Ghost in the Shell

Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson) is the sole survivor of a cyberterrorist attack, but her body is damaged beyond repair. She is rushed to Hanka Robotics, where her brain is removed and placed in a synthetic body. She is engineered for special ops as a one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid policewoman and attains the rank of Major in Section 9 of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. Her family was killed by the terrorists, and now she works for the government to avenge them.

“Ghost in the Shell” is a movie adaptation of a popular Japanese anime series that follows this synthetic AI shell with a human brain and soul, or as they call it “ghost.”

A year after her procedure, Major is hot on the trail of a cyberterrorist wanted for killing several physicians who were employed by Hanka. While in pursuit, Major starts to feel more disconnected from Humanity than usual, with unexplained hallucinations. She is distressed that she remembers so little about her past. She begins digging deeper to discover who she really is and who her enemies really are.

There was quite a bit of controversy about Scarlett Johansson playing the lead character. Being familiar with the original franchise, I saw no problem with her playing the role of Major; I thought she did an excellent job of playing a synthetic human with a tortured past. She is a stand-out among the cast. Her fellow actors did more than an adequate job of preparing for their roles, delivering a great adaptation of the series.

Even if you are not a fan of the franchise, I think most will find the plot easy to understand and follow, and will be rooting for the truth to be discovered.

Content of concern

There is one major distraction throughout the film, as the lead is shown in a very skin-tight costume which shows all the curvature of the female form, including breasts and an outline of female parts (not graphically shown).

There are other issues dealing with morality and science gone too far, replacing God with Evolution. This could be a conversation starter with those who don’t understand how Evolutionism directly contradicts the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This leads me to be the spiritual aspect of the question running throughout the film—will science go too far?

We see a lot of advancement in technology, and man is becoming more bold with what they do with God’s creation. These experimental advancements should not cause Christians much concern, because God is in control. He sees everything; nothing gets past Him. We should not worry about things that God has already seen to their completion. Many of the earliest great scientists were Bible-believing Christians and used science as a way to think God’s thoughts after Him. In modern times, atheistic scientists have perverted science that deals with the past in an attempt to block God from all consciousness, producing a morality with no ultimate right or wrong. But nothing surprises God; He’s in complete control. We, as Christians, must trust that and hold fast to His Word in these uncertain times.

Overall, I think the film was well done. The language is mild, but there are several violent fight scenes. Those who are fans of the franchise will problably not be disappointed. The film sticks to the storyline and makes it easier for the franchise to gain new fans. I do not believe this film is suitable for kids or pre-teens, because of the heavy violence and alluded nudity.

• Violence: Very Heavy—but little blood
• Swearwords: Mild—My G*d (1), a** (1), s-word (1)
• Sex/Nudity: Heavy—Major’s silicon body suit, advertisements briefly seen that include sexy women, action scene in nightclub with strippers in the background, shirtless males, Major’s bare back, scene at a urinal (not graphic)

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