GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) Review

GHOSTBUSTERS is that rarest thing – a remake that is as much fun as the original (some would say more) that also honors the memorable original. Take that, internet grumblers!

Fans who were worried about this remake can relax – the results are very funny. The comedy is great, and non-stop, packed with clever affectionate references to the original. The logo and the catchy theme song are back (with a few remixes added), and the goofy humor of battling ghosts with technology is all there.

This is the kind of film you hope to see in summer – a movie just for fun that truly entertains.

Kristen Wiig re-teams with her BRIDESMAIDS director Paul Feig and co-star Melissa McCarthy, for a hilarious romp that is like a superhero movie without the ponderous stuff. These folks know it is ridiculous and they are just here to entertain. Better yet, it should put to rest that question about whether women can be funny – they definitely are in this film!

Wiig plays physicist Dr. Erin Gilbert who is on the verge of gaining tenure at Columbia University, when her past comes back to haunt her. That haunting emerges in the form of a book on ghosts that she co-wrote back in high school with her then best friend Abby Yates (McCarthy). Abby has decided to finally publish their joint effort online, as a way to fund her paranormal research. Abby is also working in academia, but at a, um, much less prestigious institution. In her research as a professor of the  paranormal, Abby is hoping to prove the existence of ghosts, with the help of weird but gifted engineer Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon).

A call about a haunted mansion launches the three on a quest to capture a ghost, but a haunted subway brings them together with transit worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), who quickly joins the team. Patty’s knowledge of New York City streets and history, and practical viewpoint, helps ground the others, and the four soon find themselves battling an invasion of ghosts flooding New York. Adding Chris Hemsworth as the gorgeous but dumb receptionist was the final perfect touch.

The story is similar but not the same as the original. Roughly, Wiig and McCarthy play loose versions of the Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd roles, with McKinnon as the Harold Ramis character and Jones in the Ernie Hudson role. But actually, these are their own unique characters inhabiting those niches. Ivan Reitman, who directed the original GHOSTBUSTERS and its sequel, serves as producer, and stars from the first film appear in cameos (watch for a bust of the late Harold Ramis). It is all done with a sense of great fun, and affection for the first one.

Turns out, remaking GHOSTBUSTERS with a female cast was an inspired idea for a reboot. The characters in the original film were outsiders, people who are dismissed and who have to prove what they can do. This time, those outsiders are women, but again they are people trying to break through, to gain recognition – an on-going theme in the world, particularly in film recently. Instead of playing female versions of the old characters with pink bows in their hair, Feig and his stars wisely makes these new characters…just people. Strangely, that choice gives the film a contemporary girl-power edge, and a little rebellious undercurrent.

The film is an ensemble effort, with each cast member contributing her bit and without one lead role, although Wiig’s sweet, sincere Erin comes close. For comedy, McKinnon’s eccentric, grinning Holtzmann sometimes threatens to steal the show. Jones’ Patty gets in there too with well-placed wisecracks. McCarthy, who can often stray into icky humor, keeps a lid on that and adds just the right amount of madness and mayhem. Even Hemsworth holds up his end, adding his comic bit – who knew he had that in him? Occasionally the comedy subtly jabs at the controversy that casting women sparked on social media.

Of course, there will still be those who are not pleased – taste in comedy is very individual. Murray and Aykroyd were big name comedians when they made the original, and this is one of their best. Plus remaking any beloved film, even a comedy, is risky business. But for most, the new GHOSTBUSTERS will entertain, in summer comedy style.

It is all great escapist fun, perfectly in the spirit of the original. A final note to the reader: you will want to stay for the credits, and all the way to the end. They feature a couple extra scenes, a very funny bit with Hemsworth dancing, and little jokes are peppered in the background as the credits roll by. The end is capped with a little teaser about a sequel. Just as DEADPOOL had this year’s funniest opening credits, GHOSTBUSTERS has this year’s most entertaining end credits.

GHOSTBUSTERS opens everywhere Friday, July 15th

RATING: 4 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS