Ghostbusters
Lifelong paranormal enthusiasts Erin and Abby (Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy) find themselves reconnected as an invasion of spirits appears to be descending upon Manhattan. Partnered with the mad scientist Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) and local historian Patty (Leslie Jones) the four ladies comprise the Ghostbusters, specializing in the investigation and removal of paranormal activity in your neighborhood. But, winning the approval of New York won’t be easy, with the odds set against them will these ladies be able to stop the impending supernatural apocalypse?
Directed by Paul Feig, this reboot of the wildly popular 80’s franchise has certainly been the point of much controversy in the last few weeks, comments largely spurred on by the film’s first trailer, which in fact is a poor representation of the spirit and spunk of the actual film. That being said, what we have here is a plot very similar to the 1984 classic, perhaps thinner in the antagonist department and not as fleshed out (so to speak), but more importantly is a solid comedy that allows for four incredibly talented comedic minds to stretch the norms, create new paths, and carry the baton proudly. In particular McKinnon’s disarming and frenetic performance cleverly melds the subtleties of Harold Ramis and wackiness of Bill Murray along with her own sensibilities to form a gem of a nut whilst Jones has her moments of earnest comedic zeal and Wiig and McCarthy shine as mostly straight women. Plus, solid chuckles abound with Chris Hemsworth’s performance as Kevin, the impossibly bone headed receptionist. And, for the hardened fans, yes, you get lots of love too, keep your eyes and ears set to enjoy plenty of callbacks and cameos. Bottom line, is this a masterpiece, no, but it is still a ton of fun and can safely live in the same Ghostbuster universe as its counterparts, get ready for ectoplasm, Ghostbusters is rated PG-13.