Ghost in the Shell
Genre (Animation, Action Film, Science fiction film, Thriller, Adventure film)
Latest version March 31, 2017
Director (Rupert Sanders)
Lead actor/actress (Scarlett Johansson)
Anime version (1995)
Director (Mamoru Oshii)
Lead voice actor/actress (Atsuko Tanaka)
The latest release of the originally animated movie Ghost in the Shell was stellar and deserved more than a 45 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.5/10 on the IMDb website and a 52 percent on Metacritic. However, the controversies surrounding actress, model and singer Scarlett Johansson “stealing” the role away from an Asian actress, and director Rupert Sanders “whitewashing” the film, could be part of it.
I myself have yet to watch the originally animated Ghost in the Shell, but I’m sure that it’s 1995 graphics could not have compared to the $110 million dollar budget of the latest 2017 version. Major (Johansson) is the first working cyber enhanced, super human soldier. Her soul was successfully moved from her body into a fully functional robot, and her super soldier capabilities are used to stop cyber network crime, all while unknowingly facing against an evil that will help her uncover her true past.
Despite the “whitewashing” Sanders was accused of, Johansson’s skills were still at their best. Even Sanders was honored she would step into the role of Major and step out of the hate she got from some fans and Asian actresses.
The cinematography was as well one could expect for today’s advancement in technology, and it really captured the overall outlook that Sanders and his editors were really trying to obtain. The graphics in Major’s suit that allowed her to go transparent were definitely my favorite as well as the opening scene where the robo-geishas attacked Dr. Osman at his meeting with the president.
Bart Mueller and Kurt Swanson, costume designers for Ghost in the Shell, aren’t well known for their work but really should be. If you didn’t know, Mueller and Swanson also designed the costumes for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Mockingjay: Part One. Comparing all three movies, you can really see these two put their soul into their work, striving to do better than the last. My favorite design that they created was definitely the robo-geishas.
All in all if you haven’t already seen Ghost in the Shell, it’s worth the watch.
Phoenix Forgotten
Genre (Horror, Science fiction film, Mystery)
Release (April 21, 2017)
Director (Justin Barber)
Lead actor/actress (Chelsea Lopez, Luke Spencer Roberts, Florence Hartigan)
Phoenix Forgotten tells a story based off of true events that happened in 1997. The film shows the story behind three teens who go missing in the desert of Phoenix, Arizona after going on an expedition to uncover the mystery of crash landed UFO lights. Here are three reasons why this film has a well deserved 33 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, 33 percent on Metacritic and a 3/6 on Horror Freak News.
The perspective the story is told through is not a crowd favorite. I don’t know about the general public, but I always have a hard time enjoying movies told through the POV of a cameraman in the film, with the exception of Project Almanac.
Reason number two is that part mockumentary, part found-footage means that the idea of the film is based off a true event and almost anyone who hears “based off of a true story” instantly knows it’s actually not. This triggers the mindset that the movie is going to be a crappy, incorrect, exaggerated remake of a minor event.
And finally reason number three: Don’t get me wrong, lead actress Chelsea Lopez does an excellent job with the classic horror movie scream, but based off the past roles she has played, such as I Dream Too Much, I don’t think horror movies are for her. Honestly, if you ask me, the other actors don’t fit the role they were given either.
Enough said, if you’re still interested in seeing Phoenix Forgotten, that’s totally up to you. It’s not like the movie was snooze-vile, but I spent most of my time judging a majority of the movie.
– By Karina Black
