When there’s something strange and it don’t look good…
I have been a huge Ghostbusters fan since the first time I removed an Ecto Cooler juice box from my lunch bag as a young lad. The original movie is such a classic that it can be watched at any time and still kill with the laughs. And if I’m feeling ghosty, but I feel like something a little goofier, there is always Ghostbusters II.
After the announcements started rolling out about this reboot/remake/re-imagining, I got excited that there would be some new ghost action mixed with a fresh new cast of ladies. Yes, there were a lot of naysayers who couldn’t imagine women ghostbusters. I don’t like those people.
What we got was a sometimes funny, sometimes ghosty mix with a not-so-imaginative story. I wanted to like this movie so much that I’m reviewing the Extended edition in the hope that it is maybe better with 15 minutes added.
Let’s start with the characters. What characters? There is nothing dynamic or interesting about these characters. The Ghostbusters themselves are really undefined. What makes them who they are? Why do they do the things they do? The only thing propelling them forward, I guess, is Erin (Kristen Wiig) and Abby (Melissa McCarthy) trying to return to BFF status. That and they seem to want to fight ghosts. The villain guy is great, but he isn’t used all that much. Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) is the dumbest dolt hired to be the GBs’ receptionist. It sort of works, but doesn’t hold a candle to Janine’s subtle wit with attitude.
As the plot opens up, the Ghostbusters assume their roles and the villain works toward opening a vortex to bring about ghoulish armageddon. In typical formulaic fashion, the climax is a big battle with ghosts and then the good guys win and BFFs live happily ever after.
The Extended edition added some extra character building and funny moments, but it was not enough to save this awful mess of a film. It could have been awesome and a worthy successor to the original, but instead it’s like Sony just caved to all the negative buzz.
Rating:
