New Ghostbusters

[Undertoad]

8/10, an enjoyable romp.

Ghostbusters 2 should have clued everyone in that the original was just impossible to duplicate. It just had a certain inexplicable charm, and was somehow perfect for its time.

This is a full reboot as if the original movies never happened; New York is surprised it has ghosts...

The trailer-haters were angry that it's women characters, because that's kind of social justice-y and unrealistic. They were also angry that the black woman character is stereotypically big and sassy, like if you have a black woman be one of these characters, she HAS to be big and sassy. I would actually agree with these complaints, but at the same time, the trailer emphasizes these things. Once you're IN the movie, it's big enough to carry everything along.

And these women are excellent, and make each character their own. And it's good to have someone bigger and sassier than Melissa McCarthy, who is such a strong comic actress that she's always in danger of taking that role, and stealing any scene she's in. This doesn't happen. All the characters are strong... I enjoyed them all.

There isn't a second of confusion, and very few false moments. The whole thing is visually appealing as well; all the ghosts are very well done. There are a few visual things that are, imo, way spookier than the originals. This is welcome. And all the cameos are delightful, although J did notice that Rick Moranis still isn't returning to Hollywood, and we miss him.

[glatt]

Good for them. I'm glad to hear it's a good movie.

I never viewed the original as some sacred thing, but at the same time, remakes are generally undesirable because they lack originality. The whole anti-woman thing was kinda dumb.

[Clodfobble]

Has anyone actually heard anyone bashing it for having women? All I have heard (and I've heart a lot of it) is people bashing these supposed people who are bashing women...

[DanaC]

I've seen a few rather depressing comments sections on movie news sites

And I did see an article by some MRA guy using Ghostbusters and Mad Max: Fury as evidence for the total emasculation of the media where even 'men's' films now centre round women.

[Sundae]

Hello hello.

Stopping by to tell you what I thought about the new Ghostbusters, as I have no-one to talk to about it here. Clod – I haven’t heard anyone react with the kind of vitriol I’ve read (mostly in quotes) online, but I have genuinely heard with my own ears people who have openly said they will not see the film because the leads are female. A few men I know, who I would not trust to recommend me any film or book, and one woman who I only know as someone’s wife, who believed the casting was a gimmick and refused to be suckered in.

I really enjoyed the film. I really, really enjoyed the film. I was always going to see it anyway, because Ghostbusters, but the fact that there were people actively trying to reduce the box office takings because the leads had vaginas, made me determined to see it in the cinema rather than wait for DVD or TV release. Still did it in the cheapest way possible (daytime discounted ticket, took own water and snack), but they got my £ and my head was counted.

I walked out with such an enormous smile on my face. I barely recognised myself in the toilets afterwards, the grin was so wide it nearly made my lips bleed. I enjoyed it as a spectacle. The set pieces were very good – loud, well-scored, visually arresting and a dizzying blend of styles. I like froth when it comes to film, so I couldn’t care less if the ghosts were 60s era in 70s Times Square in an 80s franchise or whatever it is I read in one review. I thought it was fun. The original didn’t seem too bothered about a theme which explained the traditional lady ghost in the library with the cartoon Slimer after all.

Personally, I didn’t get the racist vibe from Leslie Jones’ character. I read that it was written with another actress in mind – a white actress. Surely the fact that she was played by a black actress is a blow against racism – an actress cast for talent rather than colour? Because the criticisms I’ve read haven’t been that she is the “token” black woman, only that she plays the character with the least qualifications. But someone had to, it’s the way the team was put together. And she is smart, and funny, and brave. I would have played her second in the playground (more of who I would have played first below, but I’m sure you can guess).

I loved the fact that it aces the Bechdel test. Are any of these women married, in relationships, mothers? What did their fathers do? Did they inspire them to go into their current work? We don’t know! We don’t care! In the same way we didn’t know or care with Stantz, Spengler, Venkman or Zeddemore. The only back story involves a neighbour (who happens to be female, but could have been a pet for all it matters).

For me, Kate McKinnon’s Jillian Holtzmann stole the show, which is a pretty good ensemble piece otherwise. I just thought of her as Tank Girl. She was the one I wanted to be. She’s been accused of mugging for the camera. Sorry, was this supposed to be a knockabout Summer blockbuster, or a performance of Hedda Gabler? She made me laugh the most, and I did laugh – out loud – a good few times. And danced in my seat a little. And wanted to cheer, but the cinema was almost empty and anyway I didn’t want to miss anything. And put my hands over my mouth during one of Patti’s scenes…

It’s not a perfect film. But for me it ticked all the boxes for why I went to see it. It was enormously entertaining, feel-good and I felt better going out than I did going in. For all their sound and fury, I cannot say that about any other Summer blockbuster I’ve seen, even those I’ve considered worth the price of admission.

It is a far better heir to the original film than Ghostbusters II.
Yes, I missed Rick Moranis in cameo too, shame. Lovely to see Annie Potts again though.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by glatt

Good for them. I'm glad to hear it's a good movie.

I never viewed the original as some sacred thing, but at the same time, remakes are generally undesirable because they lack originality. The whole anti-woman thing was kinda dumb.

I'm glad it works as well. Maybe I'll see it streaming.

[DanaC]

Awesome review, Sundae.

She’s been accused of mugging for the camera. Sorry, was this supposed to be a knockabout Summer blockbuster, or a performance of Hedda Gabler?

I'm still chuckling at that.

Both UT's review and Sundae's make me want to go see this film. I wasn't massively drawn to seeing it, though was interested to see what happened with it and really, really hoping it would turn out well because of the furore over casting, but I am also a bit suspicious of remakes generally. But it sounds fun.

[Happy Monkey]

I thought it was very well done, with the minor exception of a big dance number that was obviously and untidily cut out. I suspect that cutting it was the right decision, but it's too bad that it was so integral to the climax that it couldn't be cut cleanly. But you get a glimpse of it in the end credits, which are actually a lot of fun throughout.

And yes, McKinnon stole the show. I especially loved her reaction to the first appearance of the hearse (pre-ecto-1). It was just a background reaction, but I have been smiling about it since the first trailer.