Ghostbusters 2016

Who you're not gonna call?

Alright, while our latest entries have all been about cult Italian cinema, We decided to take a break from the wonderful film makers from Pasta country and decided to give a try to Ghostbusters 2016. Hated even before its conception, this new take on the 80's nostalgia classic already has four Teen Choice Awards nominations: Best summer movie, best male movie star (Chris Hemsworth) and two best female movie star (Melissa MacCarthy & Kristen Wiig) meaning absolutely nothing, cause awards are just that, awards. Whether this film nails one or the four nominations, is irrelevant, and in words of legendary Grunge rocker Eddie Vedder "I don't know if this means anything" (referring to the one time Pearl Jam won a Grammy for the "Spin the Black Circle" single in 1994) Art shouldn't take part in a popularity contest but, is Ghostbusters 2016 art? Let's find out!

First of all, the troll rage this film suffered was out of this world! I mean, how can people criticize something they haven't seen before! Man! the world is crazy fucked! and not even the entertainment industry is safe from bigotry. The original Ghostbusters film are remembered as 80's cult items! people worship these films as if they were some kind of twisted religion, so you better not mess up with my original films! Honestly, what a bunch of crap! is it because there's four women in the lead roles? is it because there are no original characters returning from the  80's on their wheelchairs and adult diapers? is it just because? is it because fuck you? Seriously, nobody cares. Movies are a personal experience, just like sex or music, so despite the fact this blog posts opinions about films, we always encourage you, the viewer to take matters on your own and decide according to your enjoyment what's to like and what's not to like. 

Girl power.

You can't sit with us.

Anyways, here goes nothing Ghostbusters 2016 is the reboot nobody was asking for, and that is not because the movie is bad, it's just the same thing that is happening to other movies, series, cartoons & anime from the 70's, 80's or 90's: They happened in a very different world, with a very different kind of fandom. Most grown ups, would say "those were the days" when it comes to comparing what they had as growing kids, with what today's kids have now. Maybe this movie, is like the Ninja Turtles movies, or the Transformers movies: Not for everyone, specially not for those deeply infatuated by nostalgia and/or retro pop culture. If you want to see "the real thing" as hardcore fans would say, well, grab those DVDs and play them for the 100th time on your DVD player. Nevertheless, there are interesting cameos and great references to the original films (I won't spoil them for you here)

The movie opens with a quick explanation on who is who in this new film. Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), quantum physics teacher is the new "Peter Venkman", she's written a paranormal activity book about her beliefs in Ghosts along with Abby Yates (Melissa MacCarthy) who is replacing the original "Ray Stanz" character. Some random meaningless character ask them out to check an apparently haunted mansion, and there they meet their first real life (or real dead?) ghost. Aided by do-it-yourself technology geek Jillian Holtzman (Kate McKinnon) who evidently pays homage to the cartoon version of "Egon Spengler" they embark on their quest to show the world ghosts are real. Later they're joined by Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) who experienced paranormal activity in her former job and eventually resembles and fills "Winston Zeddemore" position in the team. Once they realize they will need extra help, they hire Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) a lazy as fuck secretary that resembles nothing the original Janine Melnitz. 

The new proton pack.

The new ECTO-1.

The plot is pretty straight forward: some wacko has built a device capable of creating a portal between the world of the living and the world of the dead, and the new Ghostbusters must find a way to stop him before it's too late and the world is taken over by ghosts. Now, if we talk retro Ghostbusters, whether is the two films or the cartoon, the plots didn't differ from this new take. The cartoon ended up being derivative but that didn't stop producers from trying new animated series. 

I think this reboot pays respectful homage to the original films in many ways, and the cameos with the original cast are really good too, so I don't see why there's a lot of butt hurt people all over the internet. However, what I do see is that the acting of the leads does seem forced to a point where the characters become parodies of themselves pretty quickly, so you can't take them seriously for too long. Also, the jokes. While some of them are funny, most of them are not as they cross the line between good and bad taste several times. You know, I'm not and old fashion fuck, we review a lot of dirtier stuff, it's just that some jokes either seem out of place or trying too hard. 

Hi, miss ghost.

I'm a DC Comics guy.

The special effects are standard CGI for this day and age, and although they're good, there's nothing new to say about this over rated technology. What I did like about this film, is how the team comes together. Unlike the original films, here there's more time spent seeing the group getting together, trying out their new toys and even not being able to afford the rent of a very familiar old firefighter's HQ. More time for developing characters is always a good thing for any kind of genre. The problem here is again, the excessive amount of unnecessary jokes, that does not allow the characters to stop being one dimensional. Even Chris Hemsworth's character is dull and one dimensional, despite the fact he is meant to be funny, we get the exact opposite due to the constant one dimension thing. These characters stay the same through the film from start to finish. 

Ghostbusters 2016 may be a great experience for newcomers, younger generations and people who have never seen the original movies (very unlikely) Having one dimensional characters strongly suggests this film was made for kids who are used to watching cartoons where the key characters have a single distinctive personality, that allows you to go to the fridge and back without getting lost in translation. If that is the intentional case of director Paul Feig, then this movie is definitely aimed at younger audiences that will crave the official merchandise after leaving the theater.

Rockstars? really?

Ghost orgy!

Is this reboot entertaining? Yes, it is. Is this reboot a masterpiece? No, it isn't and neither were the original films. Let's face it, these movies, the sci-fi genre, the super hero genre, the teen movies, all of these films have one thing in common: Marketing! these are 100% commercial films that will not only thank you for buying the theater tickets, but also will try hard to brain wash you enough to buy the home video version and lots of merchandise. I went window shopping with my wife today, and saw a pretty cool Slimer toy with sounds. See? these commercial films are not necessarily meant to be master pieces.  all these flicks work as a bridge between the film makers and your wallet. We're living a time where quality no longer applies to the film & music industry. I mean c'mon! Lorde? the only Lorde I like is the one from South Park which sarcastically criticizes the music industry as a farce.  The movie industry is no different, we're constantly told the same stories over and over with slightly minor changes, and we either don't care or don't tell.

The film industry is light years from what it once was. Reboots & remakes have been torturing us for too long now. If you can't come up with something new, try harder! we're tired of new old versions! If Ghostbusters 2016 was doomed from birth, it is merely because it is yet another remake/reboot nobody asked for. The movie industry has given us so much! there are so many great flicks that have trespassed the generational barrier for decades, so why a reboot? why a remake when the original is still fresh and as entertaining and groundbreaking as it was when it premiered years ago?

Slimer had to return!

Yes, the ghost from the Ghostbusters logo.

Now, if we try hard, and simulate the previous Ghostbusters films never happened, this reboot would make way more sense, and it would even be considered as very original horror comedy. Believe you me, this reboot is entertaining, the action scenes, the way the plot develops, some scary sequences, and a few jokes are actually very good, but as an overall experience, this is one of those films you'll forget about as soon as it's taken down from theaters worldwide. After all, a reboot cannot possibly offer anything that hasn't been done before. Had this film premiered in the late 90's, it would have been a better experience for sure. Today, in 2016 we're sick of remakes and reboots. On a yearly basis we're getting five to six films based upon something from the past with a 21st century cynical original twist. I'm not being overly critical here, I'm being realistic, and that's something I suggest we all do or sooner than later the movie industry will be all about reboots, remakes or rip-offs. Art is supposed to be creative, original and revolutionary and Ghostbusters 2016 is yet another mediocre attempt. Hollywood, please! stop investing in reboots and remakes! we're tired and want new stuff!

Oh, wait! Ghostbusters 2016 does have "new" stuff! um, well, not really, not in the original ideas department at least. Once our heroes are done, the credits feature after credit sequences, or more like within credit scenes that suggest a sequel could be on its way despite all good sense. Now don't get me wrong, the film has its moments, it's just that there are very few of them.

Here's the movie trailer:

And here's the awful as fuck updated Ghostbusters theme song by an even shittier band nobody gives a fuck about: