Ghostbusters (2016) is obviously a reboot and you know that, and that's probably why you've already condemned this film at the start. It also might be because of the horrid marketing and unfunny jokes. There is not really much to say about the build up to this film that you probably already know but here's something you will never know now that you've limited yourself in your close mindedness, this film is actually pretty surprisingly good.
"Why is it so good then? I obviously don't see how it's going to be good in any way and it's just a cash grab without even seeing it." Well let me give you a treat. It's enjoyable as any other comedy film you'd see, it's a joy to see different spins and variety other than being another cookie-cutter shot for shot remake of the original film, it's filled with a peachy cast that has chemistry that maybe isn't on par with the original cast but at the same time they have their own strengths and specialty, and lastly (your favorite part) it's not as good as the original and still has some flaws that people will pick apart.
There are lots of chuckle moments in the film and they're done pretty well enough. Of course some jokes are either a hit or miss, but maybe the weirdest part about the jokes are not everyone will get them since they're quite subtle or reference to something greater and if you like that kind of comedy then you'll find yourself laughing throughout the film but not everyone in the theater will be laughing with you though (lol). The jokes or sequences in the film that didn't work or just was downright unfunny in the trailers and marketing worked so unexpectedly well in the film. Maybe it's because these jokes and sequences worked better given the context of the film and the whole thing and Paul Feig (like the British guy he is) just doesn't know how to do one-liners or jokes (like what Americans do) that just hold on their own (see the difference between American and British comedy). The new cast is....surprisingly delightful, they have this chemistry that works with them when they're together, however if they're not together and you have individual scenes or sequences with them, they aren't as interesting and they're a bit dull at certain points except for of course a few exceptions. KATE MCKINNON, was absolutely the best part about the film and is the total exception, the scenes alone with her, plus the scenes with her interacting with the group were all quirky and outlandish. Chris Hemsworth is also a standout in the film as you may have probably guessed and he plays the idiot which may turn some people off but the film handled him pretty accordingly and all his scenes were appreciable at best. He totally gives the most laughs and that means the film does do something special with such a stereotypical idiot character so I can't really complain here. Is it faithful to the original? Well firstly this should've even be a category in a review since it's only fitting to have this film stand on it's own objectively given how much variety and twists to the original film this one made, so I won't bother with this and just talk to you about the cameos and references. The cameos and references were more or less (like the jokes) a hit or miss, some felt forced, some are just downright surprising, and some were just there for the sake of being there, but the film doesn't tangle itself up to go completely halting the film just for the sake of intertextuality. The visual effects for me are (and this will be an unpopular choice but bear with me) unique, stylish and vivid that's just like how it is in cartoons which is going to obviously going to be appalling for some people. There's a lot to like with how colorful and vibrant each design for the ghosts are however when in action with the Ghostbusters, they WILL look off for some people, but some will not mind.
So what's so horrible about this film? Well for starters, lots of people will complain about how the villain has no depth and his motivations were rushed for the sake of developing the Ghostbusters more, which I would most probably agree with as well but I thought he was serviceable enough because it felt like there was nothing else more to know about him other than what the film gave us. Like I said, there are a lot of things that are either a hit or miss in this film, the jokes, the subtle nods, and the characters will all be judged accordingly by you and it may be a good thing or a bad thing. The pacing for this film actually drags at the start and doesn't get to the point real quick. There would be scenes wherein they talk for an abnormal amount of time without establishing something important and then something integral to the plot appears 3 minutes later. The final third act is also pretty reminiscent of the original and it's going to be generic for some people which can be bothering. BUT THE BIGGEST FLAW this film did is create such an enormous backlash and hate from people thus creating preconceived notions. Try and going into this film with an open minded, I saw it with 7 people, 2 of which haven't seen the original and they all enjoyed it and was thoroughly surprised. This film will only being good will only depend on you, so cheers and have fun with it :)
Verdict: 7.6/10
"Why is it so good then? I obviously don't see how it's going to be good in any way and it's just a cash grab without even seeing it." Well let me give you a treat. It's enjoyable as any other comedy film you'd see, it's a joy to see different spins and variety other than being another cookie-cutter shot for shot remake of the original film, it's filled with a peachy cast that has chemistry that maybe isn't on par with the original cast but at the same time they have their own strengths and specialty, and lastly (your favorite part) it's not as good as the original and still has some flaws that people will pick apart.
There are lots of chuckle moments in the film and they're done pretty well enough. Of course some jokes are either a hit or miss, but maybe the weirdest part about the jokes are not everyone will get them since they're quite subtle or reference to something greater and if you like that kind of comedy then you'll find yourself laughing throughout the film but not everyone in the theater will be laughing with you though (lol). The jokes or sequences in the film that didn't work or just was downright unfunny in the trailers and marketing worked so unexpectedly well in the film. Maybe it's because these jokes and sequences worked better given the context of the film and the whole thing and Paul Feig (like the British guy he is) just doesn't know how to do one-liners or jokes (like what Americans do) that just hold on their own (see the difference between American and British comedy). The new cast is....surprisingly delightful, they have this chemistry that works with them when they're together, however if they're not together and you have individual scenes or sequences with them, they aren't as interesting and they're a bit dull at certain points except for of course a few exceptions. KATE MCKINNON, was absolutely the best part about the film and is the total exception, the scenes alone with her, plus the scenes with her interacting with the group were all quirky and outlandish. Chris Hemsworth is also a standout in the film as you may have probably guessed and he plays the idiot which may turn some people off but the film handled him pretty accordingly and all his scenes were appreciable at best. He totally gives the most laughs and that means the film does do something special with such a stereotypical idiot character so I can't really complain here. Is it faithful to the original? Well firstly this should've even be a category in a review since it's only fitting to have this film stand on it's own objectively given how much variety and twists to the original film this one made, so I won't bother with this and just talk to you about the cameos and references. The cameos and references were more or less (like the jokes) a hit or miss, some felt forced, some are just downright surprising, and some were just there for the sake of being there, but the film doesn't tangle itself up to go completely halting the film just for the sake of intertextuality. The visual effects for me are (and this will be an unpopular choice but bear with me) unique, stylish and vivid that's just like how it is in cartoons which is going to obviously going to be appalling for some people. There's a lot to like with how colorful and vibrant each design for the ghosts are however when in action with the Ghostbusters, they WILL look off for some people, but some will not mind.
So what's so horrible about this film? Well for starters, lots of people will complain about how the villain has no depth and his motivations were rushed for the sake of developing the Ghostbusters more, which I would most probably agree with as well but I thought he was serviceable enough because it felt like there was nothing else more to know about him other than what the film gave us. Like I said, there are a lot of things that are either a hit or miss in this film, the jokes, the subtle nods, and the characters will all be judged accordingly by you and it may be a good thing or a bad thing. The pacing for this film actually drags at the start and doesn't get to the point real quick. There would be scenes wherein they talk for an abnormal amount of time without establishing something important and then something integral to the plot appears 3 minutes later. The final third act is also pretty reminiscent of the original and it's going to be generic for some people which can be bothering. BUT THE BIGGEST FLAW this film did is create such an enormous backlash and hate from people thus creating preconceived notions. Try and going into this film with an open minded, I saw it with 7 people, 2 of which haven't seen the original and they all enjoyed it and was thoroughly surprised. This film will only being good will only depend on you, so cheers and have fun with it :)
Verdict: 7.6/10