So, we just got back from watching the 2016 remake of “Ghostbusters”. There’s good, there’s bad.. All and all, I didn’t hate it and I really do think today’s kids will enjoy it.. Will I add this one to my collection? Mmmmm probably not.. but you came to read me knit pick, so, let’s throw up the Spoiler Alert and get going, shall we?
(Watch my initial review from outside the Theater on Youtube)
As you all know, the trailer for the 2016 remake of “Ghostbusters” was met with Massive outcry, a mess of Public Relations snafu’s and Director Paul Feig calling us all a bunch of “assholes” (i’m not exaggerating, he really did).
So, let’s break down the good, the bad and the ugly.
- Good: The acting. All of the protagonists where very good in their respective roles. The girls were funny and did the best they could have with the script.
- Bad: The script. Though the main plot points where good, there were some areas that did nothing to dispel the backlash by the internet. What do I mean by that? Let’s take a look..
- Women Good, Men Bad – There was not a single positive male role in the entire movie. Every man was either an asshole, or a complete idiot.
- They (Ghostbusters) defeat the antagonist (which i’ll get into in a minute) by shooting him in the balls.
- The Antagonist is.. From the short clips we saw in the trailer, I thought that it was the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man, but no.. it’s The Ghost from the Logo. Which appeared in a staggering display of cartoonish animation. Like from the old animated cartoon kind of animated.. it was really out of place.
- Good: Tribute to the late Harold Ramis. In the opening moments of the movie, we are in a university, and we see a bronze bust of Harold Ramis, as if he were an alumni of the school.
- Bad: Bill Murray Cameo – BFM plays a paranormal debunker who (briefly) tries to disprove the Ghostbuster’s youtube video.. before getting thrown out of a window by a ghost (implied to his death). The character is bland, uninspired and honestly it looked like he couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.
- Good: Ernie Hudson Cameo – Ernie makes an appearance at the end of the movie as the uncle of “Patty” who owns a funeral home. She’s stolen the hearse and he needs it back. He did a great job here for the short scene.
- Bad: Dan Akroyd Cameo – Dan makes an appearance as a Taxi Driver who argues with Ghostbuster “Gilbert” about not wanting to go that far south.. he mutters “I ain’t afraid of no ghosts” and takes off..
- Good: Annie Potts Cameo – Annie plays a hotel desk clerk and spouts out her line, in a thick brookynn accent “Wat Do ya What?” just as she did while answering the phones as Janine Melnitz in Ghostbusters (1984)
- Good: Sigourney Weaver Cameo – Sigourney plays the mentor of the brainy Ghostbuster “Holtzmann”, who is assisting in the construction of the Ghost Containment Unit
- Ugly: Those special effects. All of the ghosts looked like they step out of a Nickelodeon Scooby Doo movie.. too colorful, and not scary by any standards.
- Bad: Weapons. The Ghostbusters are given an array of new weaponry…
- The Ghost Chipper, which looked like a hand-held, mini wood chipper – this would indicate that ghosts have mass and physical form, in order for this thing to work
- Proton Gloves, for those times when you just gotta punch a ghost in the face
- The major issue I had here is that they used the proton streams (beams) like whips and ropes, tying up ghosts and tripping them, tossing them around.. or disintegrating them with the proton beam.. that’s not how it works. The beams are for containment until a trap can be put down.
There was a huge problem with this movie, and that’s a inconstant feel.. there are moments of good, but usually followed by just as many moments of stupidity and silliness. For example; Slimer. The beloved mascot of the Ghostbusters (animated) appears from out of a hot dog cart (taco cart, food cart, it’s not clear).. that in itself isn’t bad.. until he steals Ecto-1. Yes, Slimer carjacks Ecto-1.. oh but it gets better! A little later on, he comes back.. Ecto-1 is now filled with ghosts and weaving through the streets as if their having a drunken joyride… with a Female Slimer! Come on man, really?
Topping off the stupidity is Chris Hemsworth as “Kevin” who is dumb as a sack of rocks. He can’t even answer the phone! Was Annie Potts treated like this in the original? No, no she was not. She was over worked and frustrated (and constantly tormented by Venkman) but she was smart.
Adding to the Pre-Release hate, was the new re-made theme. A cover of “Ghostbusters” (by Ray Parker Jr) by Fall Out Boy. This version of the song was one of the worst covers I’ve ever heard. And I actually LOVE Covers. I love hearing another artists take on a song. But, this was over-produced garbage. And Sony must have heard us, because that Fall Out Boy version was only heard for a few moments. Probably just to fulfill their contract.
The song we were treated to for the ending credits and throughout the move was a cover by “Walk the Moon“, which was seriously better. If they had released Walk the Moon’s version, the reception would have been much much better.
You can hear it here..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMUf1QDQZl0
