Well, that wasn't nearly as bad as people were making out.
When it was first announced that Paul Feig was rebooting the Ghostbusters franchise with an all-female cast, the Internet lost its collective mind. "Women!" they cried, "there's no way that will be as funny as the male version." And that is effectively the sad story of how the world decided that it didn't like a film it had not yet had the chance to see. Yes, the trailer wasn't great, but neither were the early looks at Feig's previous hits (Bridesmaids and Spy). Having now seen the film I can say this: the new Ghostbusters is far from perfect but it is good summer fun.
This is a funny movie, and delivers as many laughs nearly as the director's aforementioned previous releases. While not as dry as its spiritual predecessor, Ghostbusters unique blend of physical comedy and vibrant dialogue helps it thrive. The cast also impress, especially Saturday Night Live alums Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon, who make their big-budget feature film debuts here. Jones is laugh-out-loud funny, with her over-the-top personality shining through. Every moments she is on screen is a pleasure, and she curates the film's biggest laughs with her character's antics. McKinnon is also a revaluation, and while her particular brand of comedy is more subdued than Jones', it is still just as valuable to the film and suited my personal taste. The more practise these two get at adjusting to a more theatrical style of comedy, the more impact we will see them having over the next couple of years. Melissa McCarthy and Kirsten Wigg, the film's leads, are also very capable as already evidences by their star-making turns in Bridesmaids. Their two characters served as both the team's anchors and the film's emotional core so the pressure was on them to deliver on both a dramatic and comedic level. Both ladies are stellar, but I do wish they had tried harder to switch up their characters a bit or departed from what they'd done before. Also, Chris Hemsworth is a great supporting player, his comedic-chops sure to put a smile on even the most cynical viewer. It will be interesting to see if he makes the jump to comedy after his tenure as Thor is up. After watching his performance here, it might not be a bad idea.
However the film does fall into some of the traps that plague reboots in modern Hollywood. The plot tries to give us something new, however it does just end up coming across as derivative of what's come before. The villain is also extremely generic, evoking no sympathy from the audience at all. His story should have been portrayed as tragic, yet it comes across like the writer has just thrown a backstory for the character in at the last minute in a haphazard attempt to flesh out his story. It doesn't work.
In saying this, the greatest sin that Ghostbusters commits is its insistence on paying homage to the original. Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and other cast members are flung in to try and get a reaction out of any nostalgic folk in the theatre. This is the last thing this film needed. The demographic which this fan-service was meant to please are the same people who will refuse to see the movie over their fear that it will tarnish the legacy of the original. Feig's Ghostbusters should have been brave enough to stand on its own feet and not use nostalgia as a crutch, but they didn't and the film does suffer at times for it.
Overall, Ghostbusters is a summer-blockbuster that will please both adult audiences and families alike. Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon are impressive in their first big roles and the script is full of great one-liners and slap-stick humour. It didn't blow me away due to its lacklustre plot and antagonist, but it really didn't disappoint me either. Continuing the trend of so-so releases in 2016, Ghostbusters isn't fantastic but it is by no means the worst film you will see this year.
Score: 7.0/10
No comments:
Post a Comment