Ghostbusters (2016) (Reviews, Reactions)

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

Finally made myself go see this...whew. There is a lot of good elements in this, stuff that COULD have made a great movie, but they bogged it down with way too many jokes that droned on and on (My Cat) and situational elements that just had nothing to do with anything that was going on in the story. Holtzmann was amazing, and probably the best part of the whole thing. McCarthy got pretty annoying pretty quick, and I have no previous experience with that actress going in, so I didnt know what to expect. The wonton gag needed to end an hour before it did.

So overall, not horrible, but not even close to great. It had elements of both, and in the end, its unfortunate they couldnt weed out the garbage and leave the gems.

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

I decided to go see it and i didn't think it was bad. I actually enjoyed it. Does it compare to the original? Absolutely not however that doesn't mean it couldn't be entertaining.

My girlfriend is quite a bit younger than I am and she didn't grow up with these cult movies which are now getting sequels or reboots. I made sure we watched the original before the current ghostbusters. I don't think she has the heart to tell me she enjoyed the reboot more. Our cinematic adventure started when we were talking about how much we loved Point Break until I realized she was talking about the reboot :unsure

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

So I saw the movie this evening.

For the sake of transparency, I have no great love for the original movie, it's a fun enough 80's romp, but is outclassed on just about every level by the same stable's Blues Brothers. Conversely, I dislike Feig's brand of humour, and his inability to open his mouth without sticking his foot in it.

So hopefully, this is fairly objective.

The overwhelming feeling I had afterwards, was of a slightly better than average straight to DVD movie. Obviously the effects rank above that, but that was definitely the vibe.

The screenplay was sloppy, disjointed and merely followed enough join-the-dots points to pin on a framework of scenes that felt like the crew and actors turned up on set every day with a 'what are we gonna shoot today'? ethos. The characters were thinly sketched at best, you learn next to nothing about their backstories or relationship dynamics, so it was hard to develop any attachment to them.

Mckinnon at least gave Holtzman that off-beat weirdness that has been much commented-on. Without it the character is given virtually nolthing to define her other than 'tech-girl'. Jones was pretty decent, given what she was given to work with. She brought some enthusiam and energy that seemed lacking in the rest of the cast. Wiig did her usual nervous insecure chick stuff and McCarthy did child-woman who falls over. Those two characters were pretty much a wash.

And oh lordy, they technobabble! It goes on and on in so many scenes, without ever coming close to even partly convincing you that any of these women are scientists. The script, or choice of actors, truly botched that one, I didn't buy it for a minute.

Hemsworth, on the other hand, simply isn't a character at all. He's a running gag that gets old pretty quickly. Curiously enough, about the only gag that got a smirk out of me was the Mike Hat gag, which comes so out of left field, with an almost pythonesque delivery.

Which brings me to the comedy...there are few of those left field nonsense gags that are sprinkled through the movie, mostly surrounding Holttzman and Kevin, which was the only stuff that worked for me. It's not even that there were a bunch of gags that fell flat, more like a lot of stuff that I wasn't even sure was supposed to be funny.

Going back to the DVD movie comparison - everything felt small and rushed, even the final battle failed any effort to appear epic. It doesn't seem liked Feig has enough experience of staging action or CG heavy scenes, it all felt pretty cramped unimaginativeley choreographed. The effects were competent, nothing great, nothing horrible.

I kind of liked that in this iteration the government were actually supporting them and using them to face all the danger, then continually debunking and ridiculing them 'so no-one realises ghosts are real and panics' That was a fairly decent gag, and at least something new.

Now, unless I missed something, I'm gonna take a shot at the common 'hater' accusation that they couldn't even get their continuity right in terms of the weapons capturing ghosts at the start, then killing them at the end. Even Devin Faraci's love fest claimed this.

When they first try out the Proton Packs in the subway, they are underpowered, and they have problem containing the ghosts. They then get a power surge from the train line, that blows the ghost they are trying to trap into itty-bitty bits.

Later in the movie, Holtzman provides them all with weaponised gadgets - grenades, handguns, the boxing glove thingy. When the big battle kicks off, she tells them not to forget their sidearms. In the battle scene, they clearly use their Proton packs to ensnare the ghosts, and the weapons to finish 'em off. Not sure how so many seemed to miss this.
As for the fabled (groan) misandry...get the hell out of here! I know most of the MRA's raising this one haven't even seen the movie, but this one is just a nonsense. The movie kind of mocks everyone tbh, and if you are seeing this, it's entireley in your own mind.

Oh and Rowan......I got nothing. Just the most forgettable generic villain ever.

So overall, another negative review. I didn't hate it. It was just...there. Another rushed into production tentpole that didn't take the time to figure out what it wanted to be. Another poor result of an industry that believes the way to make movies is not a solid, well developed script, but a set of notes and a belief that everything can be created in edits and reshoots. It can't.

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

I've seen it 11 times so far. Number 12 is later today.

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

I saw it last weekend, and here's my two cents. Brushing aside the whole female recasting controversy, this movie was boring. Poor writing. Bad jokes. Needless cameos that felt way too forced (the only one that felt kinda ok was Ernie's). Bad acting (why are people praising Kate McKinnon? All she was doing was winking and smiling, hardly had any lines). Unlike the originals (yes both) where they had a nice build up to the climax, this one was all over the place with no build up. It was the first time in a long time that I checked my watch at least 3 times during the movie, wondering when it will end. The guy a few seats down was playing games on his cell.

Luckily It didn't cost me much as I had a coupon. I gave this movie a chance, but it failed miserably. Two thumbs way down.

Sony could redeem themselves by giving us a proper GB3 handover installment with the old cast reprising their roles, and a more diverse new team (not all women and limited to two races). Curious what they'll do next, if they do anything.

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

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.

View attachment 649962
This was the view behind me.

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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.

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

I saw it last night with my wife and daughter. People in the audience were clapping when it was over.

Both my wife and I agreed it was much better than we thought it would be. We had actually just seen the original last week at a movie in the park night. y daughter is 9 and of course she liked the new one better. For her I think it appealed more than the original because it was much more modern both special effects wise as well as many of the references/comedy

While not a groundbreaking movie or one that I "must own" it was enjoyable and worth seeing.

It was entertaining, the cast had great chemistry, with the Patty and Jillian characters being the favorites. Even McCarthy was kept in check with her character Abby

It had some cringe-worthy moments but the originals did as well if we are being honest.

All in all a good modern update for the franchise and I am glad I saw it, and dare I say, looking forward to a sequel (especially if they go with what is hinted at at the end of the credits)

Better than Ghostbusters II, but not as good as the original.

All the cameos were great

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

Finished the Girlbusters movie, for free mind you. Wow. Where to start.
Ok. Let's be nice about some things first. Kate McKinnon is freaking hilarious as Holtzman and would have been an incredible foil as Egon's protege. She simply stole the movie and was the really only good part of it. I'm sorry we never got to see something like that because I would have paid to see a sequel with her in that role. Leslie Jones isn't nearly as offensive and as racist a caricature as she was made out to be in the trailer. She's actually more grounded than the rest of the characters. She wasn't as bad as I feared and was a decent 'everywoman' for the rest of the group. The special effects are pretty wonderful, the ghosts and ghost effects except for Rowan at the end pretty impressive. That's it for the niceties.
The movie is a steaming pile of **** otherwise. Feig, who clearly stated he did not want to do a "Ghostbusters" movie in the leaked Sony emails proved he didn't want to do one with this disaster. He just stole all the ideas from the real movie, and even lifted ones from the end of the original "Poltergeist" as well. The car and design doesn't deserve to be called the Ecto 1. McCarthy is the stupidest scientist and no role model for anyone. She's stupid and clumsy, because that's the only role she seems to play. Kristen Wiig is a non entity in this movie. The cameos are mostly insulting, and it was clear Bill Murray didn't want to be there for any of it. If you hadn't heard, he had been threatened with a lawsuit if he didn't have a cameo in it. The dumbing down of the receptionist is sexist, so much for feminism. Janine was a fantastic character, Kevin is so stupid it's a wonder he's not dead yet. But yeah, having women hire a guy because he's pretty even though completely incompetent seems like a feminist notion. And the way the women beat the main ghost at the end? Yup, they shoot it in the dick. Yeah. They shoot ghost dick to save the day. So clever you'd think it was written by a 4th Grader.
What a ****ing tragedy.

Re: Ghostbusters (2016) (Post-release)

I went to see the movie today after several people I know to be generally intelligent people who aren't prone to liking absolute **** recommended it.

It was fun. Yes, there were some cringy moments and I still don't feel that Ghostbusters particularly NEEDED to be remade, but I definitely did not feel that my time or money were wasted on it. It was a cute movie and I felt it was very much in line with the original in terms of atmosphere. Frankly, I think that there is a large segment of the internet that needs to get its panties out of a twist.

Pros:
* Patty and Holtzman are, hands down, my favorite characters. I would watch the **** out of a movie with just those two in it.
* Chris Hemsworth was having FAR too much fun with this role.
* Effects were a lot better than I expected.
* They really got creative with the equipment, which was, I felt, part of the fun.
* Most of the cameos were great.

Cons:
* As much as I love Patty, I would have been happier if Leslie Jones were playing the Kristine Wiig role. I think the actress is great and the character could have been so much more.
* They got really creative with the equipment. I'm fairly certain that a proton stream wouldn't have 'kick' or ricochet like a projectile.
* The extended cameo. I'll admit, I cackled like a madwoman when he went out the window.
* "Lady Slimer" - 'nuff said.