Ghostbusters - movie review
Plot: Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon
Director: Paul Feig
Rating: 12A (moderate threat, infrequent crude references)
Runtime: 1hr 56 mins
Release Date: Monday 11th July 2016
Controversial doesn't even begin to describe the publicity of the new Ghostbusters film. When it was announced that a new film was to be made rebooting the series, fans weren't sure of how it would turn out. Paul Feig was then hired as director and fans calmed a little. This director has a pretty solid past in comedy and is a self-confessed Ghostbusters fan. However, after that, it all went very wrong. Feig revealed that the four new Ghostbusters would be played by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. The one common factor? They're all women. This sent fans mental with rage. Finally, the trailer was released. To say it was hated is an understatement. At the time of writing this review, it is the most disliked movie trailer of all time. I'm not kidding. There are ISIS videos with less dislikes than this.
Look, writing a review for this was never going to be easy. I've seen other reviews (whether it be blogs or videos) that have been disliked no matter what their opinions on the film may be. If someone liked the film, they're told they're wrong and lying. If someone didn't like the film, they're told they're sexist pigs that can't respect women in lead roles. Even if you were indifferent to the film, you're told to stop sitting on the fence and make up your mind. For me, unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the new Ghostbusters. But before anyone starts commenting below calling me sexist and a misogynist, I should say that a) I have no problem with females in the lead roles, in fact, I'm all for it, and b) I actually wanted Ghostbusters to be good. I hate how this film has become a place for the cesspool of human beings to gather and troll others for simply giving their opinion. Most have actually gone to the extreme of giving it bad scores on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes when they actually haven't seen the film. This goes out to all the idiots who, not just attack the film's cast and crew, but reviewers who are simply expressing their own personal views; Shut The Fuck Up! Honestly, I didn't like this film but at this point, I find myself defending it.
Now, to actually get on with my review. As I said, the four leads I admire very much and it's nice to see them have this platform to perform on. My issue is that whilst I find most of them very funny, they aren't in Ghostbusters. McCarthy leads the pack as Abby. Just so you know, I am not the hugest fan of Melissa McCarthy. I find her funny in some films but it's her choice of films that lets her down rather than her comedic talent. She's the star of Bridesmaids but I simply cannot stand Tammy. However, the one constant for her is whenever she teams up with Paul Feig. That is, until now. McCarthy doesn't fall into her usual trap of performing the same schtick but everything about her is so bland and formulaic. The humour from her character just didn't work. Kristen Wiig is also another actress who has proven to me that she is one of the best comedic actresses ever. She's witty and funny and I thought she might have been the standout of this. Instead, she's just OK. She suffers the same problems as McCarthy with her character not being that interesting and most of her humour feeling awkward and out of place. I think the main issue for both of these talented actresses is their improvisation. It was clear to me when they went off script because they spent too long riffing off one another that they kept trying for a joke that never played out. It's like seeing a kid playing football but constantly misses the goal. At one point, you should give him a helping hand and get him back on track. Throughout this new Ghostbusters, there were only two really good things that stopped me from monumentally disliking this film. One of those factors was Kate McKinnon. If you haven't seen any of her sketches from Saturday Night Live, it's worth a watch. She is a breath of fresh air and actually made me laugh. McKinnon's character of Holtzman isn't the most normal of characters and definitely has a screw loose but she manages to balance the mad scientist act and endearing friend to where it actually works. I did think she plays it up too much a little and there still are quite a few jokes from her that just don't work.
The final member of the Ghostbusters squad is Leslie Jones and she had me worried. From the trailers, all it seemed to show Jones do was scream and shout. She certainly does that in the film but not as much as you'd think. Her character adds a switch up from the scientists but again, I never thought she was funny. Much like McKinnon, Jones is hilarious in Saturday Night Live but here, I found her jokes really unfunny and basic. Whilst I liked McKinnon in the role, all four actresses lacked something that the original Ghostbusters had; Character. I really enjoy the 1984 Ghostbusters but I don't have that nostalgia about it which is why I didn't react the way some did at the announcement of a reboot, however, the four leads (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson) all stood out as unique individuals with their own little quirks. Here, Abby and Erin (Wiig) are very similar but never feel like fully realised characters. Perhaps the biggest surprise of Ghostbusters (other than it being a bad film) was Chris Hemsworth. Other than Thor, he hasn't overwhelming impressed me with his other projects (Rush being the exception). I can wholeheartedly say that Chris Hemsworth was the funniest thing in the film and that's a bittersweet comment to make considering that this stars very funny and talented comedians. His role as Kevin could be interpreted as being very sexist or annoying, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find him funny. Sure, after the umpteenth dumb gag, he did start to bore me but the majority of this film's few laughs came from Hemsworth. We also get a ridiculous amount of cameos that I won't spoil, but even they weren't funny. In fact, for some of them, it becomes a disservice to the original. Why bombard us with cameos from the past when you're trying to stand on your own?
With Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy under his resume, I thought Ghostbusters was going to be a sure hit with Paul Feig in control. Again, just my opinion, but I think that this goes to show that even the most talented of directors can have an 'off-day". I like Paul Feig, I really do but I think he struggled with such a large property. There were so many conflicting tones throughout that it never found what it wanted to be. Did it want to be a Ghostbusters film? It certainly tried but it could never capture the magic and enjoyment. Did it want to be a family film? At times, yes with throwaway gags for kids but then again, no with jokes about queefing. You read that correctly, queefing. Did it want to be a raunchy comedy? In places because that's what Ghostbusters is about isn't it? *Insert sarcasm here*. Or did it want to be a Paul Feig film? Not really because his films made me laugh. What I'm saying is that Feig most likely had all this pressure on him but I can't help but feel he buckled. The only laughs I had came from two characters and even I started to get tired of them. The others failed to produce a single chuckle from me and I can't help but feel utterly disappointed with that because I truly wanted to love this movie. As for the story, much like the humour, there isn't any. There's an attempt at one but I feel like Feig and his writers spent so much time figuring out what jokes to include, that the story was rushed together at the last minute. To make it even more troublesome, the film thinks it cleverer than it actually is. It does this by throwing in so many scientific terms to the point where it comes off as obnoxious. They know we don't understand half of what they're saying but yet they continue with it thinking it's funny. Newsflash! It isn't. There is palpable chemistry between the Ghostbusters but that should have been electric chemistry.
The reasons for them all meeting follow a basic formation story and the villain is really bad. I'm talking Jar Jar Binks bad. "Actually Luke, Jar Jar was never a villain. He-" Shh! Jar Jar is most definitely a bad guy. The villain in Ghostbusters is called Rowan. Doesn't that name just make you shudder? Half the time, I was hoping Rowan Atkinson might make an appearance. The rate the cameos were going, it's plausible. His plan wasn't anything special (literally, it's just releasing ghosts everywhere) and the way he's played is like a socially awkward teen that you see in the corner at parties muttering to himself and then twenty years later is in jail. Honestly, I've seen more compelling villains in cartoons. Dr. Doofenshmirtz would have made a much better antagonist. And guess what? He's actually funny. The effects of the ghosts had me really undecided. Obviously there was no attempt to make them look realistic and some do look fairly impressive. One near the opening of the film was the best. However, at the climax of the film, it was a case of many extras being covered in neon glowing lights and then a few effects added to them. But do NOT get me started on Slimer. He is probably one of my favourite things from the original and I am gobsmacked as to what they've done to him in this film. Minor spoiler here but they give him a girlfriend as they go joy riding in a car. Oof. That cut deep guys. They even find a way to ruin the theme song. I like Fall Out Boy and I know I'm probably treading on thin ice here, but their rendition of the song with Missy Elliot is awful. It actually made me wish that the Chipmunks would cover it instead. As per usual with most films now, there is an after credits scene that teases a sequel (Yay) but my advice to you is this; if you liked the film stay around because you might enjoy what they tease. If you're like me and didn't like this film, run. Honestly, get out of there as fast as you can because what it teases could make you even more upset.
I into Ghostbusters praying for this film to be good. I'd even settle for it to be average. I wanted the trailers to be wrong but what if I told you that a large percentage of the best jokes were shown in the trailer? This was a huge letdown for me, not just because of the brand name, but for the talent involved. I hardly laughed and as a reboot, it was pointless. A reboot should ideally equal or better the previous films (Star Trek, Casino Royale). Ghostbusters doesn't even come close.
My Verdict: 3/10
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