Ghostbusters (2016)

[Plain Old Tele]

Discuss.

 

But let's collectively try not to turn this into a dumpster fire, okay? We'd hate to blast you with a particle thrower.

[antovolk]

Just below SPY for me but yeah this is actually pretty good. Very fun, cast chemistry is great, believe the hype about Hemsworth and McKinnon, and I have to say I much prefer the approach and tone Feig goes for here compared to the original.

Life of Pi esque 3D effects for IMAX (according to credits it is indeed just for IMAX) are pretty cool as well.

In any case, good job and consider me on board for what Ghost Corps are doing next.

[somebody85]

3 hours ago, antovolk said:

Just below SPY for me but yeah this is actually pretty good. Very fun, cast chemistry is great, believe the hype about Hemsworth and McKinnon, and I have to say I much prefer the approach and tone Feig goes for here compared to the original.

Life of Pi esque 3D effects for IMAX (according to credits it is indeed just for IMAX) are pretty cool as well.

In any case, good job and consider me on board for what Ghost Corps are doing next.

Just curious do the 3D effects pop out like Universal/Disney or something like the credits for Despicable Me/Minions?

Does that stuff happen throughout the movie or just the credits? That might be worth paying money to see because I love amusement park atmosphere and hardly any movie does it. But $18 is a lot.

 

[antovolk]

1 hour ago, somebody85 said:

Just curious do the 3D effects pop out like Universal/Disney or something like the credits for Despicable Me/Minions?

Does that stuff happen throughout the movie or just the credits? That might be worth paying money to see because I love amusement park atmosphere and hardly any movie does it. But $18 is a lot.

 

Not sure what you refer to but Life of Pi is best example - throughout the movie the slime, proton beams and other effects go outside the frame into the black bars, creating a cool pop out effect.  The 3D is really great in this together with this effect, so do check it out!

Edited July 12, 2016 by antovolk

[Lizzy]

Found it to be a fun summer movie, not groundbreaking but it had a good mix of scary  to funny parts. Solid B 

[Webslinger]

It's unfortunate that this Ghostbusters remake has been mired in such vicious controversy throughout pretty much every stage in development. Strip away the outcry of from some of the fandom, the back-and-forth "misogyny is bad/PC is bad" mudslinging, and all the other unnecessary baggage that this film has inherited, and what's left is a thematically slight but highly enjoyable romp. Like the 1984 original, the script is nothing special, but the chemistry between the four leads and scene-stealers among the supporting cast almost singlehandedly makes the film work as well as it does. All four actresses are in near-perfect tune with one another's comedic sensibilities, which allows the film to move along its various noisy setpieces breezily. Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones bring their sharpest oddball humor from SNL, while Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are surprisingly effective as the straight (wo)men. The bond that the four develop over the course of the film is palpable, which lends a little bit of heft to the busy, effects-driven climax. Outside of the core group, however, Chris Hemsworth proves to be a comedic revelation. As a gender-flip of the dumb blonde taken to an even higher level of caricature, Hemsworth's sublimely-played dimwittedness allows him to walk away with every scene in which he appears. While the film won't achieve the lightning-in-a-bottle cultural success of the original (and definitely won't do anything to change the naysayers' tune... assuming they even bother with seeing it), it's more than adequate as an increasingly rare beast: an effects-driven blockbuster that works not because of its pyrotechnics and CGI, but rather because of its characters.

 

B+

 

I would also advise seeing it in IMAX 3D if you can. In addition to the fact that there appears to be more effort put into the conversion than for most films, the frame-spilling gimmick adds to the goofy charm.

[MikeQ]

I'll preface my thoughts by saying that I'm someone who didn't grow up with the original. I've watched it a couple times. To me it's a good 'B' movie, that is aided considerably by the wonderful Bill Murray.

 

I saw the new Ghostbusters tonight, and it was very funny and highly enjoyable. I'd give it about a 'B' as well. The original has a better written story thematically, but this one made me laugh more, and it was scarier, too. Just as silly as the first, and with a very talented group of women.

 

Just like Bill Murray made the first film, this time around McKinnon really steals the show. She is marvellously weird and wonderful here, and I was always drawn toward her on screen. She is something special, and I hope this is just the beginning of her in film. Wiig and McCarthy have a good chemistry together. Jones doesn't really have much to work with, but she brings an energy that the others don't have.

 

I echo some others here in saying that I would really, really like to see a sequel happen. I want to see a Ghostbusters with these women where they can really roam free and where they aren't beholden to the original. Though, I imagine those who grew up with Ghostbusters will appreciate those nods and references to the original. 

 

From a box office perspective, I expect this to be a real crowd pleaser. However, I also imagine that a purist of the original film wouldn't like it. I can definitely understand that. But in watching the film, I don't think you could ever create the same feel of the original Ghostbusters. The spark and funny happen from the Ghostbusters themselves, and Jones, McKinnon, Wiig, and McCarthy create their own energy and are really fantastic together. This is why I want to see a sequel that caters to them and their incredible humour. They create a joyful, funny core to this film, and I want to see more of them.

 

Peace,

Mike

[Krissykins]

I'm going to see this again tonight.

 

I have grown up always finding female characters more interesting than male. Laurie Strode, Sidney Prescott, Ripley. I always seem to prefer the female character in films, Black Widow from Marvel, Wonder Woman in BVS, Loved the hell out of both Charlie's Angels films. I find female comedies funniest, Mean Girls, Jawbreaker, Bridesmaids etc. My love of horror goes hand in hand with this, I'm more fond of films with a female lead.

 

That's why I was so excited by this. I barely remember seeing the original Ghostbusters, and I haven't seen the second film. For me, this wasn't about the Ghostbusters brand, it was the female cast.

 

My favourite moment: when Kate McKinnons character licks her guns, and goes into zapping all the ghosts, with all the effects, the 3D and theme music blaring, I got actual goosebumps. If a film can cause a physical reaction, it's achieved something.

 

When Kristen Wiig's character dived back in to save Melissa and they were reaching for each other, was an incredible moment. Not a love interest, or a child, family member. Just a friend who's part of the same team. 

 

I love this film, way more than I ever expected. 

 

Edited July 15, 2016 by Krissykins

[Goffe]

4 hours ago, Krissykins said:

 My favourite moment: when Kate McKinnons character licks her guns, and goes into zapping all the ghosts, with all the effects, the 3D and theme music blaring, I got actual goosebumps. If a film can cause a physical reaction, it's achieved something.

 

When Kristen Wiig's character dived back in to save Melissa and they were reaching for each other, was an incredible moment. 

Agreed on both accounts. Wiig saving Melissa shouldn't have worked on theory because their arc feels like an afterthought, but it did work, and it did work wonderfully. A statement of Feig's power as a filmmaker.

[Blankments]

Ghostbusters works as a remake, mostly because it's pretty much exactly on par with the first movie. They're both relatively fun paranormal comedies with a couple of standout performances that are pretty forgettable overall. This go-around, Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth steal the show, constantly giving laughs in their profound silliness. McKinnon also gets a few chances to be really cool as a role model for kids watching it, and she captures the scientific venture aspect of Ghostbusters perfectly. Everything else just hits the "alright" scale with a few laughs here and there, either for the other members of the Ghostbusters, Cicily Strong, or the cameos that pop up here and there. The biggest disappointment belongs to Neil Casey's villain, who is outright forgettable and often annoying when he's on screen. It's a decent time at the theater where one wouldn't mind a sequel to the blockbuster, but if it's one-off, that's fine too. Ghostbusters is fun as a summer movie, but ultimately won't leave much of an impression in moviegoers' minds. C+

 

McKinnon kicking ass is the best part of the movie btw, the moment in the final battle that's just her was godly.

[DAJK]

Funny, not many belly laughs but PLENTY of good chuckles. Some obvious green screen but the effects are pretty good. The end battle is downright sweet. Cast was great, Hemsworth was awesome, but some slower lulls.

 

B

[DeeCee]

In the opening scene I initially thought he said his name was Jared. 

[Water Bottle]

It was very funny and I actually liked it better than the original Ghostbusters. A lot of jokes missed but a lot of them landed. Amazing cast. Problem was the repetitive and formulaic story that seemed to be written from a video game writer: go on a mission, get new equipment, rinse repeat. They even get rewarded with a new base at the end of the movie after beating the final boss for the sequel. This kinda made the movie exhausting and feeling longer than it should have. But enough jokes landed and the cast always brought it's best so that it was still a fun movie.

 

B+

[filmlover]

A highly entertaining and at times uproariously funny reboot that continues Paul Feig's winning streak since Bridesmaids. Take a seat, Ghostbros. This obviously does little to reinvent the original movie (which is rightfully considered a classic even though it was never a masterpiece of screenwriting) and can't quite reach its heights, but this happily fares much better than the sequel did. Like the original movie, the reboot lives and dies on its cast, and they deliver in spades. Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are terrific as the rather restrained pair of the group, and they are equally well-matched by the sharp comic talents of Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones (McKinnon in particular is a scene-stealer in by far her biggest movie role yet). And then there's Chris Hemsworth, who's clearly having the time of his life playing wildly against type as an especially airheaded himbo. Feig once again shows that he can seamlessly blend action and comedy together without favoring one over the other. This is my pick for the most fun action movie of the summer to date. B+

[Kalderic]

I want to go back again... like, I really enjoyed myself! I thought it slowed down a bit much in the middle which caused it a drag, but that final ghost fight, especially the scene with McKinnon kicking ass was just great! And the 3-d actually had me going for awhile! It's finally worth watching something in 3D! The whole thing was just so much better than I expected. Solid B+ from me!

[Goffe]

3 hours ago, Kalderic said:

I thought it slowed down a bit much in the middle which caused it a drag,

I felt the same as well, as soon they meet the mayor the movie started to drag. The jokes stopped working altogether. It wasn't until McKinnon kick-ass scene that the movie got back on its feet.

[Gopher]

Third act problems and choppy editing don't really stop one of the more fun movies Summer 2016 bothered to produce. You'd never guess it made more sense for a Ghostbusters movie to be women instead of men, but you hear Cecily Strong describe these four as "sad, lonely women" and the whole backbone of this movie comes to the forefront. It's a film about being an outsider in high or low society because of what people think you are. The movie's subtly doing a lot with gender relations (or blatantly in the case of its MRA Reddit user of a villain) which alongside terrific ensemble building makes this 100% a Paul Feig movie and that's all I could've asked for. 

 

You can tell Feig and Dippold miss that R rating a bit, though...

[Ezen Baklattan]

4 hours ago, Gopher said:

You can tell Feig and Dippold miss that R rating a bit, though...

 

That went through my mind a lot too, but I definitely felt that it worked in spite of that.

 

Not all of the jokes/emotional beats land as solidly as they ought to, but as a whole, it really works. Hemsworth and McKinnon kill it, and the gender dymanic is actually solidly embraced. I'd love to come back and see a sequel for this.

[filmlover]

The more I think about it, the more I loved Hemsworth in this. That dance scene in the end credits was hilarious and should've been in the actual movie.

[MrPink]

I will admit that I was pleased to see Hemsworth dance to DMX.

 

Wrong song unfortunately.