Ghost In The Shell Review: 8 Ups & 4 Downs

2. Clint Mansell & Lorne Balfe's Fantastic Musical Score

ghost in the shell scarlett johansson
Paramount Pictures

Clint Mansell is one of Hollywood's most underrated composers, and with the help of Lorne Balfe, knocks out an entrancingly atmospheric musical score that helps capture the original's cyberpunk aesthetic.

Sci-fi films have been using synths for years, so it'd be easy for this arrangement to feel generic, but it melds perfectly with the heightened visuals to accomplish a terrific feat of world-building.

And for fans of the original, yes, the iconic "Making of a Cyborg" chant theme does appear in the film's closing credits. It would've been amazing to see it used during the opening instead, but at least it's still in there, right?

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.