GHOSTBUSTERS

Reviewed by GREG KING

Director: Paul Feig

Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Neil Casey, Andy Garcia, Charles Dance, Zach Woods, Steve Higgins, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, Katie Dippold, Michael McDonald, Michael Kenneth Williams, Matt Walsh, Cecily Strong.

Hollywood has a nasty habit of trampling on the memories of our youth by remaking some of the classics of yesteryear, and in most cases stuffing them up beyond belief. They may justify this by saying that the remake opens an otherwise forgotten film up to a brand new audience. The latest classic to get the remake treatment is the Ivan Reitman 1984 cult classic Ghostbusters, which undergoes a transformation with a female ensemble cast front and centre. But despite the misogynist naysayers who have been venting their spleen on social media since the film was announced, it works – up to a point.
The new look Ghostbusters comprise Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) an academic whose past as a ghosthunter comes back to haunt her just as she is about to gain tenure at Columbia University; Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), her former childhood friend who has continued her pursuit of paranormal activity; and Jillian Holtzmann (SNL‘s Kate McKinnon), a gleefully irreverent scientist with a talent for creating useful apparatus and high tech weaponry. They join forces to battle the spectral phenomena haunting New York, and form the nucleus of the Ghostbusters.
Eventually they are joined by Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), a history buff and former railroad employee who has her own experience with a frightening ghost, and is keen to kick some supernatural butt, and Kevin (Chris Hemsworth), the somewhat simple and bespectacled himbo who becomes their receptionist.
Their first investigation takes them to the historic Aldridge mansion which seems to be haunted. A second incident sees them tackle a spectral figure that haunts a historic theatre where a rock concert is being staged. The nerdy Rowan (Neil Casey), a misanthropic loser angry at the world for perceived slights, is assembling a collection of ghosts which he is planning to unleash on the city. He is using Erin and Abby’s book as a reference tool.
Despite their early successes though, the city’s image obsessed mayor (a wasted Andy Garcia), who is aware of the threats posed by the undead, is anxious to avoid widespread panic and is happy to see the team branded as frauds.
While not the complete disaster that the social media trolls have speculated, the film is passable enough entertainment. Special effects have come a long way in the thirty years since the original Ghostbusters, and here the climax overdoses on CGI created ghosts, gooey ectoplasm, spectral figures and light shows.
The producers have tried to appease the fan boys angry at this remake by enticing several of the surviving original cast members to contribute cameos – thus we get a typically droll but bored looking Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver popping up in small roles to prove that the film has their seal of approval. Or else they got paid a shipload of money to appear.
Written by comic Katie Dippold (MADtv, etc), this new take on Ghostbusters works as a sort of origins story while loosely following the narrative arc of the original. And there are a few sly homages to the original film as well, such as a brief reprise of the familiar theme song from Ray Parker jr, the iconic firehouse, the converted hearse, plenty of green slime, and of course the familiar logo, etc.
Director Paul Feig has in the past managed to get the best out of McCarthy in their previous collaborations (Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy), but here she seems uncharacteristically demure. Most of what she says is not particularly funny, but she does get in some great physical humour. It is left to the rest of the cast to do most of the heavy lifting with the funny stuff. Wiig has a nicely deadpan approach to the silly stuff here that works well, and she offers a contrast to the over the top mugging of McCarthy. I actually enjoyed McKinnon, who delivers comic gold. She brought vitality and a sassy attitude to her role, and was one of the best things here with a scene stealing performance. Jones brings a boisterous energy and aggressive style to her role as Patty.

And showing a surprising affinity for comedy, the hunky Hemsworth has fun as Kevin, who utters some of the film’s dumbest lines. And there are a few sly jokes at his expense. He also provides some eye candy for Erin who drools over him. The principal cast actually develop a nice chemistry and energy that lifts the material. And some of their dialogue smacks of having been improvised on the set.
However, Casey’s villainous character is underwritten and bland, and his motivation remains a bit sketchy.
Like the original the film makes New York a character itself with some iconic locations nicely photographed by Robert Yeoman. (Although Boston stands in for New York.) And Yeoman actually makes some of the 3D effects work, with images that leap off the screen.
This estrogen-fuelled new take on Ghostbusters works well for those unfamiliar with the original, and while not awful, it is disappointing and lazy. However, Ghostbusters is a little too long and the pacing is a little uneven and the pace occasionally flags.
And in a move that smacks of optimism, the ending leaves the way open for a sequel to kickstart a potential new franchise should the film do well at the box office.
★★☆