The First Ghost In The Shell Clips Are Mysterious And Captivating

21 years have passed since Ghost In The Shell burst on to the scene with its first animated adaptation, and the world is still very much attached to the source material. So much that the upcoming live-action film with Scarlett Johansson has come under fire for several incendiary reasons. With the public in need of some persuasion as to why this project has been worth the effort, the folks behind the film's marketing have released five cryptic looks at the world of iconic anime, starting with the clip below.

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These cryptic trailers come courtesy of the official Twitter feed for Ghost In The Shell, and if you're looking for hints towards the actual story, you're probably in the wrong place. Each look is 10 seconds long, with five looks in total being deployed in rapid succession. This is enough to suggest that a long form trailer is more than likely on the way, but if the Rupert Sanders directed film were to leave its ad campaign with only these five ads in play, we'd actually be quite impressed. Believe it or not, a robo-geisha walking down a hallway says more than any quick cut car chase ever could.

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Our second teaser shows Scarlett Johansson's Major unplugging from her power cradle, getting ready to face the day. Her dwelling looks as sparse as you'd expect an android to keep their living quarters, complete with a decent view of the dark, drab view of New Port City. As if that wasn't confusing enough, the next clip added shows off Johansson's Major enticing a stranger who's never seen anything like her.

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Our next teaser for Ghost In The Shell actually isn't related to Scarlett Johansson's Major character. Rather, it's a short glimpse of actor Beat Takeshi in the role of Daisuke Aramaki, one of the only human members of the elite Section 9 task force that the Major belongs to. He might be human, but he looks pretty bad assed to us, as he calmly fires his revolver at an unknown party, and empties the shells on to the ground.

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The last teaser is probably the most mysterious, as we return to Scarlett Johansson's Major, and see her infiltrating a space that looks occupied by a circle of what could best be described as "techno-monks." All circled around a terminal of some sorts, we hear a voice off camera saying "This is just the beginning." Indeed, it is.

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These first few looks at Ghost In The Shell are curious enough to make us want to see more, but at the same time seem to hit just the right level of curiosity in a way that other trailers seem to have forgotten about. Again, a full trailer seems to be in the offing for the near future, but at this point we think we're actually sold enough on what's been seen to give this one a shot. Though a couple more cryptic teasers couldn't hurt, as that'll keep us busy between now and the March 31st release date intended for the film.

Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.