Ghost in the Shell 2017: Lean & Mean Edition

I saw the original movie a while a go and was neither impressed nor disgusted by it; it had some good elements but the pacing was weird and a few things felt off.
Here, the story is much more linear and action-packed. And while I really enjoy the slow, contemplative pace of the anime, this "Lean and Mean" live-action version is a breeze of fresh air.

Let's be honest. Rupert Sanders (Director, Snow White and the Huntsman) and the writers (check their filmography) were never going to make a version of Ghost in the Shell that comes close to, let alone attempt to address and further any of the philosophical underpinnings of the original anime.

This edit takes the strengths of the movie that was made and jettisons the rest. What is left is a Ghost in the Shell movie in name only, but I don't think that's an issue.

Instead of attempting everything in half measures, the movie is now a lean (not sure about the mean part), police procedural, action-thriller, with a cyberpunk aesthetic and a lot of fun.

Constructive criticism:
A more ambiguous ending would be great. Lose the end VO. Have Major not address Kuze's question about going with him into the net.

I also think there is time and space to insert, through stock imagery, one of my favorite sections of the original anime. The 'interlude.' Here is a YouTube video digging into it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXTnl1FVFBw&ab_channel=Nerdwriter1

That said, maybe it doesn't have a place in this edit.

Regardless. This edit by FairFriend is worth your time and a lot of fun. The chance of getting another big-budget cyberpunk film anytime is slim - this film is partially to blame. So it's nice that this movie can now be enjoyed, casually, for what it is.

As others have said, this definitely improves on the original and takes it about as far as it can go with the available footage. Makes it downright watchable!

This is a major improvement. I don't see how it could be edited any better without adding new footage. The edits are only noticable in that the pacing is so different and the last "consent" line being so prominent that removing it, while necessary, stands out. Other than that, I'm not a fan of the Depeche mode track over the credits, but that's not a big deal to me. And the sound during the action sequences does suffer due to not having the encoded audio, though I wouldn't expect an edit to be able to maintain that. Overall I think this is the best version we'll ever get, and the best that can be created with the material available.

A very orderly scraping away of the chaff. The film itself is still a fairly graceless mashup of familiar motifs, shots and beats from across the manga and its anime adaptations, but the considerably more understated approach to the narrative and the much leaner and slightly meaner 90 minute runtime helps tremendously. Great work.