Ghost in the Shell (2017) (1 Viewer)

[WillG]

I think the film bombed more because of disinterest perhaps in the source material, familiarity of the visuals story etc. "Whitewashing" had little if any impact on the films poor performance in my opinion.

The film probably would not have been made without a major Hollywood star attached.

Pretty much how I spelled it out in my post from March 23rd:

Like I pointed out earlier, this is one of those movies that appeals to a much smaller niche of moviegoers. Odds are the general public has never watched Ghost in the Shell and probably has never HEARD of it. So it's already sitting on one strike possibly 2. The only reason they opted for Miss Johansson was solely to hope they can attract the general masses. Had it been some no name, this thing would be a guaranteed bomb. With her, they have a smidgen of hope that it can break even (or perfects make a nice profit) at the box office.

Yeah, they're kind of in a corner. It's not like there's a plethora of bankable Asian actresses

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think the film bombed more because of disinterest perhaps in the source material, familiarity of the visuals story etc. "Whitewashing" had little if any impact on the films poor performance in my opinion.

The film probably would not have been made without a major Hollywood star attached.

I agree on both counts.

I remember seeing the trailer in IMAX with my wife before "Logan" - this could be the kind of story that would be up her alley. But the trailer was loaded with imagery that seemed ripped off from a variety of films (in addition to the animated version, I would imagine), and the storyline as shown in the trailer seemed so predictable and "been there, done that" that she wasn't interested in spending the $26.29 ticket price to see it in IMAX 3D. I ended up seeing it that way, but owing more to a coupon I had that was about to expire than a strong desire to see the movie. I mentioned why the film didn't really work for me before so no need to really rehash that.

The takeaway for both of us was that there was potential to make a good story out of this source material, but that this movie wasn't it. I almost had a little bit of the feeling I had watching the "John Carter" movie - that the original Ghost In The Shell comic book and animated movie were the first to the idea and it was revolutionary (like the original John Carter books), but by the time the movie came along, the idea had already inspired so many other variations in so many other movies and TV shows that it was no longer original or necessary. If this movie had come out before The Matrix, it would maybe have been seen as mindblowing. Now, it doesn't matter as much that the source material had the idea first - other movies have told the story better than this movie did, so that this movie was a "new" series didn't matter - the idea felt old.

 

[Tino]

Japanese Fans React to ‘Ghost in the Shell’

Audiences in the home of the iconic franchise are mostly impressed with the look of the Rupert Sanders' reimagining of the story, remain nonplussed by the whitewashing controversy, but rue the absence of the depth of the source material.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/japanese-fans-react-ghost-shell-992255

 

[Citizen87645]

I like Ars reviews because they are selective about films they review, and have a perspective influenced by being a tech site, so usually I try to read their stuff.

https://arstechnica.com/the-multiverse/2017/04/how-ghost-in-the-shell-got-its-main-characters-wrong-and-why-it-matters/

 

[AshJW]

I just came from the movies, and I'm fine with the result.
It's not as good as the animes (both the original as well as "Innocence"), but I liked it enough to hope for more.
It took some time till I cared for the characters, maybe half of the picture. Till then it was foremost more style than substance.
8 out of 10 artificial body parts.

 

[Tino]

Ghost in the Shell beloved in Japan, despite box office blowout in the West

Ghost in the Shell brought in more than $3 million in Japan during its first three days in theaters, a modest sum that looks stellar compared to its U.S. gross during the same period. Japanese audiences have reportedly taken to the film, despite its primary controversy stemming from its predominantly white take on a historically Japanese property.

Yahoo Japan’s movie review site lists the film at a decent 3.56 user rating, higher than that of the original anime. The Hollywood Reporter also spoke to local moviegoers, who mostly had positive things to say about the Ghost in the Shellremake. Praise went to the visuals, Scarlett Johansson’s performance and the overall original approach to the iconic source material.

http://www.polygon.com/2017/4/10/15245488/ghost-in-the-shell-live-action-box-office-japan-review

 

[Tino]

Sorry about the bold font. Result of copy and paste.

 

[dpippel]

WHAT???