Retrospective Review: 'Alien: Resurrection'

My trek through the Alien Anthology nears its end with my Retrospective Review of Alien: Resurrection. My remaining Alien reviews for the week include a Throwback Thursday Review of Prometheus and a review of Alien: Covenant which should be uploaded in the next couple days.

'Alien: Resurrection' Review

Alien: Resurrection takes place 200 years after Ellen Ripley sacrificed herself to prevent another alien outbreak. Scientists at space station Auriga have successfully created a clone of Ripley along with the alien queen embryo inside her, with plans to breed and militarize the Xenomorph spawn. The Betty, a freighter hauling mercenaries and unconscious human cargo, arrives at the installation and things go awry as the aliens escape, prompting yet another extraterrestrial engagement.

Alien: Resurrection was another desperate attempt to prolong the Alien franchise after Alien 3 supposedly wrapped things up. Jean-Pierre Jeunet took over the helm as director while Joss Whedon penned the screenplay (it's crazy to imagine that this is where the writer-director of The Avengers was just beginning). From those two differing creative voices, it's not too surprising that Resurrection wound up tonally conflicted. Jeunet wanted to take things seriously like Alien, while Whedon was going after a more lighthearted affair akin to Aliens.

Those two clashing perspectives doomed the project from the start because the kindest thing I can say about Resurrection is also probably the worst. Resurrection is one of those middling movies that's so bad that it's good. You'll find it difficult to keep a straight face amidst the most outrageous, absolutely absurd situations occurring onscreen.

Whedon had actually originally written the script to be quite different with a cloned teenage Newt (the young girl from Aliens) as the lead but somehow Sigourney Weaver was brought back around and she was forced into the narrative. On that note, I find the decision to clone Ripley for the purposes of breeding an alien army to be nearly as idiotic as the multiple attempts to revive dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park flicks. If you're an intellectual aware that there have been at least three incidents involving Xenomorphs that left practically no survivors, why in the world would you try to make more of them? I understand the characters' greed outweighed their logic but it's really just a cheap ploy to bring back another alien, otherwise these movies couldn't happen (and in this case it probably shouldn't have). And it didn't help the film that the French director didn't speak a lick of English, I can imagine how much of a logistics nightmare this project must have been based on that fact alone. You can tell that Jeunet had a tough time directing and the creative clash behind the scenes because everything's so tonally inconsistent.

The talented ensemble don't ooze an ounce of charisma and are really just playing hollow caricatures rather than fleshed out characters. Whedon's dialogue would probably sound better if it were coming from more charismatic actor but the straight-panned dialogue delivery slaughters the intent.

Even Sigourney Weaver is bad in this movie, playing an over-the-top sex-driven freak rather than the badass heroine we've come to love. Weaver's Ripley 8 is only a shadow of her former self and I unfortunately could not bring myself to care about her character in the slightest. The basketball scene's more than enough to drive home my point (if you've watched Resurrection, you'll know what I mean). Winona Ryder goes a bit too far in the robotic direction as the android engineer Call, resulting in one of her worst performances I've ever seen. Dominique Pinon, Ron Perlman, Gary Dourdan, Michael Wincott, and Kim Flowers fill out the remains Betty crew members as the disabled doofus Dom Vriess, ill-tempered Ron Johner, cold blooded Gary Christie, cocky captain Frank Elgyn, and the sexy Sabra Hillard. Each actor strings out a one-note performance with their hollow vessels, failing to add an ounce of interest. 

While I've brought up plenty of negatives, I actually found a COUPLE improvements from Alien 3. For starters, the Xenomorphs actually looked menacing as they should when they appeared. Although they pop up far too often to be an effective tool, it's much better than the effects atrocity in Alien 3. The production design matched the Alien aesthetic and let itself well to everything occurring onscreen. There's also an underwater sequence that was fairly delightful and thrilling that I quite enjoyed.

Other than those few worthwhile elements, there's not really any other positive things I can say. The score composed by John Frizzell honors his namesake as a frantic, frizzled mess of music but doesn't mesh well with ongoing events and the monstrosity that is "The Newborn" is one of the worst looking creatures I think I've ever laid eyes upon. I have no idea why that was ever perceived to be frightening by a studio exec, especially considering that they had one of the most horrifying cinematic creatures at their disposal. Alien: Resurrection aimed to restore the franchise, but wound up driving the Alien Anthology further into its grave.

Film Assessment: F

Retrospective Review: 'Alien 3'

Today I'm wading the troubled waters of reviewing Alien 3. I will be including some slight spoilers, so you've been forewarned. If you're curious what else I have in store, you can expect a Retrospective Review of Alien: Resurrection, a Throwback Thursday Review of Prometheus, and a review on Alien: Covenant all to be uploaded this week. 

'Alien 3' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects.

Ellen Ripley is once again the sole survivor of this story when a piece of her ship carrying the cryo-sleep chambers mysteriously crash lands on Fiorina 161, a desolate planet housing a maximum security prison. There she encounters pious prisoners and their skeptical sentries, whom she must convince to trust in her regarding the potential alien contagion. It's fairly well known that Alien 3 had an especially troubled production process. The fact it would have to follow up sci-fi classics Alien and Aliens was a daunting task in-of-itself, but somehow good did indeed come from Alien 3.

Thanks to the middling movie, David Fincher was enveloped into the filmmaking community after successfully supervising a series of successful music videos. Fincher has since gone on to craft a number of wellregarded works I hope to review in the near future such as Fight Club, Se7en, and The Social Network. Unfortunately, Alien 3 wasn't the feature film directorial debut Fincher or any person would imagine it to have been considering Fincher had little-to-no control over the project.

While I've reviewed other films where studios intervened on behalf of making a profit like Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, or Fantastic Four (2015), Alien 3 is different in the sense that it's difficult to trace what decisions stemmed from where. Normally I'm able to have some reasonable idea where certain ideas originated (typically from either the writer or director), but Alien 3's a different case altogether. Some information has gone public such as Sigourney Weaver bearing her Academy Award nomination for her performance in Aliens as creative leverage and early drafts of alternate versions of the project but no real explanation behind everything that happened. It's probably most simply explained by the fact the studio interfered and that's that. Therefore, I'll be dissecting pieces of the film but won't really be able to properly credit any specific individual(s) so this review may be a little jumbled and hard to follow.

Alien 3's script is credited to David Giler, Walter Hill, and Larry Ferguson in the screenplay division with a story supposedly molded by Vincent Ward. It's impossible to tell how much control these individuals really had over the script though. To briefly take a detour from all the behind the scenes drama, I've got to admit that there are some interesting ideas buried underneath the script. The idea that an alien's chemistry changes based off the organism it's birthed from opens the door to infinitesimal possibilities (ie. when the alien emerges from the dog/ox depending on what version you watch). The sudden and immediate death/deactivation of your favorite surviving Aliens characters may boil your blood and Weaver's anti-arms insistence doesn't really make much sense considering Ripley's in a maximum security prison, but these creative choices raise the stakes and make the situation even more terrifying.

Of course somehow an alien is involved, because otherwise the title couldn't bear the Alien Anthology monicker, but it makes absolutely no sense when you sit back and think about Alien 3 as a successor to Aliens. I find it incredibly impossible to believe that Ripley wouldn't have thoroughly examined the ship for any semblance of alien life after defeating the alien queen and going back into cryo-sleep. Also, the characters in Alien 3 are mainly morose and sink into the solemn setting. I legitimately can't remember or really distinguish any of the characters other than Ripley, Dillon, and Clemens and I watched Alien 3 only last night. Alien 3 is a film devoid of joy or hope, which actually sort of works with the foreboding backdrop but doesn't allow for a particularly enjoyable or even nerve-racking experience. If you're not invested in the hollow personas running about on screen, it's difficult to latch onto the story even with Ripley at its center. Even the cinematography from Alex Thomson is bleak and unforgiving.

Elsewhere, the special effects in Alien 3 are absolutely atrocious. When the Xenomorph is prancing about the prison, the puppet never meshes in with his corresponding background due to poor green-screen work and it actually looks worse than any effect from Alien or Aliens. The practical costumed Xenomorph seems like a better alternative now, when you view how well that iteration help up in the preceding chapters. Alien 3's score composed by Elliot Goldenthal feels far removed from the story being told. The compositions could potentially stand apart from the film, but the end result is a little jarring when the two are pieced together.

The performances on the other hand are unfortunately as jumbled as the film itself. Sigourney Weaver paints Ripley in an unsettled frantic state, pursuing the Xenomorphic paranoia that would logically accompany anyone who had experienced the former film's events. I'm not sure Weaver's capable of a truly bad performance so her portrayal certainly does the film a few favors. I especially like how her arc comes full circle as she's unhinged and distressed that the one thing that's taken everything away from her is inside her. The fact the soon-to-be alien queen is the only thing keeping the Xenomorph from munching her down is one of the fascinating concepts at the surface of the film and I like how that enables a complex characterization for Weaver to work with. Charles Dance and Charles S. Dutton each offer appropriate attributes to the compassionate chief medical officer Jonathan Clemens and devout religious leader Leonard Dillon but the remaining ensemble's littered actors portraying disposable detainees. 

In conclusion, Alien 3 could have turned out far worse but is a disappointing continuation of Ripley's story due to the lack of any distinctive creative voice. Even with titillating ideas buried underneath the surface, Alien 3 found itself befoul of a parasitic relationship more dangerous than the titular beast; money hungry studio heads.

Film Assessment: C-

Retrospective Review: 'Aliens'

I've been a little busy this weekend, but here's my Retrospective Review of Aliens. Once again there will be spoilers but seeing as this film's thirty one years old and a huge influence on both pop culture and science fiction, I find it hard to believe anyone would be troubled by that. My Retrospective Reviews of Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection are coming shortly this week along with a Throwback Thursday Review of Prometheus and a review on Alien: Covenant. 

'Aliens' Review

Nominated For: Best Actress; Sigourney Weaver, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Original Score. 

Won: Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Editing.

Aliens opens with Ripley still in cryo-slumber, floating adrift in space only to be discovered and rescued by a deep space salvage team. Ripley's woken up to discover she's been asleep for fifty seven years and is brought on as a consultant when marines are sent to investigate the lost contact with the colony on LV-426, the planet where Ripley's crew initially encountered the alien eggs. Aliens takes the traditional sequel route by striving to up the scale, stakes, and spectacle of Alien. However, Aliens differentiates itself from Alien in regards to picking up the science-fiction action monicker rather than continuing onward with sci-fi suspense. 

Writer-director James Cameron wisely maintained the suspenseful undertone set by Ridley Scott in Alien but instead of recreating the claustrophobic atmosphere, Cameron turns the premise on its head. The marines must not only deal with one alien, but hundreds of aliens and their horrifying queen. If you thought one Xenomorph was frightening, imagine an entire army hell-bent on expansion and protection. That's where Aliens excels as a sequel, it doesn't try to reinvent the wheel or explore new worlds. Aliens takes what worked initially, revisits a familiar territory, and dials it up to eleven. This time there's no slow burn, things just happen. And as I've already attested to, the horror element is maintained simply by the inclusion of the aliens. 

The script was headed primarily by Cameron, who received some story assistance from David Giller and Walter Hill, and the trio successfully transferred the engaging elements while removing the natural constraints of Alien's self-contained narrative. I consider that feat alone to be an outstanding accomplishment because the containment of Alien's story was the reason that film works so well, breaking down the barriers and allowing more breathing room would seemingly be the last thing creative forces would consider when furthering the Alien franchise yet it payed off tremendously. The aesthetic and reverberations that are seen and heard in Aliens not only echo the effects from 1979's Alien, the technical execution of Aliens lends a sense of authenticity to the sci-fi story. The Xenomorphs are still terrifying based solely on appearance alone, and the sheer quantity of them is more than enough to unhinge a composed individual. 

The production design and visual effects grant LV-426 a sense of ambiguity that you'd expect any planet in the far reaches of space to project while the sound design steadily sweeps an auditory uneasiness. James Horner, may he rest in peace, created a superb science-fi score that coalesces creepy void compositions that slowly escalate into a frenzy of intensity. Merely the sound of Horner's score in my ears while writing this review was enough to get my heart racing, not even to say how well it works when paired with onscreen occurrences. Aside from the obvious alterations made by Cameron and crew, I find Ripley's PTSD to be a fascinatingly authentic exploration of her character. Ripley's role is exceptionally written and incredibly acted, Weaver was nominated for an Oscar for crying out loud! 

Sigourney Weaver instills a motherly instinct, sensible nature, and inherent grit, which you think would be a fine line to walk but Weaver successfully balances the tightrope with relative ease. Carrie Henn plays Newt, the child found among the wreckage and sole survivor of the LV-426 colony, and instead of offering a naive perception Henn lends a soft-spoken sensibility that explains how she survived. Weaver and Henn pair together perfectly as the surrogate mother/daughter relationship that truly drives this film. Lance Henriksen is also worth mentioning for his turn as the well-intentioned android Bishop. 

The militant marines conisist of Al Matthews, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, and Michael Biehn as snide Sergeant Apone, prankster Private Hudson, tough as nails Private Vasquez, and solemn Corporal Hicks respectively. I've gotta say that it was pretty sad to see Bill Paxton onscreen delivering one of his trademark lines "Game over, man. Game over!" so shortly after his death, may he rest in peace. 

In conclusion, Aliens holds up just as well as Alien. I have a slight preference for Alien over Aliens, but even I am aware of its triumphs as a successful sci-fi sequel. Aliens favors upping the ante over exploring the unmapped reaches of space and it pays off to what I can only assume has become a template studios have attempted to study and replicate when furthering their franchises.

Film Assessment: A+

Retrospective Review: 'Alien'

Today I'm introducing a new form of review called a Retrospective Review. The basic idea is to provide another opportunity for me to review older films aside from Throwback Thursday Reviews as these reviews won't always tie into a corresponding release. However, the first couple Retrospective Reviews are all coming this week as an excuse for me to review the Alien Anthology, seeing as my Throwback Thursday Review schedule didn't have enough room built into it to review any of the Alien films. This week I'm reviewing all four Alien films' theatrical cuts and will save my thoughts on the respective Director's Cuts for another review down the line so be on the lookout for an Aliens review soon. Also, there will be some spoilers in the review considering the film's age and popularity.

'Alien' Review

Nominated For: Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.
Won: Best Visual Effects.

Alien escorts the crew of commercial space-vessel Nostromo as they are awakened from cryo-sleep to investigate an intergalactic SOS. The crew board the alien starship and stumble across a nest of eggs when suddenly a parasitic organism leaps out, attaching itself to one of the crew members. The crew return to the ship and are able to remove the face-hugger, only to discover the creature spawned offspring when a little alien bursts out of Kane's chest and retreats into the ship's depths. The crew are left to fight for their lives as they're picked off one-by-one by the ever-evolving extraterrestrial.

Alien is widely regarded to be one of the best sci-fi horror outings ever created, considered a true hallmark of the science fiction/horror genre. Alien was directed by Ridley Scott, an unproved directorial commodity at the time who has since more than made his mark on science fiction. Scott understood that the task at hand didn't simply call upon him to make a "scary" movie but to authenticate tension over the course of two hours. The tense atmosphere of Alien is one that slowly creeps up on you, not unlike the titular Xenomorph, building and building for a quick release only to further escalate that foundation. The sense of uneasiness derives from a concoction of every technical element on display; the remarkable visual effects, the grungy production design, the vacant score, and the smart screenplay.

The special effects in Alien are timeless, it's been 38 years since Alien was first released yet the aesthetic still works. The creature design remains creepy as ever, the filthy set design projects the guise the ship's been lived in, and the production design, editing, and cinematography meld seamlessly enhancing the claustrophobic nature of the Nostromo. Jerry Goldsmith's spacial score mimicks the vacuum of space with a void sound at the film's start, steadily crescendoing to communicate a sense of unease in the film's more precarious moments. Goldsmith's compositions effectively transition between conveying a sense of comfort and urgency instantaneously, and the steady build of suspense allows for successful scares and a swelling of anxiety throughout the two hour runtime.

Screenwriters Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett set the stage for a slow burn but as I've already attested to, the build pays off exceptionally well. O'Bannon and Shusett also cleverly wrote the proceedings so that you're not quite sure who the true protagonist is for a large portion of the plot proceedings. While that's grown increasingly more common amidst the horror genre, I thought it worked even better than usual in Alien. The writing duo do an admirable job crafting the crew as the dynamic between them adds further authenticity to their individual roles onboard the ship and the bond they share.

The crew's chemistry works no only thanks to the script but the powerful performances on display. Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto make up the company of the Nostromo and each provides a unique role in the story and an innate likability so you feel for these characters.

Weaver in particular stands out as Ripley, in-large part because she survives the whole she-bang but also because Ripley's such a fantastic female character. It's not too often that franchise bolster a female lead and even when they do, they typically succumb to tropes of a poorly written female character. However, Ripley's a strong female character that's not an annoyance or sex appeal. Ripley's an everyday woman placed in a scary situation but maintains a clear head throughout, following protocol at every turn. Weaver brings a levelheaded nature and a sense of relatable paranoia to her character that sucks you into the ongoing events.

Other actors who deserve an additional shoutout include Ian Holm's eerie portrayal of an analytical android Ash, Tom Skerritt's charming Captain Dallas, and Bolaji Badejo for making a menacing movie monster of the Xenomorph. In summary, Alien has truly stood the test of time. After thirty eight years Alien still chills and thrills, cementing its status as a magnum opus of sci-fi horror.

Film Assessment: A+

'A Monster Calls' Review

In A Monster Calls single mother Lizzie O'Malley is diagnosed with a terminal illness and her son Conor must deal with this amidst being bullied at school, tolerating his indifferent mournful grandmother, and trying to forge a stronger connection with his absentee father. One evening Conor is approached by an unexpected ally, The Monster, who will guide him on learning the importance of courage, belief, and truth through the telling of three terrific tales.

A Monster Calls adapts the novel of the same name written by Patrick Ness, who also penned the screenplay, based on an original idea by Siobhan Dowd and while I haven't read the source material, I found the story to be incredibly heartfelt. J.A. Bayona directs the fantastical tearjerker and in collaboration with writer Patrick Ness maintains a nice balance of maturity and creativity communicating the narrative through a child's eyes.

By framing everything from Conor's perspective, Bayona is simultaneously able to explore the imaginative and keep things emotionally grounded by showing what's meaningful to Conor, making the film's final moments all the more impactful. A Monster Calls features a wide range of inventive imagery from the visual effects department with resplendent water color vignettes imagining the Monster's stories similar to the Deathly Hallows sequence in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and a remarkably realistic looking CGI Monster that will undoubtedly be compared to Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, while the real world visuals are exceptionally well-shot by cinematographer Oscar Faura.

One of the script's greatest strengths however is that Patrick Ness has a devout understanding of Conor as a character, providing a transparent window into his profound connection with his mother. Ness' wise choice to engage the viewer from Conor's eyes keep things focused on what's important to Conor and the story, never compromising the character arc by leaving the answers to some story threads up to the viewers' interpretation such as the origin of The Monster.

These unanswered questions may vex some viewers but I think it's a bold choice that doubles down and proves Conor to be a crucial centerpiece of the narrative. While the film's ending is in sight for a majority of the running time, I promise that you won't be prepared for the film's heartbreaking conclusion (bring tissues) and that's just another testament to Ness' strength as a writer and the outstanding performances showcased. It's incredible how fleshed out the world and characters are despite being presented from the viewpoint of a child, a rare occurrence in Hollywood.

I've attested to the sincere performances delivered by the gifted ensemble but perhaps the brightest standout is Lewis MacDougall's Conor. MacDougall puts forth one of the most sentimental and tender child-performances I've seen in recent memory and deservingly joins the ever-growing list of rising stars. MacDougall imbues Conor with a vast emotional range that's exceedingly authentic for how a child of that age would react to personal trauma and continues to amaze by making a 30 foot Monster seem real through everything from simple facial reactions to casual conversationalist dialogue. The Monster itself is something to be applauded as Liam Neeson's gravelly vocals and the stunning animation work hand-in-hand to bring yet another talking tree to cinemas. And one can't forget the talented supporting ensemble of Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, and Toby Kebbell as Conor's Mum, Dad, and Grandma respectively, each making the most of every moment onscreen.

A Monster Calls doesn't just pluck the heart strings, it stretches them out over the course of the first two acts before unmercifully ripping them apart in the film's concluding thirty minutes. That's not to say that A Monster Calls is emotionally manipulative but rather speaks for the passionate and poignant strength of the writing, direction, and performances on display.

Film Assessment: A-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Ghostbusters 2'

Sorry for the late review as I watch both Ghostbusters 2 and Swiss Army Man Thursday and really felt Swiss Army Man was worth raving about, so I prioritized that review. This week brings with it the much talked about 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, so I found it only appropriate to review the pre-existing Ghostbusters films by shedding light on how I perceived Ghostbusters 2. Next week will see the release of Star Trek Beyond so I will review that and as a Throwback Thursday Review will review Star Trek Into Darkness and the following week Jason Bourne is being released so I will finish out my series of Bourne reviews with The Bourne Legacy.

'Ghostbusters 2' Review

In 1984 Ghostbusters took the world by storm, and became a phenomena so it only makes sense that a sequel would be a great idea. And I'm sure it was from a business standpoint, but the execution falls flat. Ghostbusters 2 picks up five years after the original, the team are supposed phonies again and have gone their separate ways while remaining in contact with one another. After a series of events the team must again unite to protect the city from ghosts. and the plot is basically the same of that in Ghostbusters only sloppily executed.

The one strength of the film is it's effects, and even those are half as great as the effects in the original because at least those held up to a degree. The screenplay crafted by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis feels like a regurgitation of their writing for the original with less charm. The dialogue is cheesier, the stakes feel lower, and the plot is just ridiculous.

The entire film rides on purple ooze fueled by the hatred of New Yorkers so to defeat it the Ghostbusters must invoke a positive spirit across the city. Yes, it's that dumb. And it didn't help that the film wasn't very funny either as I hardly even chuckled throughout the one hour fifty minute runtime. I couldn't even rely on the "Ghostbusters" song to put a smile on my face as this film features a cover of it that was lacking compared to the original.

Ivan Reitman helms the sequel and unfortunate isn't able to recreate the magic that occurred in 1984. What saves the flick from being a true disaster is that they were able to reunite the cast of the original and even they are half-baked versions of their former selves. Bill Murray's charisma wasn't enough this time as he's merely a more arrogant version of Dr. Peter Venkman. Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis inject the same cowardly and geeky personas to Dr. Raymond Stantz and Dr. Egon Spengler respectively failing to bring anything different to their characters. Ernie Hudson is faintly seen or heard once again as Winson Zeddmore but he brings a few laughs with his limited dialogue. 

Sigourney Weaver's Dana Barrett feels more flat as she's written to be a fairly one-dimensional over concerned mother as she passes the damsel in distress to Barrett's baby son for him to be the fellow in fear. Annie Potts is a more sexualized version of the catty secretary she brought in Ghostbusters while Rick Moranis is even more of a wimp and he brings the best moments in Ghostbusters 2.

Sequels rarely live up to the original and sadly Ghostbusters 2 doesn't either. What went wrong with Ghostbusters 2 is a mystery, but I can tell that in all departments the team responsible weren't spirited enough to even try to make a decent followup.

Film Assessment: D-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Ghostbusters' (1984)

This week I'm reviewing the original Ghostbusters (1984) in the leadup to next weekend's Ghostbusters reboot and next Thursday will be reviewing Ghostbusters 2 so I will have reviewed all the Ghostbusters films released thus far as Sony currently has plans for a Ghostbusters shared cinematic universe. The following week I will review Star Trek Into Darkness to coincide with Star Trek Beyond's release and the next week will finish out my review of Bourne reviews with a Throwback Thursday Review of The Bourne Legacy correlating with the release of Jason Bourne. In the meantime, reviews you can expect in the following weeks include The Legend of Tarzan, The Secret Life Of Pets, Ghostbusters, Star Trek Beyond, and Jason Bourne at the very least.

'Ghostbusters' (1984) Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song "Ghostbusters" (written by Ray Parker Jr.). 

In 1984 a new pop culture phenomena was born with the summer release of Ghostbusters. What makes it a phenomena? I'm sure if I asked the question "Who you gonna call?" many would instantly retort "Ghostbusters!" thanks to the catchy lyrics of the haunting memorable Academy Award nominated song from Ray Parker Jr. and that's certainly some evidence that the film was a hit.

Ghostbusters finds three scientists embarking to become paranormal exterminators after they've been deemed charlatans by the university funding them. After a successful capture of a grotesque green ghost, the ghost-bustin' service begins to resonate with the public and rockets the scientists into unseen heights of popularity. However the Ghostbusters must prepare for the worst when supernatural forces invade New York City.

The mystic comedy is directed and produced by Ivan Reitman and Reitman was able to bring both a psychic supernatural aura and lighthearted fun to the film making for a very interesting mesh of tone and genre. Reitman works well with his amusing ensemble and screenwriting duo of Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis (two of the actual Ghostbusters and prominent characters) to fabricate a humorous turn of events with some witty one-liners.

The visual effects and production design also bring a great deal of fun to the procedures with whacky ghosts ranging from the freakish emerald ghost Slimer to the ginormous Stay Puft Marshmallow Man that look quite authentic. The effects overall surprisingly held up nicely with only a few dated special effects sequences and even those weren't bad. The film may not have much of an actual score, the song "Ghostbusters" is just a hoot all around thanks to some poppy synth, a catchy tune, and lyrics everyone is familiar with.

The film's magic originates with the talented cast. Bill Murray leads the proceedings as Dr. Peter Venkman, a womanizing parapsychology professor out to make a quick buck and hopefully a female companion. Murray gets the best material out of the bunch of Ghostbusters and shines throughout thanks to his great comedic talents. His chemistry opposite the other Ghostbusters and Sigourney Weaver's damsel in distress Dana Barrett is electric as all the actors work brilliantly off one another bringing along some great character dynamics for the ride.

Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis' roles are smaller than one would expect given the two wrote the blockbuster but both are terrific in their own right as the cowardly Dr. Raymond Stantz and geeky Dr. Egon Spengler respectively. Ernie Hudson fills out the core cast as the fourth Ghostbuster Winston Zeddmore, the "Average Joe" of the group who's incentivized by making a quick buck, and while he may be added into the foregoing events later than the others, Hudson manages to make his own lasting mark. It's very noticeable that he has the least material and screen time of the cast and even gets nearly last billing which I speculate is a result of racial undertones of the 80's.

As for the supporting players, Sigourney Weaver is an interesting love interest as Dana Barrett opposite Murray's Venkman given she doesn't fall for his charm initially, while Annie Potts is a convincing reserved receptionist, Rick Moranis plays a wimpy creep, and William Atherton is a pesky EPA inspector. While Ghostbusters primarily puts Bill Murray in the spotlight, the other actors prove their worth with memorable characters that will put a smile on your face.

Ghostbusters may not be a perfect movie, but it's certainly a classic comedy with great comedic talent from it's amusing cast, great direction, witty one-liners, and nice special effects. Anytime I need a good paranormal chuckle, I know exactly who I'm gonna call, 1984's Ghostbusters.

Film Assessment: A-