Cast salvages 'Ghostbusters' reboot
The four stars of the “Ghostbusters” reboot are the movie’s strongest assets. Take that, Internet trolls.
The original “Ghostbusters” is probably my favorite comedy of all time, but unlike some who have chimed in about Sony’s decision to update the franchise, I was never offended by the idea of a reboot. Everything popular is eventually rehashed. If gender politics didn’t play a role, why didn’t these same people get so upset about “Jurassic World”?
Regardless of what they may admit, those angry fanboys hated the idea of an all-female Ghostbusters team. So it’s satisfying to see this version of “Ghostbusters” thrive most when the leads are allowed to let loose and be funny.
Unfortunately, the movie itself wastes too much time paying homage to the original film. And the cameos by the original (male) stars are just the worst.
Take gender out of the equation and it’s still tough to think of a funnier cast for “Ghostbusters” than the one assembled by director Paul Feig. Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon bring unique energy and individual comedy styles, and their interactions fuel the film’s most engaging moments.
Jones and McKinnon, arguably the two best things about the current iteration of “Saturday Night Live,” are especially hilarious, while Wiig and McCarthy are a little more low-key, in part because they’re strapped with most of the film’s plot-driving dialogue. They’re both solid though, even if McCarthy doesn’t get the kind of spectacular diatribe we’re used to seeing from her in Feig comedies like “Bridesmaids,” “The Heat,” and “Spy.”
The stars are funny, the director is right and the screenplay (co-written by Feig and Katie Dippold) has plenty of comic material, but the “Ghostbusters” part of “Ghostbusters” doesn’t work. The movie bends over backward to include throwbacks and references to the original, even as it’s made clear this movie exists in its own universe. The climax is a lukewarm, overly CGI’d remix of the Stay Puft rampage from 1984.
The villain, played by Neil Casey, doesn’t register as a legitimate threat, despite the character being an interesting amalgam of the Internet villains who tore this movie apart prior to release. Unfortunately, his nefarious plot and motivations only seem half-formed.
Chris Hemsworth, as a dim-but-dreamy secretary, has a few funny bits, but his comedic success relies on how the leads (Wiig in particular) react to him. The trailers spoil what happens to the character in the third act, and the result is another poorly-executed half-idea.
Worst of all, the original cast cameos grind the movie to a halt. It’s hard for me to admit any scene with Bill Murray is a bad one, but this movie would be better off without him. “Fan-favorite” Slimer should also stay forever in his ghost trap.
Considering all the online hate (which continued this week with some truly disgusting behavior directed at Leslie Jones), I really wanted the new “Ghostbusters” to be a triumphant success that would silence the trolls. McCarthy, Wiig, Jones and McKinnon do their part. It’s the franchise stuff that lets them down.
The thing to remember is just how difficult it is to make a movie like the original “Ghostbusters.” The combination of comedy, scares and special effects is something very few movies have ever gotten right. Even the original cast failed spectacularly with “Ghostbusters II.” In many ways, it’s easier to reboot something like “Star Wars” or “Jurassic Park” because those don’t have to focus on comedic elements for people to recognize and relate to them.
So the new “Ghostbusters” can’t touch the old one. To me, that was never really a possibility, even if Murray and company were back at the peak of their powers. What a new “Ghostbusters” should be is different, and Feig and the cast deserve a chance to make a sequel that best utilizes their unique sensibilities.
You can dump the callbacks and still maintain the spirit of the original. As long as that spirit isn’t Slimer.
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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.