Alright! I saw it! GB16 review!
I checked it out at a 7:55 show at Scotiabank theater in Vancouver. a couple of hours previous I had gone for a run, and even though I showered right afterward, it is CRAZY hot and I was still sweating on the way to the flick. I figured that it wouldn't be a big deal cuz it should be an empty theater anyway.
I waited til the last minute to even go into the movie (why worry about a line) and I was by myself so I figured I'd have my choice of seats.
Aw crap.
This was the view behind me.
So packed theater anyway...
So before I get into it, I'm gonna state for the haters, if you come out of this thinking this was anti-male, you got weird issues. EVERYONE in this movie was an idiot. It was equal playing ground the entire flick. Sure the proton pack to the nuts bit could be construed as anti-man, but that's it. And hey, I grew up on Monster Squad so I know damn well you kick for the nards, even if they may not have nards
As for shots at Ghostbuster fans with respects to the youtube comment lines... Who cares? If anything I would say they stole that bit from Jay and Silent Bob Strike back.
So I should state that going into this movie I didn't really care about the actresses. My history with them as a viewer is as follows:
Leslie Jones (Patty) - Only know here from wanting her Muffin from Kylo Ren undercover boss.
Melissa McCartney - I like Gilmore Girls... she was sookie. I didn't like Sookie in Gilmore Girls. She was funny in Bridesmaids though.
Kate Mckinnon - never seen her before
Kristen Wiig - hated her in everything I saw til Bridesmaids. Then I grew to really like her while editing "Sausage Party"... going through hours of her records I can say she's sweet and often really funny. When they originally told me she was cast as the lead lady in SP, I groaned. She won me over.
Thoughts as I watched the flick:
- The flick starts off well enough. JARED! from Silicon Valley gives a tour of a haunted house. They went a little overboard with the haunting... but that's the world we live in. Kids aint gonna be impressed with a couple of floating books. But there we go with neon slime again. If you love the second Ghostbusters, here's more ****ty slime!
- Glad they kept the logo and the original music to start it. Got it off to a good GB feeling start.
- Kristen Wiig starts it off well enough... Nothing great. Is this guy talking to her about her book supposed to be one of the anti-male characters? Cuz I don't see it. Is the dean?
- Fart Joke that early in the flick?? ouch.
- I like the setup that Melissa and Kristen are estranged over the book.
- Kate Mckinnon is weird. This is the character everyone likes? She comes off as a little much.
- Love the delivery guy. Great improv. That suits the first movie for sure.
- Melissa McCartney is not a great character intro.
- They're eating pringles while looking at real ghost the first time? ehhhh... dumb. Ghost is genuinely creepy though, which makes the pringles thing even more dumb.
- Zero problem with Wiig not getting out of the way of the slime. I got puked on once... right in the face. You freeze up and don't move. FACT.
- Okay so far not bad... first ghost... lets do this!
- I like that they are establishing building the tech.
- Sorry... Kevin has some great lines. I'd seen most of them already, but they were still funny. Also some terrible lines. The logo options were horribly unfunny. His more subtle lines were hilarious. I also have no problem with a dumb male. they exist - look at that swimming moron from 4 years ago.... women love him, dumb as a brick. Wiig going after Kevin was great.
- Enter Patty! BIGGEST SURPRISE. She's actually the best thing in the movie. By far. Whaaaaaaaat?!?! Sure there are a few loud black woman cliche moments, but she had some of the only funny lines.
- Bill Murray... ah whatever. I don't think it's as bad as everyone says. "he looks like he hates every second"... no idea what people are talking about. He did just walk in and sit down, but then whatever, He's old. Every movie I see him now he's lounging.
- Oh! the thing where Jared from Silicon Valley pooped his pants? whatever. Don't get the big deal. Wasn't funny, but wasn't terrible either.
- The mayor... is this supposed to be another anti-male character? Is he the idiot male?
Mayor - he was turned inside out.
Mel McC - Like his skin was on the inside?
Mayor - Cuz his guts were on the outside.
Mel McC - Ohhh I hope he's okay.
The Mayor is the idiot?!?! In another scene he's saying dumb stuff but Kristen Wiig is trying to open a window like a sliding door. Everyone is dumb!
- Around act 2 I started to get bored.
- Is this bad guy the idiot male? He seems like every male in the first 2 flicks that aren't GB's. Don't get the big deal. Never saw that he was supposed to represent nerds.
- Hey a guy (Street Artist) created the logo! This movie HATES MEN!!! (sarcasm)
- So they have their proton packs, which are like lassos... but then they show new tech that has science babble about them being able to hurt the ghosts. So what's the deal with everyone complaining?... they never used the proton packs to do anything but throw ghosts around, which was neat. NEAT idea. I liked it a lot.
- Jumping through the movie now... I kinda thought Kevin had a purpose when the bad dude took him over... I'm like "oh... the weird little guy needed a stronger body!" But I guess I must have missed something cuz Kevin didn't do anything the bad guy could have done with his own live body. Confusing. Whatever. I was kinda zoning out.
- Oh man, the ghostbuster logo traditionally animated was neat... but then turned into the giant logo... which was kiiiinda ****ty... It didn't look as bad as I thought, and I know they were going for that Stay Puft moment. But the whole moment in the first with Ray and "it just popped in my head" was way funnier and better handled than any moment in this...
- Technobabble about a portal and full reversal, blah blah... whatever.
- So the ghost grabs Melissa, and Kristen grabs a million mile chord and jumps in after her? WHAAAAAAT??? That whole scene may be the stupidest thing I've seen. What a crap ending.
- End title scene.... Okay... here's a big problem. So Patty says she hears something, and then says "Who's Zule?"
...
And they all react with slight shrugs and go on with their work? What? No getting a book and looking it up? What a terrible reaction!!
So overall I'll say I liked it, but in a way that I will forget most of it in no time. I'll probably never watch it again.
it did have good story structure... Perfect for a movie like this, but didn't take chances or surprise me.
It had some funny lines, but for the most part it wasn't as funny as it should be with those ladies involved.
Patty was the highlight, had the best moments. That ridiculous rock scene was only worth while for her wanting to just casually walk away with a demon on her. I'm not sure why I found that as funny as I did.
Kate McKinnon got funnier as it went on, but wouldn't fit in with the original movie style... She's too weird. But by about halfway through I wanted more of her weird just cuz I was getting bored and she was becoming fun to watch.
Everyone across the board is dumb, so anti-male whiners can give it a rest. EVERYONE was dumb. EVERYONE was a cartoon. No one came out looking better than anyone. Crazy talk.
It's a fine film, not really a good film, not a bad film.
I feel like if you think the second BG is a fine film for the franchise, then this should be fine too... cuz this one is less painful to watch than GB 2 for sure.
Overall - 6.6 out of 10 - needed to be FUNNIER. If you are going for all out comedy. NEEDS MORE LAUGHS.
END.
