Enjoy this Monday with Mildred and A 241 Review!

Ghostbusters

by Mildred

Yes, of COURSE I love the original Ghostbusters.  I laughed my butt off while watching it in the theatre. (Unfortunately, it grew back much larger.) On seeing the new version of the story I can report a theatre full of people also laughing out loud many times so I don’t feel like I’m going out of a limb saying this is a very funny movie.

By now everyone on the planet has heard about the massive load of crap that has been dumped on the film by little boys everywhere who think they’re the only ones who get to play with the toys and thrash on the ground screaming on finding out the girls get to play, too. For a taste of the moronic vitriol, go to the imdb. There is a bit in the film making fun of those guys, and it did get a chuckle from the audience.

Not a sequel, the new Ghostbusters takes the original story, spins it up to the modern era and casts women in the leads and a man as the secretary.  All of the still-living actors from the first movie (except for Rick Moranis) has a cameo, and Harold Ramis is depicted as a statue, and the film is dedicated to him at the end. Every actor in the movie is funny, including Chris Hemsworth, who we’ve become used to seeing wearing cape and wielding a mean hammer as Thor, but this film belongs to the four comediennes wielding proton packs.  Melissa McCarthy is the strongest of the four, I think.  She’s not only hilarious but has great acting chops.  This is not her best ever film in either of those categories, but she never disappoints and is very good.  Kristen Wiig has done a ton of film and is widely considered a very funny lady.  I’ve never been a huge fan for whatever reason and though she was good here I still don’t know why people think she’s great.  Leslie Jones plays a New York City history junkie who crashes the scene and becomes a valuable member of the gang. I will admit to being uncomfortable with how stereotypically her character is portrayed.  Jones is funny, but did they really have to go there?  Kate McKinnon, the first openly gay actor on Saturday Night Live, is obviously gay here (though Sony wanted it played down for better overseas sales) with the winking and the flirting.  Her character is over the top, sometimes hilariously so, but most of the time I felt like she needs to have some more movie experience. The supporting actors are sometimes especially funny, and I’m thinking mostly of a standout performance of giving someone the finger.

The special effects were pretty standard for this day and age, and I’m not a fan of the whole Act Three Hugeness that is required in the modern Hollywood blockbuster.  I have always and still do think that the balls out manic, hugely loud and obsessively masculine finish to a film is where everything falls apart.  It’s impossible to maintain whatever else the film is during the craziness, and Ghostbusters is no exception.  I’ve yet to see a good film that turns into a The Terminator at the end and still be funny.

I know I enjoyed watching the new film, and there were a lot of big laughs from the audience – especially the woman next to me who I was seriously concerned for.  I think she must have been related to one of the actors.  If you’re looking for a good summer comedy this will be a fine choice, especially if you can get past this not being the same classic original movie.

LINKS:

• Ghostbusters
• Ghostbusters (2016) – IMDB
• Original Ghostbusters (1984) – IMDB

Ghostbusters

by CFR

OVERALL: Oh joy and LOL!

POINTS: I laughed, I smiled, I giggled, I loved it. This was better than I thought it would be and I so want to see it again.

PITFALLS: The haters of the film who have fussed and moaned about this since day one. Get over it people.

FEMALE CHARACTER(S): Yes. We have four wonderful up front heroines and so many wonderful secondary characters both male and female who make this movie fun. Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Kristen Wiig you all rocked. I would watch you all over and over again! Hubby agreed.

CULTURAL PITFALL(S): Hmm… It would have been nice if Leslie Jones had also been a scientist, however her knowledge of the city and history saved the day so yay.

HIGH POINT(S):

1.) Director Paul Feig. Sir, you like women and I thank you. You have made many wonderful movies where women get to be more than sex objects or set decoration. It is so refreshing. Thank you for ignoring the haters (’cause they gonna hate) and making this movie and being proud of it. It is funny, it is fun, and you should so be proud.

2.) Chris Hemsworth. O.M.G. Chris plays the dumb blonde secretary and he was HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!!! My Hubby also agrees. We both laughed at everything he did. He looked like he was having a good time – I sure hope he was – and he was a joy to watch.

3.) Hero Stances. Lots of times in action/adventure movies the heroes get to take power stances. Hooray our Ghostbusters got to that too! There were save the day moments, I’m a badass moments, and oooo I loved watching all four women line-up and lay on a world of hurt on the ghosts. YES! I also really loved Kate McKinnon at Julian Holtzmann when she got her big saving the day gunslinger solo moment. It was GREAT!

BECHDEL TEST (Website): 3 of 3. Obviously. 🙂

RACIAL BECHDEL TEST (Website): 2 of 3. Room to grow!

IMDB: Ghostbusters (2016)

OFFICIAL MOVIE WEBSITE:  Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters – Twitter | Ghostbusters – Facebook | Original Ghostbusters (1984) – IMDB

DVD/BLU-RAY WORTHY: YES! I want it now!

LION PAW PRINTS:  3.5 of 5. Just thinking about this movie makes me smile.

SCOTT SAYS: “It was great. I loved seeing four actresses make jokes that women would make and not the usual retelling of male jokes. I want to see it again.”

Ghostbusters Official Trailer #2 (2016) – Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy Movie HD