Intriguing visuals can’t save a slow-developing plot that features only a handful of unimpressive action sequences. I haven’t read any of the manga or watched any of the animated versions of this franchise, so I can only judge the film on its own merits. While there are some strong visuals throughout the movie, after one or two scenes featuring building-sized holographic advertisements, it just feels repetitive and a bit distracting. The story starts off interesting, but a large portion of the film sees not much happening. The third act finally reveals most of the mysteries and things start to pick up, but the finale is somewhat anticlimactic. Scarlett Johansson is able to make her character interesting despite the lack of backstory. However, the rest of the cast is underdeveloped. They have cool looks, but they don’t add all that much to the story. The action is lacking. It never delivers anything memorable.
** out of *****