The controversial bit of “Ghost in the Shell” is also its most original

HOW long can a story stay ahead of its time? “Ghost in the Shell”, Mamoru Oshii’s much-admired Japanese anime, was shockingly futuristic when it was released in 1995. Its half-shiny, half-grimy mega-city setting may have resembled the noirish metropolises of “Blade Runner” (1982) and “Brazil” (1985), and its cyborg heroine could have come from the same production line as “Robocop” (1987) and “The Terminator” (1984). But its combination of hand-drawn and digital animation was revolutionary, and its vision of a populace connected telepathically to the internet was prophetic. 

“Ghost in the Shell” went on to influence any number of cyber-punk films, including James Cameron’s “Avatar” (2009) and, especially, the Wachowskis’ “The Matrix” (1999). But 22 years is a long time in science fiction, so the live-action remake, starring Scarlett Johansson, feels like a late arrival at the party: if Hollywood had waited any longer, it would have risked becoming a historical drama. It’s impossible to watch “Ghost in the Shell” without counting echoes of the other films which have come out since the original anime.

Ms Johansson...Continue reading