Review by CJ

Director:
Paul Feig

Starring:
Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Neil Casey

Other notable appearances:
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, Andy Garcia, Ozzy Osbourne, Charles Dance, Ed Begley Jr

Running time:
1 hour 56 minutes

Watch this if you liked:
Ghostbusters (1984), Bridesmaids

After an encounter with an angry ghost gives them proof of the afterlife, Abby (McCarthy), Holtzmann (McKinnon) and Erin (Wiig) team up to catch and contain ghosts. Along the way they are joined by ditzy receptionist Kevin (Hemsworth) and new recruit Patty (Jones).

When the city is threatened by a madman set on breaking the barrier between our world and the spirit world, who you gonna call?

One of my favourite things about Ghostbusters (2016) is that it didn’t try too hard to be or outdo its source material but it also honoured the original in delightful ways. One of my favourite ways the original was honoured are the delightful cameo appearances from most of the original cast. Even Harold Ramis has been represented posthumously.

Overall the plot of Ghostbusters (2016) is a good way to reboot the beloved franchise. It introduces the characters quickly without getting bogged down in back story. Once the characters are set up, they go out and bust ghosts. It’s what you want from the Ghostbusters.

That’s not to say that the plot is flawless. I had a couple of issues with plot devices towards the end of the film. However, none of them were big enough issues to spoil my enjoyment of the film as a whole.

The cast are all wonderful in their roles. McCarthy is a fantastic comedic actress but can sometimes go a bit over the top. In Ghostbusters (2016) however McCarthy is perfect.

Wiig plays straight woman to McCarthy, Jones and McKinnon in a way that not many people could pull off. Wiig’s scenes portraying Erin’s infatuation with Hemsworth’s Kevin are among some of the funniest in the film.

Based on this film alone, McKinnon is the newest addition to my favourite actresses. I cannot wait to check out what McKinnon has done in the past and what the future holds for her.

Jones manages to bring the group together in a way that you don’t realise is missing until it is complete.

Hemsworth is hilarious as the Ghostbusters’ receptionist. There are times when his character’s stupidity could have been cringeworthy but Hemsworth manages to pull it off in a way that is funny and keeps his character likeable.

Overall, do I think Ghostbusters (2016) is as good as or better than Ghostbusters (1984)? No. But it was never going to be. Is Ghostbusters (2016) an enjoyable comedy film with scares, laughs and busted ghosts? Absolutely! Ghostbusters (2016) joins the small pool of reboots that have been able to stand up in their own right.

Rating:

“Booyah! Emphasis on the boo.”