Ghost in the Shell (Rupert Sanders, March 31, 2017) Movie • Page 3

This movie simplifies the whole idea of the "ghost" to basically just be "mind" or "soul." The point in the original (although many did use "ghost" to refer to a single mind) was that one's "ghost" is so much more difficult to explain or comprehend than that. There are many times where the plot is put on pause and the characters go on relatively long, abstract tangents (I'm actually taking a Philosophy of Mind course right now, and I watched the original about a month ago and was surprised at how fitting it would be for that class). It doesn't go into Major's backstory but her entire conflict is based around who she is, what defines her, etc., and that plays heavily into why the original antagonist was looking for her in the first place (whereas in this one, the guy is basically just looking for her in order to spread the truth about the conspiracy).

 

Any other thoughts? Debating between this and PR.

 

See Power Rangers. At least that one's fun. This is just a thoughtless bore.

 

Ghost in the Shell Stumbles With $19 Million U.S. Debut

I'm pretty alright with this.

 

I'm taking credit for this.

Me and every other Asian American on twitter.

 

Good. Glad it bombed. Hopefully Hollywood doesn't try to make anymore anime or manga into live-action films.

 

Genuinely can't tell if that last sentence is sarcastic because: Death Note (2017 film) - Wikipedia

 

You're a real saint, Nate.

 

That movie was in production and already finished filming before GITS bombed. I'm hoping that Hollywood learns not to put any more anime/manga live-action films into development.

 

I'm just worried the takeaway from it flopping will be that women shouldn't lead movies or action movies, which isn't the case, versus that they should stop whitewashing

 

Atomic Blonde looks like it could persuade audiences otherwise.

I think one reason for this underperforming is due to the marketing. The full length trailers for this were fine, but all the TV spots were pretty bad. They didn't really explain any plot details or show solid action. Just made the movie look weird and overly complex.

 

Looks like they are projected to lose a lot with this one.

 

The whole "whitewashing" argument is somewhat invalid in this case. The writer of the original characters has stated that the Major was not Asian...so what is the problem?

I haven't seen this, nor do I want to, but I bet the main reason most people aren't running to see this is due to the fact that they don't want to see ScarJo parading around in a skin tight body suit. Well, maybe they do want to see it, just not in this context, I don't know, it's a tired role for her to be honest.

 

Still haven't seen this, don't plan to until it's available for streaming/etc. The "whitewashing" argument comes up a lot in conversation about American films with my wife (who is Asian) and I unfortunately find myself on the "devil's advocate" side of that coin more often than not (though I fully agree with her points, I just end up being the scapegoat for 'feeling out' the argument -- sometimes she gets it, sometimes she thinks I'm defending this stuff and I'm absolutely not, but she has every right to be heated over it so I take her comments and frustrations in stride on a personal level). This, however, has definitely caused me to try and better scrutinize the arguments for and against this type of thing and I think I'm growing in my understanding, at least trying to.

Part of me sees and realizes the arguments for the Japanese creators feelings on the issue - it is not my place to say how they should feel about it, both as a culture and as the originators of the material (both GitS specifically and anime/manga). This was much of my own argument, as a fan of anime/manga and someone who is sincerely interested in seeing what Hollywood can do with it and a large budget, despite some of the cringe-factor I also feel in those very same adaptations.

The other part of me, though, and this is where I think the crux of the argument lies, is stuck in the fact that we often see so many films taken from the property of other cultures that then fully whitewash or Americanize it. Edge of Tomorrow comes to mind - definitely a great sci-fi movie, but a sci-fi movie based on a Japanese property that removed any semblance of Japanese culture from its main character in casting Tom Cruise (and, according to my wife who read the original novel) and then simply removing the plot elements, whether central or not, that were rooted in his nationality.

While the Japanese creators may be fully validated in their excitement over a top-tier American actor as the leading role in an adaptation of their property, the issue is that there are dozens of recognizable Asian faces in American television and cinema who never end up in these roles -- as another poster stated above, the outrage, as I (a white male trying to understand it while acknowledging that I never really can) relates to the climate of experience and representation in America, something that may not be a concern or thought to the place this property originated.

Lastly, I think the situation does become a bit greyer depending on the story itself. For some reason, I feel less outrage towards, say, the Death Note adaptation, despite its lack of Asian actors. I'm sure I am likely wrong in feeling this way, though (again, as someone who has been a long-time fan of the anime/manga) I feel that much of it has to do with this adaptation somehow removing itself from the initial setting in many ways and retelling the story (or maybe the fact that there have been four live-action Death Note films made in Japan -- though again, I do not think this is a great argumentative point).

I'm rambling a bit now. Back to GitS -- I have heard both sides of the response to it. I know people who truly loathed it, found it completely laughable and an insult to the original material, stripping it of any intellectual value it once held. I know other people who thought it was absolutely fascinating and a great addition to the library of available GitS material. I am (as someone who hasn't seen it) a bit confounded by both sides, considering I know all of the individuals making these statements to be pretty big fans of the original, meaning it is clearly resonating very, very differently in front of different sets of eyes.

Except for a Facebook friend who called it "proof that Akira can be done well." STAY AWAY FROM AKIRA.

 

I'm honestly so tired about talking about white washing (note how that's not in quotation marks). Just really tired... dealing with the Asian American identity, my identity, is just so tiring and there are other pressing issues regarding AsAm on my mind. So with this in the W column imma head out and leave you with this: Asian Americans =/= Asians.

Don't @ me.

 

I feel like Sung Kang (Han from the Fast and Furious movies) doesn't get enough credit. Dude had a legit on-screen romance with one of the more attractive women in movies right now (Gal Gadot).

That dude needs more work, along with Brian Tee, who is probably best known as DK from Tokyo Drift, but has moved on to legit TV in the past couple of years.

There as plenty of Asian or Asian American actors out there who are actually worth a damn, I don't know why they aren't used more often.

 

Jordan Peele is apparently wanting to make a live-action Akira.

Pros: It's Jordan Peele who just made a ridiculously amazing movie with a strong racial message, and there's a higher chance he'll keep cultural importance in mind given these things.
Cons: It's Akira which should probably never be touched and remade for a primarily American audience.

 

I don't understand why people don't want Akira to be made into an actual movie. I know it has a massive need for special effects, which can be done today no problem, but what else is the problem?

Use Brian Tee, he's Japanese and a good actor.

 

It's not as much that people don't want it to be made, but that people don't want it to be made badly, and the chance of it being made badly is very high.

Jordan Peele did great with Get Out, and if anyone can do Akira right it's probably him, but the resume is still short so the risk of it being bad is certainly there. I'm hesitantly excited for it.

If it were anyone else, I'd be mortified by the possibility of it being bad.

Edit: And Brian Tee would be great.

 

I haven't seen Get Out yet, and I don't know why. But saying that Peele would be a good fit for a massively CGI-based sci-fi flick basked on only one feature with (probably) no CGI is kind of a stretch. He'd be good if you want to shove a political message down an audience's throat, for sure.

I'd like the Wachowski siblings to tackle this since they obviously have an appreciation for massive sci-fi movies and are great at handling realistic yet massive CGI.

 

Akira is just a really weird sci fi movie that doesn't seem like it would translate that well unless a lot was changed

 

The Wachowskis would be good, I just don't see them taking it on.

Peele is someone who has already said he wants to do it, which is the reason I'm looking at him versus typical Hollywood. I agree that it's definitely a stretch which is why I'm so hesitant. He has zero track record with sci-fi and only one movie out altogether, although said movie is excellent. I think it's moreso that he has the potential to be able to do it, because I'll admit I was EXTREMELY hesitant about Get Out before I saw it, so he at least has the potential to surprise me with Akira too.

But I don't know. I think anyone else who would be looking to remake Akira absolutely would not do it justice. If the Wachowskis were willing to do it, I could see it happening and going well, but I just don't think they will.

 

Another thing I just thought of: If it begins production even now, we likely won't see it until the exact moment in the movie. It's meant to be a sci-fi capturing where we (fictionally) can be in 2019-2020 and as a live action movie it would be coming out in 2019/2020. It wouldn't feel the same in that regard.

 

With that said I'll still watch it 10+ times because fuck me

 

I saw articles about that before Gits bombed. If they continue through with it I wouldn't be surprised if it has a low budget in fear that it will resemble the outcome of Gits. I can't remember any anime-turned-to-live action Hollywood film that was a big success at the box office. Dragon Ball and Speed Racer were both bombs.