New Ghostbusters Needs Less Of The Original
Has any movie in the past 10-15 years hit theaters as loaded with expectation as Ghostbusters? Is it possible to watch Ghostbusters with an unbiased eye? Or to watch it without making comparisons to the original movies?
No; mostly; not a chance.
More important, is it as awful as the internet predicted based on the trailers?
Nope. Overall, Ghostbusters is decent. Not great, not terrible, and certainly not deserving of the online hatred heaped on it. It’s funny, though it could easily have been funnier. The leads are solid and well-cast. The CGI is generally quite good. The plot is relatively predictable, and the plot holes aren’t excessive for a sci-fi movie. There are a few stand-outs and a few “what were they thinking” moments.
In other words, Ghostbusters is a typical Hollywood summer blockbuster. If you walk into the theater with the mindset “I’m going to see a reasonably entertaining big-budget summer horror-comedy,” there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy the ride.
Particle physicist Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids) is reunited with her estranged friend, paranormal researcher Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids) after discovering that the book about ghosts they co-authored is selling on Amazon. A conveniently-timed ghost sighting draws them to their first supernatural encounter, along with research assistant and engineer par excellence Jillian Holtzmann (a hyperkinetic Kate McKinnon, SNL). They team up to study the escalating phenomena. Transit worker Patty Tolan, a very funny and fairly restrained Leslie Jones (SNL) stops by their lab to report an apparition in a subway tunnel, and talks her way onto the team. They quickly discover that perennial loser with a chip on his shoulder Rowan North (Neil Casey, SNL) is hatching a plot to get back at everyone who ever teased him by releasing a plague of ghosts. Can the Ghostbusters deal with a vacuous mayor, a PR-focused city official determined to discredit them, and a massive spectral infestation howling through a landmark Manhattan building and save the city?
If that sounds fairly familiar, it is. Ghostbusters is full of nods to the original movies, with cameos, subtle references and fan-favorite ghosts galore. Much like how Star Wars: The Force Awakens succeeded in large part through familiar story arcs and situations, Ghostbusters leans heavily on the character dynamics, predictable story, and combination of comedy and PG-rated horror that made the original 1984 Ghostbusters such a hit. It introduces new characters and new villains while echoing many of the same beats and action sequences as the original. And it occasionally turns the nostalgia up to 11, with scenes like the one in the vacant Hook & Ladder #8 building. It reminded me of the first appearance of the Millennium Falcon in SW:TFA, intended for maximum brand recognition and delighted shrieking from the audience.
Tropes abound
That reliance on the old sometimes prevents the new from shining on its own. The original Ghostbusters certainly didn’t invent the “rag-tag team of unlikely heroes saves the day” trope, but it would have been nice if the new movie had found ways to update it. Sure, our new Ghostbusting team is all women. Does the team have to be The Wise-Cracking One, The Brainy One, The Genius Engineer, and The African-American Blue-Collar Worker? Did the villain have to be such a milquetoast, a weak-tea version of Rick Moranis’s Louis Tully?
The cameos by original Ghostbusters actors are largely amusing. Some of their appearances feel more organic than others, and several supernatural favorites from the original Ghostbusters make appearances. But for the most part, both human and paranormal cameos feel calculated for maximum nostalgia rather than integral to the movie.
Conversely, Chris Hemsworth’s (The Avengers) Kevin is a welcome addition. Flipping the “dumb blonde eye candy” trope, he plays the sexy, clueless, occasionally shirtless receptionist. While it’s almost obligatory to have someone in Annie Potts’ receptionist role, Hemsworth plays against his usual type with such obvious glee that it hardly matters. He overplays the hapless beefcake schtick at times — covering his eyes whenever he hears a loud noise is funny once — but it’s worth it to see him brandishing his shirtless headshots. Who knew Thor had comedy chops?
Other small standouts include the brilliant casting in several minor but notable parts. Ed Begley Jr. and Zach Woods (The Office) are extremely funny riffing off each other. Andy Garcia is superb as the fatuous, grinning, empty-suit mayor, as is Cecily Strong (SNL) as his PR flack. My hands-down favorite: Tywin Lannister (sorry, Charles Dance) as the dean of Columbia’s physics department. It’s a throwaway role no doubt created as an excuse to feature his patrician British pomposity.
Ultimately, it feels like a remake, though I’d hesitate to call it one. Rather, it’s as if writer/director Paul Fieg (Bridesmaids, Freaks & Geeks) released New Ghostbusters, Chapter One: Origin Story, kicking off the new franchise with deep, nostalgic roots in the old one. If he had relied a bit less on the patterns set by the originals and given it more of his unique, funny voice, this decent, serviceable movie would have been all the better for it.
If you’re of the opinion that Ghostbusters is an unholy abomination, nothing I write will sway that opinion. But if you’re on the fence about seeing Ghostbusters, go for it; it’s a fun, entertaining, harmless summer popcorn movie. If nothing else, you’ll be able to praise it or mock it with conviction. And be sure to stay through the final credits for the easter egg.
Ghostbusters (Columbia Pictures, PG-13): B-
