Ghostbusters (2016)

[Napoleon]

It was easily the best movie of the summer and second best movie of the year so far. A+

[Plain Old Tele]

I'm astonished at how much I liked this.

[filmlover]

I almost died laughing whenever Hemsworth was possessed and the security guards told him that nobody ordered a Clark Kent strippergram because of the glasses (that of course had no glass in them lmao).

[Plain Old Tele]

Hemsworth was gold. I'd happily rewatch scenes with him or McKinnon in the background, just to see what they were doing.

[Water Bottle]

The best Hemsworth bit was asking what made him look more like a doctor: the picture of him playing saxophone or him listening to saxophone.

[Plain Old Tele]

1 minute ago, Water Bottle said:

The best Hemsworth bit was asking what made him look more like a doctor: the picture of him playing saxophone or him listening to saxophone.

 

I dunno, I loved him covering his eyes after the loud explosion.

[filmlover]

"Did you know an aquarium is a submarine for fish?"

[Murgatroyd]

It's been a long time since I left the theater in such a good mood.

 

I particularly liked the cabbie.

[BadAtGender]

Better than the original, really.

[Plain Old Tele]

28 minutes ago, DamienRoc said:

Better than the original, really.

 

I have a lot of love for the original, and I don't think this will surpass that. Plus, the two movies are really doing two different things. Visuals/humor/plot -- all fairly different. The first movie is a lot more grounded, for sure.

 

But it's still crazy that I'm even remotely considering the possibility.

[BadAtGender]

3 minutes ago, Telemachos said:

 

I have a lot of love for the original, and I don't think this will surpass that. Plus, the two movies are really doing two different things. Visuals/humor/plot -- all fairly different. The first movie is a lot more grounded, for sure.

 

But it's still crazy that I'm even remotely considering the possibility.

 

I like the original a lot, too. And it's difficult to really compare them because the new film is really trying to be its own thing.

 

But we can still go with comparison points.

 

Take the characters, for instance. If we look at their direct comparisons, I have to say that the new characters are quite a bit more compelling.

 

Much of Venkmann's character is Bill Murray doing his improv thing. And he's great at it, but Venkmann doesn't have much more than being kinda a creeper. In his very first scene we see him abusing a position of power to sexually advance on a younger woman. And that's pretty much his mode of operating throughout the film. Why does he push to investigate the things at Dana's apartment? Not because he particularly believes, but because he wants to get in her pants.

 

Now, contrast that with Erin. Her first scene establishes what she wants (tenure and to be respected as a scientist) and immediately provides a personal conflict that's again that. And this friction remains throughout the movie.

 

I'll take Holtzmann's slightly unhinged (and gay) brilliance over Egon's archetypal quiet nerd any day.

 

And Winston barely has a motive, while Patty is the driving force of the plot. (Yes, there was more in the scripting stage for Winston, but they excised that from the final film. I feel bad for that happening to Ernie Hudson.)

 

(Abby is probably the one who hews closest to the original. She and Ray are both the enthusiastic ones.)

 

The original Ghostbusters was funny guys being funny in a nice genre mashup. The new Ghostbusters is similar, but it has more character depth.

 

Also, I really love how just by casting four women (all over 30 and three over 40) is in and of itself a transgressive act. 

[Plain Old Tele]

I agree very much with your last sentence, but I think there's room for simple preference with some of the other stuff. Erin's motivations are perhaps more honest and pure than Venkman's, but I wouldn't say she's more developed and he less, just that he's motivated by more baser instincts than she. Patty has more development (and is better integrated) than Winston; Egon and Holtzmann are basically polar opposites in terms of energy, but again I don't think that points much to character development, per se. They're basically two sides of the same coin. I liked Abbie, but I think Ackroyd's Ray is head-and-shoulders above her -- honestly, I think he's one of the best nerd characters of the 80s. Up there with Doc Brown, for sure.

[BadAtGender]

I don't think it's about Erin being more pure than Venkmann. She's clearly motivated by man-candy, after all. It's more that from a story construction standpoint, you've got one character who in one scene has the "what do they want and why can't they have it?" question posed and answered and the other just doesn't. Venkmann is funny, but that funny is why I want to watch him, not because he's got compelling character depth.

[Plain Old Tele]

1 minute ago, DamienRoc said:

I don't think it's about Erin being more pure than Venkmann. She's clearly motivated by man-candy, after all. It's more that from a story construction standpoint, you've got one character who in one scene has the "what do they want and why can't they have it?" question posed and answered and the other just doesn't. Venkmann is funny, but that funny is why I want to watch him, not because he's got compelling character depth.

 

I don't necessarily disagree, but I don't think there's an objective "better choice" here. The point (at least for both characters here) is primarily comedic. The framework that provides them with that opportunity is functional, not really much more. The "what do they want" question is clearly stated for both: Erin wants professional academic acceptance (although, interestingly, that's not paid off at the end), Venkmann wants to know Dana in the biblical sense.

[BadAtGender]

I hope I don't need to state that this is my opinion for every declaration I'm making about the film. There is no objective stance, really. All critique is opinion.

[The Stingray]

17 hours ago, DamienRoc said:

Much of Venkmann's character is Bill Murray doing his improv thing. And he's great at it, but Venkmann doesn't have much more than being kinda a creeper. In his very first scene we see him abusing a position of power to sexually advance on a younger woman. And that's pretty much his mode of operating throughout the film. Why does he push to investigate the things at Dana's apartment? Not because he particularly believes, but because he wants to get in her pants.

 

Could you sound more PC? God forbid a man wants to get in a beautiful woman's pants. 

 

[Blankments]

It works a lot better on rewatch, but I'm still feeling a B-range for it. Pretty funny though and I like having a blockbuster this summer that's both really funny and has solid character work

[DeeCee]

On 7/19/2016 at 8:56 AM, filmlover said:

"Did you know an aquarium is a submarine for fish?"

It's great Jaden Smith found his niche as a script doctor.

[Phil in the Blank]

Where's the laughter? Wheres the laughter!?! Where's the wit! Where's the wit! Why am I repeating everything twice? Why am I repeating everything twice?

 

3/10

 

I am surprised that Leslie Jones was the best part of this film though. Kudos to her.  Also surprised at the love for Hemsworth. He is basically a worse version of Jason Stratham from Spy. Just like this movie is the worst version of a Paul Feig movie so far.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Phil in the Blank

[MovieMan89]

On 7/18/2016 at 4:50 PM, Tele Loves Bay & Twilight said:

Hemsworth was gold. I'd happily rewatch scenes with him or McKinnon in the background, just to see what they were doing.

Thank you! The two of them made the movie (along with the really great visuals) and I would have love to see their zany antics emphasized even further.