We finally getting to see first image of Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi from Section 9 of Public Security in the
Ghost in the Shell universe. There is not much to say about the image, and it gives little away...well, she got the haircut right! Anyways, this is the big budget American live-action take on the Japanese cyberpunk/military sci-fi manga/anime classic is starting filming in New Zealand. While Scarlett Johansson is a talented actress enjoying the limelight of the geek community since become Black Widow, can she pull of the Major without mimicking Black Widow? And not to mention that she is not Asian as the Major is in the original material which as resulted in charges of "white-washing" the character . I guess we will get the answers when
GTIS is released in March 31st of 2017. I beg whatever power governs the universe, please do not allow this film to suck as hard as a black hole as other Hollywood translations of manga and anime titles have been.
Then we have another announcement from James Cameron that there will be yet another
AVATAR sequel...which makes FOUR! What the frak, Cameron?! I am so tired of hearing and reporting on these unmade sequels to the 2009 film. According to the schedule published, there will
AVATAR films until 2023. We are already behind the proposed schedule for
AVATAR 2 which would have been out this year. I honestly do not think that there needs to be an sequel to the 2009 film. There is no story begging to be made from the the original film storyline. All things being considered, the original
AVATAR film seems pretty well contained. And I really do not want an
AVATAR prequel. Maybe Cameron should take over the
Terminator or
ALIENS films and stop the bleeding over there. To me, a fan of the
AVATAR film, the ship has sailed for an
AVATAR sequel and all of us, including you Cameron, need to move on.
I have to agree as I thought the AVATAR film was a one off self contained story, that said the next one will be about the earth forces trying to retake the place no doubt.....
ReplyDeleteDropping big rocks from orbit and then strip-mining the crater?
DeleteThat would be the most efficient "counter attack" I could imagine.
I just do not think I am interesting in seeing that film...wasn't there enough warfare in the original AVATAR film? Ugh. Cameron has said he wants to explore the oceans of Pandora...why can't he make an 3D Interactive simulation for a museum instead of a film. If I were Cameron, I would try to make Battle Angel Alita instead.
ReplyDeleteLike to see a live action New Dominion Tank Police, or if Cameron
ReplyDeleteis really feeling ambitious, Armored Trooper VOTOMS perhaps....)
An AVATAR Sequel? i mean, FOUR SEQUELS? what the hell...!?
ReplyDeleteAVATAR is an one-of-a-kind movie, making a sequel to it would be the same as making a sequel to 2001- A Space Odissey!
To be fair, they actually did make 2010: Odyssey Two. It was okay.
DeleteBetter than just OK. 2001 is a masterpiece and has moments of shear wonder but, 2010 has heart despite it being a bit run-of-the-mill in its presentation. Of course both were based on Arthur C. Clarke's original stories, which is why both are good.
DeleteMan, an Armored Trooper VOTOMS movie...yes, please! The only way to make an sequel to AVATAR is to do in the way that the sequel of 2001, 2010: the Year We Make Contact, take a totally different POV on the core story. I actually like 2010 over 2001. Heresy I know
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with you regarding the Avatar sequels, Will. There really aren't any loose ends from the first film to warrant a continuation. The only thing worth exploring is the story universe of Pandora, Polyphemus, and futuristic Earth which Maria Wilhelm and Dirk Mathison already did in Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora.
ReplyDeleteI don't really mind that James Cameron is making more Avatar films. He has a pretty good track record as a filmmaker, especially with sequels. Who'd of thought you could make a sequel out of 'Alien' when that first came out?
ReplyDeleteThe same can't be said for Rupert Sander's film career - aside from 'We Are ODST'.
*sigh* I for one will not be seeing the GitS film. Fuck those guys.
ReplyDeleteIt's wierd world that we live in that I'm more intrigued by Cameron's Avatar movies than I am for another shitty Hollywood adaptation of a manga property, that like the shitty Dragon Ball movie replace the protag with a white person bt keep the supporting cast colored, only important characters can be race bent white, oy bey ... also Hollywood's very late on this...
Whatever happened to Cameron's Battle Angel Alita adaptation?!
AT least the Avatar films will be fun to watch for the conlangs :)
I agree. Though, in defense of the new GitS film, it's not like 'AVATAR' didn't have issues with race either. I don't think either film is intentionally racist though, and I'll happily go see GitS if it loos good.
DeleteWell goku is an alien (so his race is questionable, but that movie sucked balls)
ReplyDeleteAnd motoko kusanagi while originally Japanese is full cyborg and thus could be equipped with an Caucasian cyborg.
And besides, I likes "edge of tomorrow " despite the whitewash of the original Japanese premise.
I'm at the point to where I look forward to a good movie instead of a perfect adaptation. Besides, if story does differ I look at it like how an anime can take a much different turn then it's manga.
For gits, I would be more disapoited if they downplayed the cyberpunk setting for a cheaper to make modern setting with neon lights.
With Edge of Tomorrow the whole story was shifted slightly to a western point of view. All the characters are American, British, etc, and the vibe of the movie is very WW2. I think this is a good thing, it is essentially retelling the story in a western way, making it more accessible without lessening the story itself.
ReplyDeleteWith GITS there will only be an issue if the story still use the original setting, the same race for the supporting cast, and no good reason why Kusanagi should choose a caucasian body. If everyone has cyborg bodies that don't match up with their birth ethnicity it wouldn't be an issue - rather it would be an interesting side to a society with that technology.
I will be very disappointed if it does not stay true to the source material though, given use how good GITS is. Especially the setting. GITS was closer to a lot of written science fiction in that it explored what technology can mean to society and individuals, something very little of movie SF explores these days.