Ghostbusters (2016) | Film Review

“Dogs and cats, living together! Mass hysteria!”

That is what it’s been like waiting for a new Ghostbusters film to hit theaters. Fans of the original films have been clamoring for a new movie for well over two decades, but it just never seemed to happen. Speculation flew back and forth about whether or not it would ever happen, with most of the roadblocks put squarely at the feet (rightly or wrongly) of Bill Murray. But, when Harold Ramis died, all hope seemed to be lost. What would the Ghostbusters be without Egon and his undecipherable scientific gobbledygook? A new Ghostbusters film looked to be well and truly dead.

And then, from out of nowhere, news was announced a couple of years ago that there would indeed be a new Ghostbusters movie. There was much rejoicing. But, when the public learned that not only would it be a reboot, but a reboot featuring an entirely female cast of Ghostbusters, the rejoicing turned into a great gnashing of butthurt teeth. “What?” they screamed. “No Murray? No Dan Aykroyd? And they’re all chicks? No! This ain’t my Ghostbusters! Stop ruining my childhood, Hollywood!” As sad as all the initial kneejerk reactions were, they weren’t surprising. If the internet has a purpose, it’s to give voice to the anonymous masses and all of their many grievances.

Speaking only for myself, none of the news regarding the new movie bothered me. In fact, I was rather psyched. To start with, it was being directed and co-written by Paul Feig, whose previous films included the hysterical Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy. To make it even better, Melissa McCarthy – who’d worked with Feig on all three of those movies – would star, along with the very funny Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. That, my friends, is a rock solid lineup of comedic actors. Knowing they already had chemistry and history together across film and TV’s Saturday Night Live, satisfied me that this movie was in the right hands. A lot of folks didn’t feel the same way. Were they right, or was my quiet confidence the real winner? I guess that’s up to you to decide.

Now, having seen the movie with my own two eyes, I feel confident calling this new Ghostbusters movie a homerun. First off, this movie in no way tries to be the original. The story is entirely different, none of the new characters are copies of their predecessors, and the feel of the movie is all its own. My only real worry was that the film would feel small, as if everything was shot on a set or a stage, but in that I was wrong. The new Ghostbusters feels expansive, but I will say that the sense of New York being a character all its own in the original movie is missing a bit here. That said, there are very few dropped balls to be had, and most of them belong to Chris Hemsworth (pardon the pun or not, you decide). I really didn’t like his character, Kevin the pretty but boneheaded receptionist, for a variety of reasons.

That aside, I enjoyed myself immensely. McCarthy and Wiig play off each other like old friends should, McKinnon damn near steals every scene she’s in, and Jones holds her own just fine. I burst out laughing more times than I can count as jokes landed one after the other. The writing was sharp, the story original and fun, and the special effects were great. In fact, I actually recommend you see the 3D version. Much like what the Karl Urban Dredd movie did with projecting particle effects into the black space around the picture to give it a great sensation of depth, so does Feig employ the same idea, with proton streams and ectoplasm seeming to leap off the screen. You can tell the cast was having a blast as they fought one spectral bad guy after another, and Feig’s camera took it all in with joy. Great work from all concerned.

Now, a question some of you might be asking is whether or not any of the original cast makes an appearance in the movie. Sorry, but I’m not going to answer that, as it would ruin some pretty great moments (which, even saying that is too much). Just go see the movie!

And there we have it. I left the theater incredibly happy with what I saw, and I’m already planning a return trip. I hope all of you will go see it as well, because it’s well worth your time and money. Is it as good as the original movie? I can’t say, as that doesn’t interest me. The only film this movie has to be measured against is itself, and in that regard it’s great all on its own. If you can get that question out of your mind and judge the new Ghostbusters on its own merits, I think you’ll be pretty satisfied too.