You’d think that with the mass hysteria surrounding it the Ghostbusters reboot is the second coming of Gozer. Is the 2016 variety worth so much fuss?
Let’s start with a well-practiced rant.
No one is coming into your house and taking away your copy of the original. Nor are they ‘raping your childhood’. The internet is prone to hyperbole and this film appears to have brought out the worst of it. Reboots generally aren’t aimed at the generation that originally loved the franchise. One of the coolest things about this film is how many new fans it will create, let alone giving girls some clever and brave heroes to look up to.
If you don’t like the idea of a reboot don’t watch it. The best thing you can do is not participate. Shut up and watch the originals.
The trailers for Ghostbusters 2016 didn’t fill me with confidence, with it’s possible racial stereotypes and flat jokes. I feared that Paul Feig’s latest would be a lot more Bridesmaids than Spy.
Fortunately those trailers were not a fair representation, so if you’re willing to open your mind to new possibilities this is an enjoyable and occasionally very funny film.
The biggest issue Answer the Call faces is that its characters are far better than the story they inhabit. They share a great chemistry, something that could have grown in sequels. Two things to note are that it turns out I have a big old crush on Kristen Wiig, and Chris Hemsworth is unsurprisingly stunning in a simple white t shirt and blue jeans combo. The film does nothing to swerve commenting on his attractiveness, whilst giving him a great role to display his comic sensibilities. This focus on character is let down by the villain, who barely registers. He serves his purpose though, which is to galvanise the ‘busters.
The equipment doesn’t just magically appear, going through a nice evolution as the film progresses. It culminates in weapons I thought initially looked terrible actually leading to some great action. The evolution of special effects has allowed for some really cool stuff too.
I’ve an inkling there are some pretty big holes in the plot. Perhaps I’ll notice them in the future but as I was watching I just rolled with the entertainment.
What I do know is that dogs and cats are not going to be living together any time soon. There is no need for mass hysteria! Having seen the film several times now, I’m happy with this set of busters. Give it a go, you might be too.
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