5 Sci-Fi Movies You Didn’t Realise Were Shameless Rip Offs

4. The Matrix - Ghost In The Shell

The Matrix is still an amazing film. The stunning visuals retain their impact despite the primitive CGI of 1999 It has everything needed for a great film experience, and all of these elements work to perfection. The question must be asked; how did they come up with said visuals? What was their inspiration for such a complex story? Easy! Japanese animation! Not just any old film however, rather the seminal Ghost in the Shell. To paraphrase the comments of Joel Silver from the below interview, the goal of the Wachowski siblings appeared to have been "to make this movie with real people." http://youtu.be/Y3tF7TL0Qh4 The above video shows the major scenes from both films in a side by side manner, so you can see how closely Ghost in the Shell was adapted for the Matrix. The narratives of both films are very different indeed. Although tonal and stylistically they are the same movie. I love both, and I don't really consider this rip-off a bad thing. Although I was exposed to anime at an early age, most people are not. Ghost in the Shell is a one the pillars of anime, and would have remained unknown by mainstream western audiences possibly forever without the Matrix. A rip off? Yes, but a noble rip off. By the way, whose excited about the Akira live action remake?
 
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Roman Historian, computer nerd, Freelance Journalist, Podcaster, Star Wars Fanboy, and a Sci-fi/Horror über fan with a soft spot for awesomely terrible films. Host of the weekly Wrestleview International Desk radio show on WViDesk.com. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @DarraghWV.