Ghostbusters (REVIEW)

Written by Jacob Chimilar (@sweetlows)

The time has come. The most dreaded sequel that no one seemed to want despite the talent behind it has arrived. I went into the movie hoping for it to be good, Kate McKinnon is my favorite SNL actor and the rest of the team are all pretty funny people. I didn't like Paul Feig's other movies; Bridesmaids and Spy, I have no plans on seeing The Heat but I thought it was worth a shot. The gist of the film is similar to the original in that there are a group of scientists who are out to catch some ghosts. I honestly don't feel it entirely necessary to give a plot summary for this movie. If you know what Ghostbusters is about, then you know this movie. The opening if fairly similar in tone which is fine, Zach Woods (Jared- Silicon Valley) is a tour guide at an old mansion that was said to be haunted, and turns out that it actually is, thus leading the group to investigate the paranormal activity but without the charm the original group managed to bring.

I'm not a fan of the original Ghostbusters either, so that bias doesn't affect me in that regard but I found myself liking this one less all the same. The acting is fairly solid, the direction is as well. Kate McKinnon did not disappoint in the slightest, she brings basically every laugh in the film. That said, there were not a whole lot of laughs to be had for me personally. The women are clearly smart but when they say their jargon I feel like it's almost saying "yeah see how smart we are?" and that gets called out a little bit in the film, but it was a distraction to me. This felt like a movie that you happen to catch on TV on a Sunday afternoon and say "what the heck lets watch it." It is not the kind of movie you want to go out to the theatre and watch in my opinion. The production value is there but it felt less like a comedy gem and more like a sequel to the Goosebumps movie with a bigger budget, which if you have seen Goosebumps isn't exactly high praise. I found myself drifting off to sleep and checking the time half way through. I just could not wait to leave after experiencing that mediocre display of action comedy. The only other real highlight was Chris Hemsworth as the secretary, he is just so hard not to like. The ending sequence was the same old stuff we see all the time with the city being destroyed by some creature, in this case ghosts. In a movie that is supposed to be funny; the jokes were bland, the story was pretty meh as well, other movies have done a better job of monster hunting like Hellboy for instance. I wish it was able to rise above that odd hate that all these people put on it. I for one didn't mind the trailers but it seems as though the dislike was warranted. 

I didn't hate the movie but I was far from invested or interested in it most of the time. McKinnon and Hemsworth were stand outs and brought most of the humor but the rest played out rather awkwardly and made the experience one I checked out of half way through, I had to actively tell myself to give the movie a chance and it just never picked up. Paul Feig is 0 for 3 for me and the only real take away I had was, I need more Kate McKinnon in my life and a lot less of everyone else. Catch it on TV or rent it but if you are looking for a good time at the theatre, don't call these Ghostbusters.