Prime’s Reboot of a ’90s Sci-Fi Masterpiece Is Already a Hit on Streaming

There’s always cause for concern when a classic sci-fi movie is given the reboot treatment. With Dune being an obvious outlier, very rarely does a reboot of a classic sci-fi movie go well. Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Thing, Total Recall, Flatliners, 2001’s Planet of the Apes, and 1998’s Godzilla all tried to cash in on the IP of the original films and were lambasted by audiences and critics. But, on a very rare occasion, a remake comes along that, not only is a good movie/show in its own right, but in the case of an adaptation, is even better than the original attempt. Again, Dune achieved this. But Prime Video’s latest sci-fi release is a reboot worth watching. No wonder it’s already a streaming hit.

Prime Video recently dropped its latest reboot of the sci-fi classic, The Ghost in the Shell, and it has defied the odds to become a streaming hit. Based on the iconic manga by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell is a seinen series that helped revolutionize the cyberpunk trend (alongside the likes of Blade Runner). Produced by Science SARU (Dandadan & Ping-Pong the Animation). The story is set in the not-so-distant future of 2029 and follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a full-body cyborg, and the Public Security Section 9 team, on their desperate search for the AI “Puppet Master.” The manga was first adapted into the iconic 1995 movie (produced by Production I.G.). But, subsequent adaptations (and there have been many) have all followed suit of the movie’s darker and grittier tone. If anything, they’ve been continuations and reboots of the movie, rather than new adaptations of the manga.

That’s where Prime Video’s new series stepped in. Unsurprisingly, a faithful reboot of a masterpiece manga has been a big hit. As well as scoring great reviews, the series is one of the biggest shows on streaming. The Ghost in the Shell reboot is currently the ninth most popular series on Prime Video. The Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, continues to dominate the top spot. Although unlike most new shows on streaming, The Ghost in the Shell releases new episodes weekly. The fact that an animated series has entered the top 10 with just one episode is still incredibly impressive.

What ‘The Ghost in the Shell’ Gets Right?

It’s easy to say that The Ghost in the Shell reboot series is more faithful to the original manga, but what does that actually mean? The cyberpunk aesthetic is ever-present, and the show’s art style more closely reflects that of the manga (the ’90s movie has more of that 1990s, Cowboy Bebop-esque style that was popular at the time). But the show has one thing most of the other adaptations ignored: the humor. As well as being a fantastic and very action-heavy sci-fi series, Prime Video’s The Ghost in the Shell also has heart and levity, not shying away from the lighter moments of Masamune Shirow’s original story.

‘The Ghost in the Shell’s Worst Adaptation Is Obvious

Prime’s Reboot of a ’90s Sci-Fi Masterpiece Is Already a Hit on Streaming — Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell

The Ghost in the Shell has received many, many adaptations and reboots. Unsurprisingly, not all of them are great. But one definitely stands out as the worst. In 2017, audiences were subject to Paramount’s live-action Ghost in the Shell movie. Live-action adaptations of manga/anime seldom work anyway, but, as well as being a bland film in its own right, the film was also fraught with controversy. The movie, which is set in a cyberpunk Japan, with Japanese characters and aesthetic, starred Scarlett Johansson, who, if you haven’t noticed, isn’t Japanese in the slightest. Most of the film’s cast was whitewashed, leading some to boycott the movie altogether. Thankfully, the movie was rubbish anyway, holding a 42% Rotten Tomatoes score and grossing just $169 million against a $110 million budget.