Ghost In The Shell Review: 8 Ups & 4 Downs
Downs
4. It Actually Confronts The Whitewashing Issue (And Some People Will Hate It)
As soon as Scarlett Johansson was cast as The Major, there was hand-wringing online from fans and critics about perceived "whitewashing", citing this as yet another example of Hollywood refusing to open doors for minority actors.
It's a difficult line for the movie to walk, because it probably wouldn't have been greenlit without a Scarlett or Jennifer Lawrence at the helm. That said, what's most surprising of all is that the movie actually directly engages with the controversy in a rather bizarre (and undeniably ballsy) way.
No spoilers here, but one major aspect of the story dabbles in this area, and critics of Johansson's casting will almost certainly feel like the movie is smugly rubbing their face in the fact that a part for an Asian actress was "stolen" by a white woman.
If you're a little more relaxed about the controversy, it's actually a pretty interesting way to respond to the criticism, but there are sure to be a number of infuriated think-pieces in the coming days decrying the movie for what they perceive to be hand-waving of the racial controversy.