First Ghost in the Shell trailer debuts

ScarJo kicks some tail in the first trailer for the anime-turned feature film – Ghost in the Shell.

Ghost in the Shell

Well, this one has been a long time coming. And to say that it’s been met with… skepticism… is probably an understatement. To be honest though, that’s probably to be expected. After all, this is a much-loved property, and Hollywood can sometimes have a way with film versions of those.

Not to be overly insulting, but there’s more than one cartoon from the 80s and 90s alike that I haven’t been overly happy with. Not that all of the movie-versions of some classic properties have been all bad, but some of them are borderline unwatchable. Well, if you’re a big fan anyway. If you’re not, and a big and explosive spectacle is all you’re looking for, then you have a much easier time of things.

In the case of Ghost in the Shell here, the pitfalls are many. The biggest being that this is no kiddish ‘toon we’re talking about. Ghost is a very seriously-done, edgy and adult sci-fi, cyberpunk adventure. Getting a conversion to live action right for something like that, well it’s no easy task. And casting Scarlett Johansson in the lead role was a big gamble too, especially given that fans were expecting an Asian actress.

Still though, from this first trailer, it all looks good. The action looks on point, the effects look tremendous (though that’s to be expected), and the characters all seem solid. I’m not the biggest fan of the original, but I can’t find much fault with what I just watched.

There’s still a ways to go before this one hits theaters of course. Since it lands in March, I’m sure we’ll have a few more trailers between now and then. But, for now, I’m pretty excited to see the finished product. How ’bout you?