So I didn’t hate Ghost in the Shell.The movie Ghost in the Shell, is stunning to look at, and

So I didn’t hate Ghost in the Shell.

The movie Ghost in the Shell, is stunning to look at, and weirdly gives me hope for the “Ready Player One” movie, and makes me want a “Neuromancer” movie more than ever.  I know I saw the Anime of “Ghost in the Shell” but other than the cool briefcase gun, and Major falling off buildings not a lot of the anime, stuck in my head. (my brain really needs to hold on to the memory of that time I wore blue eyeliner in school, and said something stupid. Thanks brain)  

The sets, and cinematography, the lighting, and whatever effects magic they use, truly make the world of “Ghost int the Shell” look marvelous, and futuristic, exciting and grubby, and it all has a nice “gravity” and reality to it. 

There’s no sex, although there is the awesomely not naked Scarlet in her special skin tight Thermoptic suit, and I was happy there is no gratuitous naked robots or robot hookers. The Major is no one’s love interest, she is not a honeytrap, or a decoy.  I think Scarlet did a great job, as Major and made some very interesting acting choices. And I loved Takeshi Kitano as Aramaki, he was wonderful, and has the sort of gravitas, that helps center this kind of outlandish plot, and I totally believe he could kick some serious ass.  The supporting players are all well done, and I loved all of the creepy cheap blackmarket “enhancements” that the bad guys and thugs have. (see my need for the Nueromacer movie).  They also did a good job with the visual representation of Data and it’s movement. 

The plot and story are what they are, not that great a stretch for an action film, and I think they gave up some chances to address the whitewashing. But I’m just  so happy when an action movies allows a female character to not be the sex object, I forgive some banality (that’s sad right?)

All in all for me, it was a great looking, popcorn crunching, Friday date night movie.  I get if anyone refuses to see it because they object to the whitewashing, I can’t say they’re are wrong to do so, or even that they are really missing out.

I know in America, there was justifiably concern over whitewashing.  But I spent years working in Hollywood and know that the down and dirty, nitty gritty, of getting that movie produced, and it had two huge Chinese (I think) production companies, with the budget it required, they needed  a actual International Box Office action star with huge box office dollars attached to her name.  

Old white men still write the checks, and in the end they just really only care about dollars.  Asian American actors here in the US entertainment industry, have been overlooked made invisible, and have not really been given the chance to achieve the box office numbers, that give you the kind of pull, that gives the actual grumpy number crunching check signing dudes the confidence they need to sign off on multi-million dollar budgets. And that sucks. Keep in mind though, that If this movie’s box office  fails, they will not blame the whitewashing they will blame a female lead action film.