I’d say Ghost in the Shell was one of the bigger disappointments of 2017 but considering what I had been seeing before its release, including the director, expectations were vastly lowered and it was pretty much matched. No, it’s not horrible but in trying to satisfy fans and the general audience, the studio failed at both.
While The 33 certainly tells a compelling story, this film adaptation of it is a bit too paint-by-numbers and doesn’t come close to living up to the actual news coverage which from my recollection was nearly 24/7.
Godzilla version 2014 isn’t a bad movie, not by any stretch, but it didn’t quite meet its full potential. The visual effects are great and when Godzilla finally shows up on screen, 59-minutes in no less, the energy picks up only to get bogged down again with the human element which, despite some good actors (mainly Strathairn, Cranston and Watanabe), feels like a waste of time with minimal payoff either emotionally or thematically.
The Son of No One features two actors that seem to give it their all – Pacino and Liotta – with the others doing their best with what they have. The storyline doesn’t hold up too well and the gaps in logic are so huge that it’s hard to ignore. At best I’d recommend a rental but to keep expectations in check.