Before I dive into this review, I wanted to provide some background for it. I have watched both Ghost in the Shell movies, stand alone complex, Arise and Solid State Society. I watched Ghost In the Shell two times. I know many will say I wasted my money, but I wanted to give an honest review. So the first time was in a regular theater and the second was IMAX 3D. Here’s my thoughts.
Ghost In the Shell is a new story written by William Wheeler. Wheeler’s other screenplays include Queen of Kwate, The Hoax and The Lego Ninjato Movie. If you haven’t heard of any of these titles don’t worry you aren’t missing anything amazing. Wheeler essentially went through the stories of the first Ghost in the Shell movie, and the Individual Eleven story arc. He gutted some ideas from both, the movie for iconic scenes, elements and the villain Kuze from Individual eleven. He then slapped threw it all together without the essence of what makes Ghost in the Shell an amazing series.
To make matters even worse the Steven Spielberg (yes THAT Steven Spielberg) produced movie was directed by Rupert Sanders. You might not be familiar with that name but you are very familiar with a film he directed called Snow White and The Huntsman.
Ghost In The Shell plot-wise is an utter and complete trainwreck of Americanization. The main theme is corporations are evil and only want to make weapons of war. To make matters worse the only actors who seemed to have studied the characters they were playing were Takeshi Kitano who played Chief Aramaki, and Chin Han as Togusa. It seems as if the rest of the cast were told NOT to research the characters they would be playing.
Scarlett Johansson plays The Major. While she is awesome as playing Black Widow, as The Major she is utterly disappointing. It feels like she is trying to be Kristen Stewart playing The Major in a really hacked up fan fiction. The Major is a woman who one year before the events of the movie had her brain cyberized and placed into a robotic shell. Throughout the movie she is just all mopey and self pitying. What makes The Major a deep character in the series is just gone. Also one year and she has the rank of Major? Ummm nope sorry not possible.
Major is assigned to Section 9 the cybercrime division and is partnered with Bato played by Pilou Asbæk. If you think Major was disappointing Bato is even worse. Each of his scenes were just painful, it was like he was just reading the lines. The majority of the movie he just stands behind the Major and utters short lines. His series backstory of course is gone as are his signature eyes, which get introduced in this movie.
Rating this movie PG-13 was another nail in the coffin for Ghost In The Shell. It severely limited what could be done in this movie. It was almost as if the production companies still believe that since anime is a cartoon it’s for kids. With a better script and director the movie should have been a hard PG or an R rating.
Overall Ghost In The Shell has been horrifically ‘dumbed down’ for American audiences instead of following Marvel’s method of catering to their fans. Until major production companies in America learn to treat popular Anime series movies with the same level of care and respect as a Marvel movie; we fans will have to continue to suffer these horrific adaptations.
As I stated before I saw this movie twice. If you’re looking to save money wait for Ghost In The Shell to come out on Red Box. But if you absolutely must see this in theaters go see it in IMAX. Watching the visuals taken from the Ghost In The Shell anime are amazing in IMAX and honestly it’s the only bearable way to watch it.
Gaming
Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount
There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.
As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.
The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, have been in discussions about teaming up for a joint bid to acquire Paramount, people familiar with the situation said Thursday. https://t.co/qN86H4y7Va
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 18, 2024
The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.
What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Geek Culture
Fallout Season 2 has been confirmed as the show continues to captivate audiences, making it one of Amazon’s most-watched series
Amazon has just made the exciting announcement that a second season of the highly acclaimed Fallout TV adaptation is in the works. Fans can look forward to another thrilling installment of the series, which will be exclusively available on the Amazon Prime streaming service. Confirmation has arrived regarding the second batch of episodes for the series, following the acquisition of $25 million in Californian tax credits.
In just four days after its release, Fallout has already captivated audiences, quickly becoming one of Amazon Prime’s most-watched TV shows of all time. It has garnered immense popularity, rivaling even the acclaimed season of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power.
Wouldn't want to keep you on the edge of your seat, now, would we?
See you back in the Wasteland for SEASON 2. pic.twitter.com/ULs6DEPHDW
— FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) April 18, 2024
The Fallout TV show has caused a massive surge in sales for the newer games, resulting in a staggering 7,500% increase in purchases of Fallout 4 in Europe. Fallout 76, Fallout 3, and Fallout: New Vegas were also among the top 10 best-selling games across the continent last week. Next week, the highly anticipated PS5 version of Fallout 4 will be released, offering players an enhanced visual experience with new graphical modes. Additionally, players can look forward to exciting new content from the Creation Club.
Considering the potential for character development and narrative arcs, it would be intriguing to see where season two takes Lucy, Maximus, and The Ghoul. Without revealing any spoilers, it’s exciting to speculate on the possible directions their stories could go. We would greatly appreciate your feedback in the comments section.
In the ongoing conflict against the Automaton invasion fleet, the Helldivers 2 players have successfully halted their advance. However, the situation has now reached a tiresome stalemate. Yet again, the machines refuse to take a break from their relentless pursuit of progress, with reports emerging of the Factory Striders being deployed in record-breaking quantities.
There have been reports of alleged machines that were supposedly encountered during Operation Swift Disassembly, which was just the beginning of a larger campaign. However, these accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are unverified and seem to be more on the imaginative side. Factory Striders have gained a reputation as formidable weapons platforms that can produce more Automatons while enduring significant damage. If the machines are able to withstand such a relentless assault, it will be necessary to develop innovative strategies.
Factory Striders have made a resurgence on the Automaton front. These imposing, massive support dreadnoughts now threaten freedom and democracy throughout the galactic rim. pic.twitter.com/XRTPU7k71s
— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) April 16, 2024
Have you come across groups of Factory Striders in Helldivers 2? Which strategies are proving to be the most effective in taking down these armored brutes? The Orbital Railcannon Strike will prove to be a valuable asset in the comments section below.
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