Ghost in the Shell

Hopefully none of us will live long enough to see the type of dystopian future depicted in Ghost in the Shell, the stylish but shallow big-screen adaptation of the science-fiction Japanese manga series about a no-nonsense female cyborg.

This slick exercise in spectacle over substance, which is a live-action remake of the 1995 anime film of the same name, might please fans of the source material with its evocative visual flourishes, even if newcomers will find it takes itself too seriously.

Set in the near future in a fictional Japanese metropolis filled with bustling technological advances but riddled with crime, specifically terror threats, the film opens with a scientist (Juliette Binoche) overseeing the transplant of a human brain — rescued after an accident — into a robotic body that looks an awful lot like Scarlett Johansson.

The goal of the experiment, of course, is to create a legion of crime-fighting cyber-soldiers who can clean up the streets. Major (Johansson) doesn’t realize she’s the guinea pig as she endures some growing pains while eradicating random bad guys. While her fighting skills are sharp, her mind is foggy. “It’s like I have no past,” she laments in her monotone.

Facing questions about her origins, Major contends with widespread corruption and anarchy in the city while her body might be rejecting her brain, or vice-versa.

On the surface, the film is reverent in spirit to the comic vision of Japanese artist Masamune Shirow — whose work has been adapted numerous times before in animated form —providing an imaginative depiction of a high-tech future, from scientific breakthroughs to complex urban cityscapes. For genre aficionados, legendary action filmmaker Takeshi Kitano has a small but pivotal role as a beleaguered security chief.

From a narrative standpoint, the material never gains much traction. The screenplay is much more focused on action than plot, which is probably for the best. It does offer a half-hearted cautionary tale about corporate greed, technological overreach, and the unpredictability of cybernetics. Along the way, Major’s inner turmoil and search for her true identity are overshadowed.

Credit director Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) and his team for some impressive technical achievements, such as some splashy visual effects and sharply choreographed action sequences. However, like its protagonist, Ghost in the Shell has plenty of brains but no heart.

Rated PG-13, 107 minutes.