Ghost in the Shell is not coming to the live-action arena in the most appealing way, but there's nevertheless plenty to look forward to in the justifiably criticized retelling. Though there are, indeed, dozens of Asian actresses who could have played the role of The Major, I'm at least vaguely fascinated to see what Scarlett Johansson does with the role, though she always tends to do her best work when she more, not less, animated. Snow White and the Huntsman wasn't particularly entertaining or insightful but Rupert Sanders definitely has a vision and the movie already looks like a visual delight. In short, I'm going to grin and bear it and try to save judgment until the movie gets into the theater.

Speaking of suffering in the hopes of discovery, Entertainment Tonight recently did a set visit to the New Zealand set of Ghost in the Shell. The good news is there's some brief bits of footage and some behind-the-scenes shots of The Major and Batou (Pilou Asbaek) getting into a gun fight in their pretty sleek cars. The bad news is that you have to suffer the ET reporter ask Johansson about her "wig" and how she thinks her daughter will look upon her roles. Johansson plays along ably, making this marginally less painful to watch, and for that, I thank her. For those who haven't given up on the project already, it's worth the wincing.

Here's the ET video from the set of Ghost in the Shell:

For more on Ghost in the Shell, check out coverage from Steve Weintraub’s set visit:

• ‘Ghost in the Shell’: Everything You Need to Know about Hollywood’s Gritty, “Sexy” Adaptation
• ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Star Scarlett Johansson on Bringing the Iconic Series to Life
• ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Producer Reveals What Storylines They Chose for the Live-Action Film

Here's the official synopsis for Ghost in the Shell:

Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, “GHOST IN THE SHELL” follows 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 Robotics advancements in cyber technology.