Ghostbusters
Released 7/15/16
"Who you gonna call?"
Ah, yes!, The famous tagline of what is now considered Ivan Reitman's 1984 classic horror/comedy (emphasis on comedy). Almost universally praised, there's no denying it's remembered fondly in many hearts and minds.
Then, there's the recently released 2016 remake which is the subject of the current review. The press on this has been less than kind in many circles. Pre-release, many moviegoers considered it a little less desirable than getting your fingers slammed in a car door and a little more desirable than death itself.
In fact, the 2016 version from director Paul Feig has one of the most unusual divides between critics and moviegoers that I've seen for a Summer blockbuster with critics primarily giving the thumbs up and audiences just hammering it. Now, I'm not a licensed critic (do they have licenses?). And, I've often vehemently disagreed with them in many instances. I'm just an average moviegoer like most of you. But, the amount of vitriol that has come this film's way from moviegoing audiences has been jarring. I think I've heard just about everything from all associated with the film trying to push a feminist agenda to not being funny to being a man-hating bore of a movie. And note, most of this came before the movie's release. Even people who have praised it have been accused of being paid off by the studio.
So, as I will be posting this review to multiple sites, let me just say I have no agenda here except to give you my honest opinion on a movie I just recently saw. If you're one with a pre-formed opinion, or, one who has seen it and developed a strong opinion either positive or negative, there isn't much I can say that will influence you. Instead, I address those of you who are on the fence about it. Is the new Ghostbusters a blockbuster of Avatar proportions, or, is it destined to be the worst bomb since Ishtar?
If you go into this film thinking it will be a frame-by-frame retelling of its 1984 ancestor, you would be mistaken. We start with Dr. Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), a professor of Physics at Columbia University. Her perfect life is about to be shattered when a book she co-authored with a former colleague on paranormal investigation surfaces threatening her position at the university. Wanting desperately to have the book retracted, Erin confronts her former friend and colleague, Dr. Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), and Yates' new partner, Dr. Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), an eccentric, but, brilliant engineer.
Ghostly activity brings Erin back into the fold with the other two scientists as the three encounter violent paranormal occurrences throughout New York. Enlisting the aid of streetwise city transportation worker, Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), the four women uncover a plot concocted by a man named Rowan who is attempting to amp the supernatural activity to bring about the apocalypse. If this genius psychopath isn't enough, the newly formed "Ghostbusters" have to fight the tide of public opinion believing them to be frauds.
So, here's the million dollar question (one of them at least). Will the new Ghostbusters make you forget about the 1984 original? No. But, that doesn't mean you want to put your eyes out with a red hot poker either. Now, I'm going to say something some may find controversial. The original Ghostbusters has millions of fans and rightfully so. But, while I thought it was very good, I never thought it was great. As a matter of fact, it doesn't crack my top 25 of all time. It may just sneak into my top 40. In fact, it might only just crack my top 25 all time comedies. In other words, I've never thought of Ghostbusters as a sacred cow that could never dare be touched. If the 1984 version didn't exist at all, I think the 2016 version would be just fine with audiences. There is really nothing in the film that's absolutely abominable. It's crime is daring to retell a story that's considered a classic.
There are a couple of danger areas that I read about prior to seeing Ghostbusters. Let's address the first one, lack of chemistry between the four leading ladies. I never had that sense as I was watching it. As a matter of fact, the one character I thought I would despise going in turned out to be less abrasive and obnoxious as advertised in the trailers. That would be Leslie Jones' Patty Tolan. Don't get me wrong, she had her cringeworthy moments , but, there aren't nearly as many as you think. Her eye-rolling moments are pretty much what you see in the trailers. If that's enough to turn you off, so be it. But, again, she's not as overbearing as you might think.
In a departure from the norm, both McCarthy and Wiig don't drive the movie's comedy train. As madcap as both can be, they fall more into the supporting comedy roles even though they are the two biggest stars in the film. As a comparison, you can think of them as taking the Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis roles in the in the original. They're silly, but, not goofy.
Goofy is reserved for Kate McKinnon's morbidly peculiar mad scientist. There's nothing she can't build. There's also nothing she builds that doesn't make you fear for your life. Dr. Holtzmann is always "on." I don't think she has one serious moment in the film. Of the four heroes, she is the comic relief. But, even as strange and as she is, there's one character that brings the laughter arguably more than she does.
Now when you think comedy, Chris Hemsworth doesn't readily come to mind. If he does, you have a very vivid imagination. But, here's the real eye opener. He's actually pretty good at it. Kind of playing to his own stereotype, he's the Ghostbusters' pretty boy secretary who is dumb as a box of rocks. Actually, I think I might be insulting the rocks. And, this isn't the first time Hemsworth has been decent in a comedic role. There probably aren't many who saw last year's remake of Vacation. His brief time onscreen was also one of that film's standout moments. I'm not saying Chris is the next Eddie Murphy, but, he does have some comic timing. And, seeing that his recent roles outside of Thor haven't garnered much attention, comedy might be an option for him.
So, back to the chemistry issue, I never felt that any of the cast reacted awkwardly to each other. How funny they are together, that's up to the movie watcher. I thought the cast bounced off each other just fine.
As far as a man-bashing feminist manifesto as I have also heard was a problem with this film, I didn't quite get that vibe from it either. Yes, Chris Hemsworth is a moron. But, Feig and company are playing with a comedic stereotype. Andy Garcia who plays the mayor in the film is a smarmy jerk. But, so, is his yes-man assistant. Who happens to be a woman, by the way. However, they did shoot the big monster substituting for the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in the crotch with their proton packs, so, take that how you like I suppose.
Speaking of proton packs, I think one thing this film improved on was the offensive capabilities of the Ghostbusters' weapons. Grenades, gauntlets, pistols, and proton whips are part of the new arsenal. I also thought it was good idea not to do a frame-by-frame replication of the original. If this is going to stand on its own as a new franchise for Sony, it needs to have its own unique voice which I think was accomplished. There's still more than enough here that definitively says "Ghostbusters." And, even if you are the nostalgic type, you have several cameos from the original GB crew to chew on.
The action moves the film along consistently. It offers some disturbing apparitions that creep you out a little bit. But, staying true to its comic roots, you also get cartoonishly absurd images that definitely wouldn't pass in a true horror movie. But, it's Ghostbusters and not true horror, right?
Now, on to some things that didn't quite work. I think the villain, Rowan (Neil Casey), was weak sauce. I didn't quite grasp the motivation he had, and, he wasn't interesting enough to work without a decent motivation for pulling off his scheme. He's just a genius nerd who happens to have an obsession with the occult. And, then there's the new take on the Ray Parker, Jr. theme song. I have no idea what they were going for here. It's not modern, it's not cool. It's every bit as bad as the GB2 theme song by Bobby Brown.
Overall, the new Ghostbusters is not a classic. It doesn't have a great villain. It doesn't have any instantly memorable dialogue. As you know, the original is filled with it. But, there is nothing I found hideously wrong with the remake. Mine is just one opinion of course. I'm not going to try to change anyone's opinion for the better or worst. I can't. As polarizing as this movie is, everyone has their own reasons for feeling the way they do. Again, this is not the audience I'm speaking to.
I'm speaking to those who aren't quite sure. The ones who have curiosity. Ultimately, you will make up your own mind as to how well it stands up to the original. For me, at least, it was a good time at the movies. It's solid entertainment. If you're curious, you can do worse than this.
The Dark Lord of the Sith says:
***1/2 stars
Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Worth a look. Better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. I'm doing my happy dance!
5 *= Pure eye candy. I have seen the top of the mountain, and it is good
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