Cinemazlowski 'Ghostbusters' reboot brings big laughs in the midst of dull summer remakes

In a summer ranging from uninspired retreads  ("Now You See Me 2," "Independence Day: Resurgence") to big-budget original busts ("The BFG") to at least one solid hit ("Finding Dory"), no film has drawn as much buzz or stirred up as much frenzied controversy as the "Ghostbusters" reboot.  

   

Sony Pictures brought top creative talents in for the project, starting with director Paul Feig of "Bridesmaids," "The Heat" and "Spy" fame, who also co-wrote with Katie Dippold of "The Heat". And despite starring the female dream team of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and current "Saturday Night Live" stars Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, it has been under fire from day one.

 

Critics wondered why the movie was being redone in the first place, and "fanboys" complained about the female stars. Throw in terrible trailers and one of the worst theme songs in movie history, and it has not been looking good for the film. This seemed destined to be one of the worst train wrecks of all time.

 

And now that it's here? The new "Ghostbusters" was finally screened for critics and the public last Thursday - and they've mostly pulled off a winner. The movie has great laughs in the first half that will be liked by a lot of people, but loses a lot of its big laughs in favor of splashy special effects in the second half.

 

Overall, though, it's a fun romp that most families can enjoy together, in which risqué humor is kept to a minimum, and the scary moments are offset by goofy ghosts elsewhere. It's definitely appropriate for teens and adults, per its PG-13 rating, and possibly as young as 9 or 10 year olds if they're used to some scares in their entertainment.

 

The reboot first focuses on Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), a college professor who gets approached by a museum owner and is hoping she can help him because the museum seems haunted and she's written about the science of ghosts. This gets her in touch with her old friend Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), whom she had abandoned years before because the scientific community kept mocking their research on the paranormal.

 

After reuniting with Abby and being introduced to Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), a scientist who goes on to engineer their proton packs and other equipment, the three head to the museum and Gilbert gets her first caught-on-camera meeting with a ghost. For Erin, it is her first step to getting recognition for her past work.

 

On the other hand, Abby sees it as a new start to a career in the field she loves so much. But the two are shunned and laughed at. The three ladies begin to see the end of their old lives and the beginning of a new one - aiming to save their city from spirits and other paranormal experiences.

 

They find a workplace and hire Erin's dream man, Kevin (Chris Hemsworth), as their assistant because he looks good in anything he wears. The final piece in the puzzle comes when they hire a fourth Ghostbuster, the streetwise Patty (Leslie Jones), who comes to them after encountering a ghost and an evil genius named Rowan (Neil Casey).

 

Rowan has gone nuts over demanding recognition for his own past scientific accomplishments concerning the spirit world, and now wants to destroy New York. Battling a fast-paced and occasionally funny string of obstacles, the new Ghostbusters set out to save the day. 

 

This movie is a story all on its own, with no real connections to the past ones, and it's baffling why the movie's trailers were so unfocused and unfunny when the actual movie is richly entertaining. The movie's trailers led to complaints that the special effects were too reliant on CGI, whereas the original film used more traditional methods and modeling to create its effects. Yet in reality, the effects are top-notch and are particularly impressive in 3D.

 

Most importantly, the large audience watching the movie along with the critics was extremely positive toward the film. The audience was laughing out loud throughout, and burst into applause several times, particularly when original "Ghostbusters" star Bill Murray makes his entrance as a completely different character than before. It's not just a split-second cameo, and the surprise rendered by that fact is indicative of the pleasant surprises throughout.