation become a real genre milestone. So Ghost in the Shell in this version is a very nice cover with unfortunately little behind it.

Here, however, the strength of the original becomes clear: Because even in this mass-produced, less complex version, this vision of the future is still fascinating and gripping enough to offer very good cinema entertainment - less for the mind, but all the more for the eye. And that's enough for a clear bottom line: absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The Blu-ray's picture exhibits a pleasant depth of image even in the 2D version. The obvious 3D effects work quite well in 2D as well, creating a futuristic world that also comes across well in the home theater thanks to the sharpness of the picture and the well-done color scheme. The sound pleases with a powerful Dolby Atmos mix that provides plenty of multichannel movement at nearly every moment. Smaller as well as bigger sound effects harmonize very well with the dialogues and the soundtrack. Very Good!

Extras: Really much bonus material has the Blu-ray unfortunately not to offer. At least the Making of (approx. 30:04 min.) as well as the two supplementary featurettes about Section 9 (approx. 11:29 min.) and the Spirit Philosophy (approx. 10:36 min.) are quite detailed and well worth watching! Good!

Conclusion: The live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell may not be able to match the cult anime, especially dramaturgically, but that aside, Rupert Sanders has directed a visually superb, pleasantly suspenseful sci-fi thriller that shines in very good picture and sound quality on the Blu-ray. The bonus material is quantitatively not over-exciting, but is therefore qualitatively absolutely okay. Therefore, there is also a clear: Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp