REEL DEAL: Ghost In The Shell REVIEW

The story of Ghost In The Shell has been loved by anime fans from the manga to the anime incarnations. It was also hard to view the film due to its violent and nudity content back then when I was a wee child. Now that I am all grown up now, this should never be an issue. But how well does the new Ghost In The Shell fair as Scarlett Johansson plays the role of Major in this film.

When the movie was first announced, many were excited and scared of the casting. When Johansson was tasked to play the role of Major, there was a divided reaction from fans and movie critics. The issue of whitewashing was in the table for discussion since the original series was Japanese in terms of characters and location.

However, it is not a guarantee that when Asian actors come to play their roles will merit a good movie. So I did reserve all doubts until I saw the movie itself. It did proved to be not disappoint from my opinion as it was able to deliver the story with some tweaks and visual candies. Given the frequency of ScarJo in Hollywood movies, particularly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, her image will definitely clash with her taking the role of Major. It did went beyond my expectations and was able to answer the issue of casting with a scene in the film. So if you're maybe a old or new fan, it is the most visual rich action film of the year and worth watching indeed. 

Young and Inexperienced Against Mobsters In “CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES”

Four young men is pitted against a mob boss and a string of syndicates when one of them gets hitched with money trouble involving a ruthless mobster who wants his money back immediately in the witty heist thriller “Criminal Activities.”

John Travolta stars along with Dan Stevens, Michael Pitt, Christopher Abbott, Rob Brown and Edi Gathegi.  Directed by Academy Award nominee actor Jackie Earle Haley known for his roles in “Watchmen,” “Breaking Away” and “Little Children,”  “Criminal Activities” is his directorial debut from a script by Robert Lowell.