Ghostbusters and Me: I Ain’t Afraid of No Reboot
(Ed. note: While our review of Ghostbusters was free of spoilers as always, this opinion piece is not. Be warned.)
In my days as a film student, there was a particularly frustrating conversation that I used to have — or have directed at me — over and over. It went something like this:
Me: “Actually, I haven’t seen (pop culture classic).”
Other person: “What?!? You haven’t seen (pop culture classic)?!? You HAVE to watch it…”
Seems innocent enough, but as a person working through the physical and mental rigors of a film program, sometimes you just need to take a break. I’ve seen enough Silent Era Russian Communist Propaganda for the day, maybe I just want to hang out outside? I don’t doubt that (insert pop culture classic) has merit. I just don’t feel like absorbing one more piece of media because someone told me to.
Now, I make another shocking confession: I don’t recall ever seeing the original Ghostbusters all the way through. I’ve seen parts of it here and there. I must have also seen the cartoon, as I recall having a kiddie crush on Egon Spengler. But that’s really it. The franchise exists in some sort of distant haze for me. I know it’s beloved. I see the local cosplay groups at conventions and online. My husband’s best friend is an avid fan. I’ve watched the fan film they made as kids. I get it. It’s big. It’s a sacred thing in pop culture. But it doesn’t hold any emotional investment for me. It was with this attitude that I went to see the 2016 version of Ghostbusters.
If anything, my excitement was for the cast. I’m a big fan of Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Cecily Strong on Saturday Night Live. And long before Bridesmaids or Mike & Molly, I was enjoying the talents of Melissa McCarthy on Gilmore Girls. I was excited to see their take on this type of story.
The problems
Let’s get the ugly stuff out of the way first. The storytelling had some seriously clunky parts. A good script is supposed to be a series of scenes that drive the plot forward. Instead, sometimes this one just felt like a series of events strung together. Most notably for me, the scene after the women leave the mayor’s office. Where do we go from here? Not to an alley to introduce a bunch of new tech just because we need to see it ahead of the final fight scene. If anything, I would have love to see Holtzmann (McKinnon) awkwardly push the items on the other ladies as a secondary action during the other expository scenes. Then, when all comes together in that last fight, it’s the payoff to something we didn’t realize was building all along.
I also took issue with the scene inside the Mercado lobby. As the big-bad in the final encounter, Rowan, was growing larger and larger, the ladies just stood there. It reminds me of playing Resident Evil 5, where numerous times we watch bosses transform, but the characters wait to shoot until the transformation is complete. We all know that this situation is not going to improve. Shoot it, shoot it now before it gets too big and … never mind.
But I don’t want to judge the story too harshly. Plenty of films have plot holes and story issues. If this film didn’t carry the name Ghostbusters, would it still receive the same amount of harsh criticism?
There’s a reason some people wish they could see their favorite movie again for the first time. It’s exhilarating to be transported to a new world, with new characters that speak to something inside of you. That feeling is nearly impossible to recapture upon subsequent viewings.
In a similar way, I think reboots are hard-pressed to thrill an existing fandom. Back in film school, I heard a theory that no two people would make the same movie the same way. Even two directors would interpret the exact same script differently. How then can we compare a reboot with a completely different script and cast, set 30+ years later?
The positives
I love summer action/adventure movies. Its fun to get swept up in that oh-so-cool moment when the music kicks in and our hero(ines) get down to work. But Ghostbusters did something for me that no other film in memory has done. It took me on that fun ride, but with heroines that were not ultra-glamorous icons of sex and mainstream beauty ideals. Instead, it was a group of women of a variety of body types, all wearing coveralls and boots. These women relied on intellect, courage, and each other to make it through. They made saving the world look good. And they didn’t need to look like Alice from the Resident Evil series or Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider films to do so.
I wish I could show 12-year old me this film. I want to show that awkward girl who was better at schoolwork than makeup a story about women like this. Women who learn to be true to themselves, even if the rest of world looks down on you for it. That they let their geek flags fly and were better off for it. Would I have been encouraged to nurture what was unique about me, even in the face of criticism? Would I be reminded that it doesn’t matter even if the whole city thinks you’re a liar, but even so to hold fast to the truth? And I thought I was just going to see a comedic reboot of a classic 1980’s film.
What I saw was a film that was fun — imperfect, but fun. I had a good time going on this journey with these women who showed that conventional beauty stereotypes can take a back seat to ingenuity and teamwork. I look forward to the next installment, and to watching this first one again.
And yes, annoying person from my past, I will be sure to sit down and watch the original. Probably while researching a Jillian Holtzmann cosplay. My 12-year old self would approve.
