Ghostbusters (2016)
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Karan Soni, Neil Casey, Chris Hemsworth
Directed by: Paul Feig
Written by: Paul Feig, Katie Dippold
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1 hr. 56 min
Two Cents:
On this trip to the theater I was joined by my brother, Andrew (40) and his daughter, Kaitlyn (15). Both, Andrew and myself had seen the original Ghostbusters (and love it), whereas, Kaitlyn had not.
Honestly, I was disappointed to hear they were remaking Ghostbusters, though not because they cast women in the lead roles. The first movie is (in my humble opinion) a classic, a near perfect film. Lightning in a bottle that even the original cast and crew couldn’t recreate with their sequel. For me, this movie is up there with the likes of E.T and Back to the Future, and should really be left alone. Those stories have been told as good as they can be in my opinion, and any attempt to revisit feels like a blatant cash grab.
But what can you do? Ghostbusters is a widely recognized brand, so it was only matter of time before a studio tried to cash in on it. I guess we all should get used to seeing our favorites remade every twenty or thirty years for a new generation. It’s not like it takes anything away from the original after all – Ghostbusters (1984) is still the best by far.
So, in a nutshell I thought the new Ghostbusters movie was okay. It’s a fun two-hour ride at the theater that will likely be forgotten until a sequel shows up. It’s respectful to the original but moves forward with a new story. Its villain isn’t anything special, but the chemistry between the four leads is energetic, and Kate McKinnon stands out as the quirky geek engineer, Jillian Holtzmann.
This new Ghostbusters movie is funny but not quotable, and the visual effects are decent. Fair-minded fans of the 1984 classic will be entertained by the original crew cameos, and newbies to busting ghosts will likely enjoy the new cast chemistry and Chris Hemsworth as their airhead receptionist.
Movie Prep:
If you enjoyed Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy, then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this too. Folks new to Ghostbusters will probably like this. Stay in your seats after the film, as there is an extra piece of footage shown at the end.
Best Element:
Kate McKinnon steals every scene she’s in. Chris Hemsworth is also very funny in this.
Ratings:
Andrew 4/5 – Kaitlyn 4.5/5 – My rating 3/5
I’m curious too – I’ve made a fuss about her watching the original so hopefully she’ll take the time.
I was in the same mold as you when a remake was announced. I was interested or looking forward to a remake or a classic. However I have been nicely surprised by the great reviews this has been receiving, especially after all the negativity it has been getting before release. It is interesting to see your niece giving this such a big score. I wonder how she would compare this to the original movie if she watched it?