The Ghostbusters series recently had a reboot of its own. For those of us old enough to remember, there were two live-action movies in the 1980’s and at least one animated series afterwards.
Basically, what has stayed consistent throughout the three live-action comedy movies is that three of the main characters are scientists who are in the ghost-catching business, and the fourth is a recruit.
While the live-action movies had an all-male main cast (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson), the reboot goes with an all-female cast (Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones). Except Melissa McCarthy, the other three cast members of the reboot have been part of the Saturday Night Live (SNL) regular cast. (NB: SNL is a long-running comedy show in the US.)
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Controversy had hounded the reboot even before it started showing in cinemas. Apparently, many had expressed unfavorable reactions in social media about it being an all-female main cast. Some of the things said, for example, were that “having an all-female cast was pandering to political correctness“, and that “the reboot could ruin your childhood.” Some attacks were harsh enough that Leslie Jones closed her Twitter account because of them.
So now, let’s answer a few very important questions.
Do I like the movie?
Yes and No. While I could definitely say it was entertaining, I didn’t consider it a jaw-dropping affair. While being something familiar, and having a few nods to the original films, there were some new things in it. It is not a candidate for Movie of the Year. The comedy was there, but I agree with some reviews that not all the jokes worked. However, seeing women kick ass, believe it or not, is actually a treat to watch, if done well.
Are the controversies surrounding the reboot an issue with me?
No. Although there are some fictional characters that are integrally defined by their gender or other factors such as race (James Bond being one of them, I believe), I never thought the Ghostbusters were among them. Therefore that the cast was all-female was never an issue with me.
Is it worth watching?
Yes, but better to compartmentalize like I did. I found it best not to compare with the originals; instead, treat it as a separate beast.
Oh, and watch out for the cameos of the surviving original cast. (NB: Harold Ramis is already dead.)
[Image courtesy: yahoo.com]
А вы, друзья, как ни садитесь, все в музыканты не годитесь. – But you, my friends, however you sit, not all as musicians fit.
My review of Ghostbusters(2016)
Watching this film will give you cancer.
May I ask then, what is Ms. Fallen Angel’s opinion then of the Evil Dead (2013)? Being a remake of the classic Evil Dead starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, what did you think of him being replaced by a female protagonist and the darker tone of the film compared to its predecessors?
Bruce Campbell is still Ash in “Ash vs. Evil Dead”. So your question is as irrelevant as the 2013 shit-fest of a movie.
The season 2 trailer is already out, so all that’s left to say is:
“Thank you Baby Jesus!”
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.