A dark cloud has shrouded itself over Ghostbusters, a comedy reboot of the 1984 classic. The dark cloud is that of an online war that led to one of it’s actresses receiving a tirade of racist abuse from a nasty cult of online misogynists. It has become the most divisive and controversial film of 2016 so far. It’s impossible to write a review without acknowledging the frenzy that currently surrounds this film.
While some reactions to Ghostbusters (2016) were laden in misogyny and certainly racism, it is fair to say that emotions are also running high because this is a reboot of a classic movie. Ghostbusters (1984) is held warmly in the hearts of film fans of both genders and people of different backgrounds. Ghostbusters, like Jurassic World (my review of that film is here) is a nostalgia cash-in. Both films are targeting old fans waiting for references and cameos as well as young kids born in the early 2000s who may have not grown up with either films. Ironically, Jurassic World actually betrayed the female characters of the original and went with a Temple of Doom style rugged hero/damsel trope. Joss Whedon deemed the film “70s era sexist”. The Ghostbusters of 2016 are girls. Immediately, this won’t sit well with some older fans of the original films. It didn’t. It caused an online war. It ended in a million think pieces and unfortunately, this toxic legacy will define the film in years to come. Ghostbusters became more than a film. It became political.
Ghostbusters was directed by Paul Feig. Feig also directed Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids (2011) and Melissa McCartney in Spy (2015). Both films center around an underdog female character who prevails in the end. Bridesmaids and Spy were funny original films, the latter being somewhat overlooked and underrated. Ivan Reitman also has a producer credit in the Ghostbusters reboot. Reitman was the director of the 1984 original.
In the film, Dr. Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is a teacher at Columbia University. During her bid for tenure she discovers a book she wrote with her friend Abby (Melissa McCartney) on paranormal investigation has resurfaced on Amazon. Embarrassed by the book and desperate to have her name disassociated from it, she desperately seeks out her old friend in order to have it discontinued. Erin discovers Abby and her partner Jillian (Kate McKinnon) are still deep into paranormal investigation and reluctantly, Erin ends up assistant them on a ghost hunting assignment. The women are excited to finally have filmed proof of a ghost but their proof is “debunked” and ridiculed online resulting in Erin and Abby losing their jobs. They then open their own “Department of Metaphysical Examination” over Abby’s favourite Chinese takeaway. They then hire dimwitted but handsome Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) to be their receptionist. The group are then contacted by Patty Tolan who informs the women she has seen a malevolent spirit in the subway station where she works.
The characterisation is okay. I have a few issues with it. Abby (Melissa McCartney) is a typical Melissa McCartney character. She’s loveable and quirky with an infectious optimism and sense of humour that inspires her friends. She’s the motivating force of the group and I wouldn’t have her any other way. Erin (Kristen Wiig) is again similar to other characters I’ve seen Wiig play. Erin is a successful scientist but lacks confidence and optimism. The character is a little stiff and it’s frustrating when you’re aware of what this actress can do. Kristen Wiig is a formidable comedic talent. She is arguably one of the funniest women from the Saturday Night Live cast. Jillian (Kate McKinnon) is the mad scientist of the group. Her performance is zany and unhinged in typical Kate McKinnon style and she seems to be getting all round praise from critics. The character of Kevin played by Chris Hemsworth definitely got a lot of laughs. He isn’t just a little dumb. He’s extremely dumb. In some ways, it felt a little much. He was a little too dumb and the borderline sexual harassment jokes at his expense didn’t need to be in the movie. I loved Andy Garcia as the city’s mayor who is insulted as the prospect of being compared to the “mayor in Jaws”. The Ozzy Osbourne cameo during an epic ghostbuster/ghost showdown at a heavy metal concert was also very fun.
Leslie Jones’ character has accumulated the most controversy in the media. Jones’ performance was great for the way the character was written and she was given the funny lines. In the theatre, she received the most laughs. The character of Patty has been written off as a lazy racist stereotype but I think this may be because there is in fact some laziness in the script. Some have noted that the only black Ghostbuster is not a scientist and represents a “sassy street smart” trope that seems to plague non-white actresses in Hollywood. However, without Leslie Jones’ performance, the film would have lost a lot of laughs. It did feel in parts that the film tried very hard to be funny. In parts, it was very funny. There was desperate attempts at absurdist humour that worked occasionally and other times fell flat. These were my initial reactions to the film. The cast of Ghostbusters are stellar. The script isn’t.
In it’s redeeming moments, Ghostbusters was thoroughly enjoyable. The villain of the movie was Rowan North. North is a bitter loner who wishes revenge on a world that has mistreated and emasculated him. In a sense, North’s character represents the online trolls who wished to trash this movie before seeing it. North has created a device that will bring malevolent spirit’s from the nether world to our realm, “pester” the living and thus bring about the apocalypse. Ghostbusters is a film with a lot of self awareness. It’s aware in it’s choice of villain, in it’s references to other movies including Ghost and Jaws and it’s references to online trolling which has plagued this release. Three of the original cast make cameo appearances in the movie including Bill Murray as a paranormal debunker, Dan Aykroyd as a cab driver and Ernie Hudson as Patty’s uncle. Yes, it’s corny but it was definitely fun too. The visual effects were spectacular and even Slimer again makes an appearance. It’s thrilling, fun and satisfying watching a cool fight scene where underdog women kick ass and Ghostbusters certainly delivers that.
I didn’t leave the cinema feeling like I’d seen a terrible film. I felt energised and entertained and that’s how you should feel after seeing a comedy like this. Ghostbusters is a reboot rather than a remake and arguments against Hollywood’s reboot problem are probably valid. Reboots are a safe option in terms of profit. Nostalgia is the Achilles heel of audiences. Love or hate the film, you’ll see it out of curiosity. I believe it is possible for reboots to breathe new life into older titles and reinterpret them. This is especially true in the case of the 21 and 22 Jump Street films. Those were comedies who took the original format, updated it and made it funny. They succeeded.
Like Jurassic World, Ghostbusters wasn’t terrible. I’d say it’s worth going to see. It’s funny and entertaining for a summer evening. It’s never however, going to live up to the original because it’s not original. The original Ghostbusters was an imaginative and creative film. It is also a superior film. In similar terms, an original film like Bridesmaids doesn’t have the spectre of a previous version looming over it, particularly if a previous version is as beloved as Ghostbusters (1984). I would also regard Bridesmaids a superior film which also focuses on female friendship and camaraderie. Films like Bridesmaids and Spy prove Hollywood can still make funny films about female friendship and satirise older films in a creative and original way. Ghostbusters suffers from two things and those are not being an original film and perhaps just trying a little bit too hard. It doesn’t suffer because the leads are women. I wrote this review because I felt this film needs a few fair and objective critiques.
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCartney, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon
Release Date: 11th July 2016 (Ireland)
Run Time: 116 Minutes
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