Last night, with the usual drivel on television still stuck in an endless loop of repetition, I decided to check out a movie that's been intriguing me for the last couple of years. The reboot (not remake) of Ivan Reitman's classic Ghostbusters. Released in 2016, we now have a ensemble quarter of females who, in no particular order are, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, all headed up with the assistance of Director Paul Feig. Now, I'm a long time fan of the original and tried to go into this with as neutral a perspective as possible. Disregarding the heaps of scathing scrutiny and criticism poured over this movie and with little to no bias held. Well, with that being said, the outcome was...
In a word, horrifying! What a God awful travesty of a train wreck. It's no wonder why this movie was universally panned. But was it? Well, the acclaimed movie review website Rotten Tomatoes awarded it a logic defying 74% based on the average critics consensus whereas public opinion gave it a far more justifiable 51% (which in itself is also extremely generous). And I guess it stands to reason given the mass derision of audiences for the casting choices for the film. As is common knowledge now, the apparent "female leads" were the source of mass hysteria against it. After all, how could you denigrate a movie to the sub-standards of a woman when the men in the original had so blatantly pulled off such a magnificent job? Well, I couldn't care less if it were women, dwarves, cavemen or goddamn pixies! If the script is solid, that should prove the basis of merit. But, in this newly evolving world of "social equality" and "indignant stereotyping", the media had no option but to portray this spectacle in a much better light than it deserved.
However in an era of global social media where anyone and everyone has a voice, the public have spoken and the overwhelming response seemed to fall much more in line with my personal views on it. Where do I start? First off, the acting. Think normal societal people and then multiply the exaggeration factor by 11! Their performances are so loud and brash, it almost comes off cartoonish by intent. Why do movie of this type feel the need to attempt to shove humour down people's throats? Especially Leslie Jones, whose aggressive and sometimes downright abusive demeanour on-screen does more to misrepresent stereotypically cast black actors and actresses than the contrary. And be preapred for the cringe factor to crank up to considerable levels, especially concerning a scene with *Kate KcKinnon and a wince-worthy rendition of DeBarge's "Rhythm of the Night". Of the few men that make up this movie, one is played by none other than Chris Hemsworth. However, his over-the-top "mimbo" impersonations were enough to make me question the validity of even Thor himself. Yet another Hollywood representation of a "dumb man" typecast into one of these atrocious politically correct examples of film.
Although could the effects of the movie provide at least a modicum of saving grace? Well, about a couple of decades ago, maybe. And that's a "huge" maybe. The SFX have been likened to something out of those equally despicable Scooby Doo movies and that's the perfect comparative tool. Most consoles of yesteryear could have pulled off a much better job. The original Ghostbusters, with all its subtle comedy and self-mockery, managed to somewhat encapsulate a certain level of dread and fear. Here, we are at the total opposite end of the spectrum. No high stakes, everyone seemingly having a great time randomly misfiring weapons in the sky and all whilst staring death straight in the face. It's a nightmarish illogical assault on the senses which begs for some form of respite but never arrives. A true horror movie, but for all the wrong reasons.
Ghostbusters (2016) is a boisterous invasion on your eyes from the minute it begins. The acting is horrendous, the effects laughable and we even have some shocking cameos thrown in that'll leave you speechless with bewildered disgust. How on earth those involved agreed to do what they did is a whole nother discussion entirely. Forget this feminist bullshit about men hating on this movie based on the gender of it's protagonists. That's pure nonsense. This is a hideous movie, in almost every respect. Trust me, you'll be needing a long, cold shower after this one. Utter garbage from the ground up.
