Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Genre: Sci-fi
Certification: 12A
Duration: 120 minutes
Directed by: Rupert Sanders
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael PItt
KRS Releasing Ltd
The new science fiction drama is based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow.
First serialised in 1989, the cartoon told the story of the fictional counter-cyber terrorist organisation Public Security Section 9, led by protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi in the mid-21st century Japan. It was followed by two volumes, titled Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface and Ghost in the Shell 1:5: Human-Error Processor. These were turned into many successful manga adaptations.
Scarlett Johansson plays Major in the Hollywood film. She is the first of her kind: a human who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals. She is uniquely qualified to stop the Puppeteer, a cyber criminal who is able to hack into people’s minds and control them. As she prepares to face a new enemy, Major discovers that she has been lied to and her life was not saved.
The casting choice of Johansson as Major has drawn criticism from Asian-American actors and caused accusations of whitewashing. However, some Japanese fans of the manga were surprised that the casting caused controversy as many had assumed that a Hollywood production would feature a white actress in the lead role.
The director of the original films, Mamaru Oshii, also said that Johansson had exceeded his expectations.
Rupert Sanders, the director of the new film, was no less enthused. He said during a launch event in Tokyo: “There are very few actresses with 20 years' experience who have the cyberpunk ethic already baked in. I stand by my decision – she’s the best actress of her generation.”
The film also stars Juliette Binoche as Dr Oulet who is responsible for making the brain-robot combination possible and Takeshi Kitano as the chief executive director of Public Security Section 9.
The film is being released worldwide on Friday, however, critics are already a bit sceptical about the outcome.
Just by watching the trailer, Ben Child of The Guardian commented that while Oshii’s seminal movie looked ahead to a future where man and machine are one, Sanders’s “remake appears to be going backwards – to RoboCop, The Matrix and Bourne”.
Ratings
IMDB: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
Empire: N/A
Rebecca Ferguson faces an alien threat in Life.Life (2017)
Genre: Sci-fi horror
Certification: 15
Duration: 103 minutes
Directed by: Daniel Espinosa
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, Olga Dihovichnaya, Hiroyuki Sanada
KRS Releasing Ltd
Swedish film director Daniel Espinosa (Easy Money, Safe House) is at the helm of this sci-fi horror film set in space.
Three astronauts (Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds), who are on board the International Space Station, are on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As they conduct the research, the rapidly evolving life form proves far more intelligent and terrifying than anyone could have imagined.
The film has received mixed reviews and comparisons with other sci-fi novels seemed inevitable.
Johnathan Pile of Empire wrote: “Part Alien, part Gravity, just not as good as either of them. But Life whips along at a decent pace and deploys enough engaging action sequences to make it work.”
Emily Yoshida of Vulture commented: “There’s also not much insight or art to the direction; it’s Alien for low attention spans, Arrival for non-pacifists, with some remnants of ambition towards something headier.”
Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal quite agreed: “Life turns out to be another variant of Alien, though without the grungy horror and grim fun. In space, no one can hear you snore.”
Made on a production budget of $58 million, the film has so far grossed circa $12 million in the US upon opening last weekend and $15.8 million worldwide.
Ratings
IMDB: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Empire: 3 stars
The Smurfs are back to entertain the younger ones.Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)
Genre: Animation
Certification: U
Duration: 89 minutes
Directed by: Kelly Asbury
Voices of: Ariel Winter, Michelle Rodriguez, Julia Roberts, Joe Manganiello, Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, Danny Pudi, Meghan Trainor
KRS Releasing Ltd
The 3D adventure comedy is a reboot film based on the comic book series by Peyo and is unrelated to Sony’s previous animated/live action films.
The new picture sees best friends Smurfette (voiced by Demi Lovato), Brainy (Danny Pudi), Clumsy (Jack McBrayer) and Hefty (Joe Manganiello) using a special map that guides them through the Forbidden Forest, an enchanted wonderland that is filled with magical creatures.
Their adventure leads them on a course to discover the biggest secret in Smurf history as they race against time and the evil wizard Gargamel (Rainn Wilson) to find a mysterious village.
The film is opening in most countries this week and in the US on April 7. Early reviews have pointed out that this new entry is solely geared for the young ones with its bright colours and frenetic pace.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it “a pure digital fantasy, with elegant and tactile animation” and said that it “is pleasant enough”. However, he added that “there’s not much at stake, because no one stops grinning for long”.
The film did not go down too well with Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter, who wrote: “Smurfs: The Lost Village is a mediocre effort that nonetheless succeeds in its main goal of keeping its blue characters alive for future merchandising purposes.”
Ratings
IMDB: 5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
Empire: N/A