Ghostbusters Review

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth

The new all female Ghostbusters film is probably the most polarizing film in recent memory. Before it even came out in theaters, haters were slamming it on YouTube, calling it: unnecessary feminism, an unwanted reboot, and essentially, "the movie nobody wanted". It currently stands as the most disliked movie trailer in internet history. People wanted to "kill" this movie before it even had a chance to open. I wanted to see Ghostbusters for myself because I am a fan of the original. I distinctly remember the first time I saw it, and the wonder I felt. I was pretty intrigued when I heard the plans to gender-swap the main characters. I was never offended by the female update because of the talent in front of and behind the camera. Paul Feig directed Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy. Those are three very funny movies, and all good. Wiig and McCarthy are famous for being hilarious, and Leslie Jones's offbeat humor on SNL always brings a laugh. Jones, along with Kate McKinnon's pitch-perfect impression of Hillary Clinton, and her original characters on the same show sold the film for me. I'm always open. If they can do it and do it right, then I cannot argue with the effort to remake a classic movie, even if it's risky. And oh, they tried. It's unfortunate that it just wasn't as successful as it should have been. Because of this, the 2016 all female Ghostbusters fails on so many fronts, even if I was surprised that it wasn't completely terrible.

First, as always, I'll talk about what was good, and not just well-intentioned. There are a few salvageable pieces that are great. Kate McKinnon is absolutely hilarious. Her character is so goofy and crazy that her performance feels completely genuine. With all of her spot-on impressions and original characters on SNL, Ghostbusters proves she is simply a great character actor. Leslie Jones is also hilarious. I walked in with a small trepidation of her character. McCarthy, Wiig, and McKinnon's characters were all scientists, and Jones was the black one who "knew New York". That stereotype was a little worrying, but I'm happy to say it didn't play into the plot at all. She was a great asset to the team, and had some of the best jokes in the film. I was also surprised by Chris Hemsworth. He was outstanding as the dumb receptionist. While Annie Potts was a charismatic and competent source of laughs in the original, Hemsworth was a dumb "hot guy". Many of us know these guys exist, but I've never seen one put to film so accurately, and he gave so many laughs. The cameos in the movie were also some of the high points. While Bill Murray's cameo was a little disappointing and half-hearted (he wanted nothing to do with this film), appearances by Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, Dan Ackroyd, and Sigourney Weaver were some of the biggest laughs in the movie. The appearance of the famous ghost symbol, Slimer, and a very fitting nod to the late Harold Ramis also were very well executed scenes. The action sequences were also choreographed with a lot of physical humor and wit.  New York City was very well-realized, and I loved that the movie immersed me in a world that was its own, but still connected to the original. The movie was at its best when it was being witty, and connecting back to the original. This makes sense, as the original Ghostbusters is so witty and original. There is never a dry joke in the original film. Sadly, the humor is not this film's forte.

This film suffers from issues in its tone. It tries to be hilarious, and it just isn't. There was not one joke that really had me laughing, nor were there any jokes that stuck in my brain. That is the true failure of a comedy film. It also tries to switch from comedy to some serious sci-fi paranormal depictions. And it's simply not scary. Then it tries to give Kristen Wiig's character a serious motivation, giving her a backstory monologue complete with sob story music. And her story just isn't sad. I didn't feel for her character. The one thing Wiig always brings to her movies is a leading quality. She grounds her films with her characters, so I understand why she was cast. But she brings nothing to the table for comedy, which is disappointing because she's so funny! But nobody made my eyes roll more than Melissa McCarthy. Personally, I am so fed up with her humor. It's just not funny to me anymore. She's just yelling, and the jokes weren't even funny. I loved Spy, but that was a huge departure for her. I don't think she made me laugh even once, and boy, she tried very hard. That's the sad part of this movie, and how I would sum it up. It tries so hard. It tries to be true to the source material, which is admirable. It tries to pave a new wave of remakes forward, which is also admirable. But then it tries to tackle its haters...which is where it becomes so pitiful. There are extended scenes with the characters looking at YouTube and reading hateful comments out loud (comments on their work that mirrors the real hate for the trailer) and talking about how no one has faith in them, and women can do it, and they'll prove "the haters" wrong. The villain is also a one-dimensional, spiteful internet troll. Yes, they re-wrote the villain to be a nerdy guy who hates the Ghostbusters. It's just too on the nose. The film literally ends with the women looking at the New York skyline, tears in their eyes, saying "Well, that wasn't terrible, was it?" It's just trying too hard. I was looking for Ghostbusters to prove my worries wrong, yet all it did was blow them up in my face and mock those who held such criticisms.

Overall, there are some really promising parts of Ghostbusters. I truly believe the forces behind the film: the director, producers, and actors, tried very hard to make a good movie. But what I witnessed was a film that tried to hard to do everything at once, and had very little success. What should have been funny was not funny. What should have been intense was not intense. What should have been witty remarks at the skepticism of the female leads was instead overused mocking. It's disappointing, because I really was rooting for Ghostbusters. I have no problems with changing the men to women, because I think if it works with the right talent...who am I to complain? But this is different. The talent failed. Ghostbusters is, and will forever be, an example that classic films DO NOT need updates.

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