Movie review: ‘Ghostbusters' reboot is a real crowd-pleaser
"When there's something strange ... in your neighborhood ... who you gonna call?" Just hearing the toe-tapping "Ghostbusters" theme takes me back to a 1984 state of mind; not a bad place to be — 13-years-old and without a care in the world. So I viewed Paul Feig's crowd-pleasing, shot-in-Boston (doubling for New York) "Ghostbusters" reboot in a warm nostalgic glow. That frame of mind certainly goes a long way in overcoming the film's persistent sluggishness and predictability. After all, it's built on a gimmick, and those ploys can only take you so far.
As for the giant elephant in theater, this new, all-female "Ghostbusters" doesn't possess the quirky horror-comedy subversiveness of the original starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis. But their replacements — Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones — are hardly slouches, despite what you might have read on the Internet.
Their writers — Feig and his regular partner Katie Dippold ("Spy," "The Heat") — are respectful of the predecessor, and even offer a classy nod to the late Ramis. They're faithful without being fawning. And they cleverly address the unnecessary and sexist internet fury unleashed on the film last spring by calling out the trolls and giving their ghost-hunting gals the last laugh.
Still, what we're seeing isn't exactly fresh, putting the onus on their four stars, who respond nicely by keeping the movie from evolving into a lame and needless remake. They've got chemistry to burn and significantly up the ante, even if you can feel Feig's restraint in every scene. He doesn't go for it like he did in the game-changing "Bridesmaids" or "Spy." He even keeps a T-shirt on beefy Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") during a dance scene in which the Aussie hunk clearly doesn't need to wear one. The nerve.
The new "Ghostbusters" has its own charms and the audience I saw it with belly-laughed its approval. "SNL's" McKinnon — easily the funniest woman on TV right now — flat out steals the movie from her co-stars. She's a total gas. And the others smartly get out of her way. That's not to say McCarthy ("Spy"), Wiig ("Bridesmaids") and Jones ("SNL") don't have their moments.
Wiig, mostly playing the straight-woman, is a master at wry one-liners; McCarthy, as always, is adept at improvisation and physical comedy; Jones is fun to watch as the skittish newbie and walking encyclopedia of Manhattan history; as the ladies' doltish secretary, Hemsworth, as he did in the "Vacation" revival, shows a natural flair for comedy as the designated eye candy; and last but not least, Weymouth's Nate Corddry is fun as a subway tagger.
The plot is rudimentary, dutifully pairing paranormal scientists — and estranged childhood friends — Abby Yates (McCarthy) and Erin Gilbert (Wiig) with nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzman (McKinnon) and subway worker Patty Tolan (Jones) to hunt down the lunatic unleashing malevolent ghosts on New York City. Along the way, stars of the original film pop up in what are mostly flat and forced cameos. There are a couple of good ones, but I'll keep those under my hat. Also figuring into the plot are a revamped Ecto 1 ghostbusting vehicle, the Stay Puft Man and the Fire Station Hook and Ladder Company No. 8. In revisiting all the familiar haunts, Feig and his cast conjure up a green-slime gooey good time. A sequel is teased in the end, so stay for the post-credits cookie scene.
— Dana Barbuto may be reached at dbarbuto@ledger.com or follow her on Twitter @dbarbuto_Ledger.
"Ghostbusters"
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon.
(PG-13 for supernatural action and some crude humor)
Grade B