If Deadpool's marketing campaign is the most brilliant in recent memory, then Ghostbusters' is the most abysmal, as the trailers have been nothing special. The mediocre marketing material was a call to arms for internet haters as they soon defiled the film for various reasons: some against the idea of rebooting a film as classic as 1984's Ghostbusters, others weren't content with the idea of female Ghostbusters, and then there was everyone that just thought it simply didn't look funny. I myself wasn't impressed with anything I saw from the film's promotional material and was expecting to walk out disgusted but I actually left with a smile. All it takes is a willingness to accept something different.
I promise this film won't ruin your childhood as many haters are screaming out that this film is an abomination without even really giving it the chance to prove them wrong. Trust me, Ghostbusters 2 already plunged this franchise down the toilet, and I can guarantee this is much better than Ghostbusters 2. Ghostbusters has a similar premise as the original but a whole new set of circumstances for our heroines as they all must band together to fight some ghosts. Keep in mind it's a reboot not a remake, meaning it doesn't retell the story we're familiar with by substituting the male characters for female ones but actually jumpstarts a new continuity.
Paul Feig, the director of Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy, takes up the responsibility of directing and manages to effectively pay homage to the 1984 classic while establishing a new world to bust ghosts in. This reboot is not connected to any of the Ghostbusters films that have come before but keep your eyes peeled for original cast members because almost each original cast member is featured at one point or another in delightful cameo appearances. They even found a clever way to pay proper respect to Harold Ramis after his recent tragic passing two years ago.
However with all the obvious nods to the original, it's hard not to draw comparisons and I wish this incarnation had firmly planted it's feet and stood more confidently on its own. I wasn't personally bothered by the references, I actually really enjoyed them, but in some moments it just felt like Feig was trying to appease the fanbase rather than draw in a wide appeal with anything substantially new. Feig also manages to expertly blend the horror and comedy genre with scenes that sent chills down your spine and others that left me laughing hysterically.
In addition to helming the paranormal comedy, Feig penned the screenplay alongside Katie Dippold and their dialogue is witty, smart and a surprising amount is directed towards internet haters had me dying of laughter due to the self referential nature of the humor. I laughed quite often, so I think Feig drummed up enough quality material to bring about an infectiously enjoyable cinematic experience.
The visual effects are a sight to behold and a vast improvement over the original, although that's expected given the progression in technology since then. The visual renderings that popped to me were the proton streams and the ghosts themselves. There are ghosts like Slimer that look incredible, and then the other ghosts have a "sameness" of a sapphire sheen. I would have preferred a wider variety of color that could have splashed across the screen when the ghosts invade New York, but the azure aesthetic looked fine.
The film even has it's fare share of remarkable practical effects including the slime and all the Ghostbustin' gear such as the proton packs, Ecto-1, and other various new supernatural weaponry. With that being said, I did actually think the effects looked great across the board and effectively meshed with Feig's new Ghostbustin' world.
The film's third act also boasts some surprisingly cool action that channels tons of fun with the classic pop-synth of the "Ghostbusters", on that note there's like four versions of the classic hit in the film. Only the classic truly sticks, but the other arrangements serve their purpose of contributing to the infectiously fun tone.
Despite my previous concerns about this female cast, I will say they all knocked my socks off playing against their typical type casting (ie. Leslie Jones just yells really loud and Melissa McCarthy plays a grouchy character). The chemistry between the four woman is tantalizing and helps to draw the viewer into this new world with their intriguing dynamics. One thing I do think the film's casting improves upon is that the group dynamic between the four ladies feels more cohesive as opposed to the focus on Murray and the decision to all, but ignore Hudson in the original making a massive imbalance among the team. I was also relieved to see these woman weren't female versions of the original male team and got to stand on their won as unique individual characters in this new universe.
Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy ground the flick with their touching friendship as Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, bringing both emotion and humor to the proceedings. Leslie Jones plays the everywoman of the group as Patty Tolan, an MTA worker with extensive knowledge of New York, and brings more relatable characteristics as the non-scientist allowing for a decent amount of laughs. I see many critics raving that Leslie Jones was a standout but I can't agree as I found her to be just fine in the role. I was relieved to see she wasn't a cookie cutter negative black stereotype and was perceived as an actual person who was extremely knowledgable about the historical significance of New York's streets.
Of the four leading ladies, it's Kate McKinnon who steals the show with the zany personality she injects in Jillian Holtzmann, and has one of the best action scenes in the entire film when she takes down a bunch of ghosts with her proton pistols.
The film has it's fair share of supporting men where Chris Hemsworth proves he has comedic chops as Kevin, a dimwitted beefcake receptionist. I truly hope next year's Thor: Ragnarok will utilize Hemsworth in a comedic capacity because he excels in that arena. Other male supporting cast members I enjoyed included Game of Throne's Charles Dance, The Office's Zach Woods, and Deadpool's Karan Soni. Meanwhile in the antagonist camp, Neil Casey brings an awkward anti-social Rowan North, unfortunately a villain whose not the least bit compelling.
When it comes down to it, Ghostbusters is harmless entertainment that won't ruin your childhood or disparage the legacy of the franchise but actually glorifies it's predecessor and leaves you wanting more of this new team and their adventures together. Reboots are difficult to traverse as they will always be compared to the original, while there are rare times when a reboot proves to be even better (ie. Star Trek) they typically fall a little short of the original's glory. I don't think this new adaptation was better than the 1984 classic, but I can say the film was wildly entertaining and defied my expectations, so I recommend true fans of 1984's Ghostbusters to give these ladies a call.
