ScarJo takes down a villain in Ghost in the Shell water fight clip

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

We're ten days out from the release of director Rupert Sanders' live action adaptation of the Japanese manga GHOST IN THE SHELL, and a new clip from the film has arrived online to give us an early look at a scene that will be playing out on the big screen in just over a week.

Taking place in some shallow water that separates the hi-tech part of a city from a more rundown area, this "water fight" moment has been featured heavily in the film's marketing. In this 50 seconds of footage (which is followed by the trailer in the video below), our heroine Scarlett Johansson knocks around a criminal type, delivering most of her punches and kicks while using a PREDATOR-esque cloaking device.

The PREDATOR's invisibility isn't the only '80s vibe I get from this clip. That rundown part of the city also makes me think of dystopian films made in the '80s, and the imagery is accompanied by an electronic score. These are all checks in the "Pro" column for me. The more reminiscent something can be of the '80s, the better.

The original manga was released in 1989, so it would make some sense if this film were to take an "'80s vision of the future" approach.

Written by Jamie Moss, William Wheeler, and Ehren Kruger, GHOST IN THE SHELL stars Johansson as 

the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.

Also in the cast are Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Lasarus Ratuere, Tawanda Manyimo, Yutaka Izumihara, Danusia Samal, Chin Han, Rila Fukushima, Michael Pitt, Michael Wincott, Juliette Binoche, and Kaori Momoi.

GHOST IN THE SHELL reaches theatres on March 31st.