It's fair to say that Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot has been shrouded in a mist of controversy since it's announcement only to be hit by a tsunami of hatred. Before I get into the review I'd just like to say that it doesn't matter how much you like the 1984 original, you don't have the right to be a dick to people! Be it a racist dick, a sexist dick or just a general dick! Either on the internet or in person. The fact that Leslie Jones has had to quit Twitter because of bullying and harassment is shameful! As a successful comedian and actress she deserves our respect, getting a starring role in a major Hollywood movie is an incredible achievement. Leslie Jones is by far the best thing about this movie, she steals the show in every scene she's in and I look forward to seeing her in more movies. Ok rant over, let's talk about Ghostbusters.
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| The new crew |
I've seen the movie twice, once in 3D and once in 4DX. For my thoughts on 4DX click here. Scientists Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) team up with street smart subway worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) to investigate amplified paranormal activity in New York City. The writers combined basic plot lines from the 1984 original and the 2009 video game with a brand new story. In the face of great opposition not dissimilar to that faced by the cast and crew here in the real world, the Ghostbusters must figure out what's going on before it's too late.
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| The ghosts look great |
I'm obligated to point out that I'm not allowed to be too critical of this movie because my girlfriend loved it. Paul Feig and co. have shown a lot of creativity by bringing something new to the screen that's respectful of the original. Ghostbusters does feel like a fresh take on the story rather than being a total rehash. With great CGI, the ghosts look great, especially when combined with practical slime effects. Some have criticised the look of the ghosts but I think they suit the tone of the movie and with a 12A rating they can't look too scary. The movie also looks really good in 3D. There are plenty of references to the original including cameo appearances by the cast, as well as Slimer, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and a nice tribute to Harold Ramis.
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| The new ECTO-1 |
Ghostbusters is definitely not a bad movie, I didn't come out of the cinema feeling pissed off. The problem for me is that the story was more slapstick, cartoonish comedy, whereas the original felt more like real life with comedic elements. It's the same with the characters, I can honestly see Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Zeddmore existing in real life whereas the new crew are more like cartoon characters. But the new cast all deliver good performances, particularly Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth as Kevin, the Ghostbusters' useless receptionist and Neil Casey as the incredibly creepy Rowan. The original cast's cameos were interesting, Bill Murray takes on what can only be described as a Walter Peck type role and he does very well with it. Dan Aykroyd's role was very short but also very funny. I felt they could have done more with the roles given to Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver, in fact Weaver's was just a waste of a great actor.
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| Kevin, the Ghostbusters' useless Receptionist |
I think Mr Sunday Movies said it best when he said that Ghostbusters would be remembered more for the shit storm surrounding it than the movie itself. The movie does have a lot going for it; it's funny, it's got a great cast, great director and great special effects. Clearly a lot of hard work has gone into this movie and it deserves to do well, it will hopefully create a whole new generation of Ghostbusters fans. But for someone like me, who's grown up watching Venkman, Stantz, Spengler and Zeddmore save the world, Ghostbusters (2016) will never live up to the original.
What did you think of Ghostbusters and the shit storm surrounding it? Leave a comment below or find us on FaceBook and Twitter. Use the hash tag #LoveforLeslieJ to show your support for Leslie Jones.
I thought it was a good film, comedy didn't really grab me to start with as it was mostly bitching women! But it got going and I thought it was a sympathetic remake which was always going to be a hard nut to crack. But they made a decent hit at it. And the end credits were quite noteworthy! Overall I would give it at solid 7/10
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