I was extremely hesitant in seeing this movie on the big screen. After viewing the movie, part of my hesitation was accurate but I will admit it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. This is the first Paul Feig (Spy, Bridesmaids) movie I've ever seen, so I did not have high expectations based on his target audience. For Ghostbusters, Feig brings together group of actresses who have flown under the radar to most audiences that have not stayed true to Saturday Night Live. Kate McKinnon (Finding Dory), Leslie Jones (Trainwreck), Melissa McCarthy (Spy) and Kristen Wiig (The Martian, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) all provide the giggles for the the film. Most of the jokes are recycled from preceding comedy films and they come off as cheap recalls. I did chuckle a few times, but the comedy is extremely immature and for the most part falls flat.
One of the redeeming features of this film is the special effect quality. From the trailers, the effects looked very vivid and bright. I loved the look of the ghosts, which are modernized and glow with effervescence. The final act of the film is awesome because of the fighting ghosts who radiate across the entire screen. The weapons of the ghostbusters are also updated with a sleek ray discharge. Overall, the technical effects of this film are brilliant. It must be hard to create such cool looking ghosts, so I applaud the technical team involved in the process.
Let's talk a bit about the public hate that came before the film was even released. Feig took an all-male cast of the original film and decided to do what he has done all along by taking on an all-female reboot. In a stage that has been dominated by white males, I think it was a bold move for Feig and I really do appreciate his casting choice. Not many directors are this bold with their casting choices and too many films are still white-washed and testosterone-filled. To be honest, I was not looking forward to the new Ghostbusters because the jokes look to be targeted at a cheesier audience than I was hoping. However, it is more important to acknowledge up-and-coming actors or actresses than it is to bring out the big name appeal. While McKinnon, Jones, McCarthy and Wiig may not be my favorite actresses, they prove themselves as success stories for diversity on the big screen. And for that, thank you Paul Feig!
The Bottom Line: Paul Feig fans will fanboy over this one, and others should respect its worthy attempt.
Score: 7.5/10
Image credit: By Ungry Young Man from Vienna, Austria - Waterloobusters2, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50240982
One of the redeeming features of this film is the special effect quality. From the trailers, the effects looked very vivid and bright. I loved the look of the ghosts, which are modernized and glow with effervescence. The final act of the film is awesome because of the fighting ghosts who radiate across the entire screen. The weapons of the ghostbusters are also updated with a sleek ray discharge. Overall, the technical effects of this film are brilliant. It must be hard to create such cool looking ghosts, so I applaud the technical team involved in the process.
Let's talk a bit about the public hate that came before the film was even released. Feig took an all-male cast of the original film and decided to do what he has done all along by taking on an all-female reboot. In a stage that has been dominated by white males, I think it was a bold move for Feig and I really do appreciate his casting choice. Not many directors are this bold with their casting choices and too many films are still white-washed and testosterone-filled. To be honest, I was not looking forward to the new Ghostbusters because the jokes look to be targeted at a cheesier audience than I was hoping. However, it is more important to acknowledge up-and-coming actors or actresses than it is to bring out the big name appeal. While McKinnon, Jones, McCarthy and Wiig may not be my favorite actresses, they prove themselves as success stories for diversity on the big screen. And for that, thank you Paul Feig!
The Bottom Line: Paul Feig fans will fanboy over this one, and others should respect its worthy attempt.
Score: 7.5/10
Image credit: By Ungry Young Man from Vienna, Austria - Waterloobusters2, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50240982
