The Ghostbusters Review

So I got round to see Ghostbusters… That film which seems to have built up the same level of internet hatred as Boris Johnson and Taylor Swift combined. That campaign against it has been kind of annoying to be fair. Mainly because it meant I wasn’t allowed to say the film looked a bit shit without being labelled a sexist pig. I like women!! I know some!! 

Do I hate the idea of an all-female Ghostbusters? Nope (one of my favourite casting rumours was Emma Stone) Do I like Melissa McCarthy and director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat)? Meh…

Did I like this reboot? That’s the main question. The answer is that technically no, I didn’t. I didn’t like it either but it also didn’t make me want to rip out my eardrums and punch my eyeballs inward. Batman vs Superman made me feel that level of hatred. This film is largely inoffensive and reasonably watchable. The problem is that it’s just not funny.

The opening scene has some weird lines that made me go “wha?” instead of laugh. And the same character is involved in a joke about shit that happens to be a shit joke. There’s a fart gag too, just to make you realise that your cinema ticket purchase helps the fund the wages of whatever 12 year old wrote this. There’s probably other jokes too, but I can’t really remember them.

Good stuff? Well for once I didn’t hate McCarthy. I know she’s loved by many but I genuinely felt she was the worst part of Bridesmaids. Especially the shitting in a sink part. It seems I don’t like poop jokes… In this she was alright. Pleasant enough character, nothing to hate about her. But then there’s not much too really say about her either. I can’t remember her character’s name. 

I can’t remember any of their names apart from Holtzman. She was the only character who offered anything different, a bit of quirk. Again though I can’t really say she was brilliant, she was just a bit more memorable. 

Erm I’m still talking good stuff, promise. The music! The car! The proton packs and their visuals. The whole concept of four folks catching ghosts. Basically everything the first film did. The nostalgia factor keeps it watchable but then at the same time you’re left wondering just how much fun a really good new Ghostbusters would be. It’s a big missed opportunity.

That’s the bad and the decent covered, now for the truly atrocious. Chris Hemsworth. His character, an idiot but attractive receptionist, has to be one of the worst creations I’ve ever witnessed in any comedy ever. Truly, utterly, soul destroying-ly awful. Every time his character did something dumb I wanted to cram popcorn under my eyelids. The trailers gave a hint that he’d be a dopey idiot, there for eye candy. The idea isn’t a bad one but they take it to the most ridiculous extremes. Kill him, kill him with fire. 

Oh and there’s ghosts in it and special effects and stuff. Some of it looked grand but loads just felt like way too much. Like the makers had been given a bucket of visual gimmicks and decided to just fling everything at a camera lens. I’ve seen Disney films with a smaller colour palette.

Think that sums it up really. I don’t give out star ratings but it’s better than the new Independence Day. And BvS. And Fantastic Four. Yeah it’s just above some horrible company. Not the worst film in the world then, but a big old wasted opportunity.

Did it destroy my childhood and deserve the online smear campaign? Well no, that’s just bloody stupid. Go watch the old film and chill out. Or sing the theme tune aloud in public. Then watch others join you. Just don’t ask them which films their favourite, that music’s fun for all folks.