Not only does Ghostbusters risk offending die-hard fans of the eighties classic, it must also contend with a tidal wave of hatred brought on by its own marketing campaign. Currently, the first Ghostbusters trailer is YouTube’s most disliked trailer in history. But judgement must be reserved until the final product – against all odds, is this film any good?
Ghostbusters is a reboot of the 1984 film of the same name. It follows disgraced physicist Erin (Kristen Wiig) as she teams up with paranormal investigator Abby (Melissa McCarthy) to deal with the rising threat of ghosts appearing across New York City. They are joined by “mad scientist” Jillian and street-smart Patty, and together they form a response unit specialising in paranormal threats.
Although, why am I summarising the plot? It’s Ghostbusters, just all over again. I honestly cannot think of a single new story element that really engaged me. People gave The Force Awakens flak but at least that featured an interesting villain and fresh action sequences. Ghostbusters feels entirely rehashed and with annoyingly little ghost-busting – it’s another rush to a CGI-filled finale.
However, there is something new with Ghostbusters. We’d better address the spectral elephant haunting this film: The lead roles were recast as women. Since then, both sides of the debate have displayed detestable, counter-productive behaviour. I do believe these scumbags are in the minority, but they do have the loudest voices.
Some deplorable comments are literally misogynistic. I find it almost as vile, however, that a common counter to legitimate criticism is that if you don’t like Ghostbusters, then you must be a misogynist. And since these groups have the loudest voices, anyone who steps forward with an opinion is drowned out.
Take me – I’ve had to write two paragraphs justifying not my opinion of Ghostbusters, but justifying why it’s okay to have a certain opinion. So with that, where do I stand? Well, I hated the first trailer, simply because I didn’t find it funny. Now that I’ve seen the film, well, I didn’t really like it. It’s not a disaster as many corners of the internet claim, but it isn’t anything special either.
I thought the performances were decent for the most part. There is one cringeworthy exception to that which I’ll get to later. Most importantly, the characters have great chemistry. When old friends greet each other or new bonds form, you can feel the progress and affection develop.
I also liked the lo-fi visual style. The ghosts pop from the screen with an eerie glow, but with a fuzzy, tacky feel that lends a sense of consistency with the original film. Not that that matters – this is a reboot so they could really have branched out if they wanted to.
As for the comedy, I don’t think I ever laughed. I chuckled a few times, sure, but it never really got me. It’s a shame, but part way through Ghostbusters I realised that its target audience is kids. There were a few in the audience and they were getting some good laughs out of it so I can’t be too harsh here.
What bugged me most were the cameos and references to the original. Some people really love this shit. In this case, it actually proves that this film can’t carry itself. Remakes and spin-offs absolutely must stand on their own, but the allusions to the original become obnoxious to the point where the film’s humour is reliant on them.
Bill Murray returns as a paranormal debunker – I thought this could be an excellent idea to bring to the franchise. But nope, two scenes later his addition to the story is resolved with no consequences. Look up the definition of shoehorn and this is what you’ll find.
Something that really didn’t work for me was the crazy scientist character, Jillian, played by Kate McKinnon. I’m unfamiliar with her, as Saturday Night Live is where she made her name, but I did not like her performance. I felt awkward watching her scenes. Some people will like it, but to me it felt superficial – above all it felt like her whole character was an act. This may sound ridiculous – of course it’s an act – but the skill is in creating the illusion.
So in the end I didn’t find it funny, but the kids might. It brings nothing new to the story, and fails to stand apart from the original. Is it harmful? Will you be bored? No, it’s just kind of lazy.
My thoughts on the film itself are over, but I need to stress how important this film is. I think it’s unkind to want something that people work hard on to fail. But I do feel a bit of schadenfreude when these money machines fail to churn out a profit. Initially, I wanted Ghostbusters to bomb. It’s yet another remake that exists solely to make money. Failure might inspire Hollywood to take more creative chances in the future.
When the all-female cast was announced, however, my hopes suddenly shifted. Now, even though I don’t really like it, I want this film to soar. Why? Because of moments like this:
Hollywood is a sexist industry, but there are deeper reasons why we want equal opportunities for women. Many studies are finding that absence of role models, or skewed ones (like Disney princesses) can and do negatively impact young girls’ self-esteem. That picture actually brought me a warmer feeling than any moment in the damned film. It reminds me that progress in the form of a shitty film is still progress.
If you’re still conflicted, some reflection on your own opinions might help. I grapple my own thoughts fairly often. For example, when Erin gets covered in slime, she later jokes that it “got everywhere – in every crack.” I roll my eyes and don’t find it funny – is that joke necessary? Believe it or not, it might be. It’s important that that joke is an acceptable one. It’s only the same as a man making a joke about his balls, which we know we’ve had plenty of.
Hollywood looks to the success or failure of films lead by women when deciding whether to make more. More and better opportunities for women is something the industry sorely needs. So, Ghostbusters, I don’t like you but I wish you the best – get out there and make some dollar.
(GRADES: Both are from 0 to 10. The left is an objective score based on artistic merit, the right is my personal enjoyment.)
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