- For better or worse, the new Ghostbusters is a film that cannot be discussed outside of its cultural context. That can be said of all films to some extent, but rarely does a nominal popcorn flick engender so much praise and vitriol for reasons that have entirely to do with social issues rather than cinematic ones. As such, it is the obligation of all responsible reviewers to begin any discussion of Ghostbusters both by condemning the disgusting eruption of misogyny that spewed forth from the film's most vocal detractors and by further noting that anybody who would ever tweet anything bad about Leslie Jones must be completely unhinged. Perhaps our only consolation in such dark times is that I have made myself available to concisely diagnose (and completely solve!) the social problems of the world.
- Given the absurdly manufactured controversy that surrounded its release, I can't decide whether it is disappointing or relieving that Ghostbusters is a completely forgettable trifle. It is not a bad film by any stretch and is probably better than Ghostbusters 2, but fundamentally this is a silly movie about bustin' ghosts. This time around, the Ghostbusters team is comprised of successful professor Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), her former research partner and friend Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), the powerfully eccentric technophile Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), and NYC transit employee Patty Tolan (Jones). Of these, McCarthy and Jones are reliably entertaining, Wiig plays things straight, and McKinnon takes her character's weirdness far beyond the pale. Rounding out the operation is Kevin (Chris Hemsworth), who is hired primarily for his Asgardian good looks rather than his secretarial skills.
- One of the film's cleverest choices is its antagonist, a lowly janitor named Rowan North (Neil Casey). I don't know how much of his character was written before the internet went insane over this movie, but I feel there's a deep reason that the villain is a "sad, pale one" who wants to wield power over people he feels have wronged him. In fact, the film is at its best when it explicitly notes the perils of reading online comment sections or crowd-surfing if you're a black woman. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie suffers from trying to have things both ways. A new, unrelated story overflowing with cameos and references to the original! A film intended to showcase women in comedy that constantly appeals to Chris Hemsworth for comic relief! I appreciate that reboots and remakes garner funding and public attention more effectively than original stories, but this film's talented cast would have been far better served by a completely original script. That said, at least Ghostbusters demonstrated that the world doesn't automatically end when you cast women in what had previously been men's roles. (Well, I guess it did almost end in the movie, but the women saved the day.)
- Briefly materializing in this film were: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, Ozzy Osbourne, Al Roker, Ed Begley Jr., Michael K. Williams, and Andy Garcia.
