Ghost in the Shell official trailer: a shell of its former self?

Paramount Pictures released the official Ghost in the Shell trailer Monday, dismaying many with apparent plot changes and the casting of Scarlett Johansson.

The trailer features stunning visuals with CGI that rivals all major blockbusters, but many fans likened the plot to that of Robocop.

“It’s a perfect interpretation to the anime on a visual aspect, but spiritually it seems to be going somewhere else,” comments YouTube user The Human Robot.

Ghost in the Shell might look impressive, but YouTubers aren’t best pleased with the plot

Doyle Harken comments that the “brainy” aspects of the original anime seem to be diluted for the sake of an easy plot to follow.

“Let’s go with a cookie-cutter ‘good guys are really the bad guys’ plot, and remove all that talky crap like Kuze discussing Marxist dialectic with Aramaki’s hobo brother. I mean, what would GitS be if you burdened it with philosophy?” he writes.

Others on Twitter denounced the white washing of Major Motoko Kusanagi, renamed the Major for the 2017 film.

ok i watched the new ghost in the puka shell trailer

it’s offensive in a visceral way to see scarlett surrounded by such japanese imagery

— 🌴®🅰️️©📧✌️ (@traceyfanclub) February 14, 2017

I don’t care if motoko’s race was ambiguos in the original. the point is, this ghost in the shell adaptation denies asian talent exposure

— ‘riro (@tarirawr) February 13, 2017

GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017) Director of Photography: Jess Hall | Director: Rupert Sanders pic.twitter.com/jxASWXBR6u

— Liam Pendergast (@neonwhite900) February 14, 2017

Others are waiting for the film to come out to pass judgement.

I don’t think you understand how much I pray everyday that the ghost in the shell movie is actually good & doesn’t just look good

— Jump Jimmy (@icemanpac96) February 15, 2017

The clip itself has garnered over 2.3-million views, with a generally favourable like-to-dislike ratio.

The movie will hit American and South African theatres on 31 March 2017. Until then, watch the trailer below to decide where you stand.