Ghostbusters
Starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy
Directed by Paul Feig
After much anticipation, trepidation, and plain old vitriol, the new Ghostbusters has finally arrived. Though not the utter disaster many had expected or even hoped for, it never rises to greatness.
Plot setup details aside, the updated hunters of the paranormal now comprise of Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy (each respectively playing it relatively straight), while Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones provide the oddball and energetic. For the most part, the film is fun but never quite as funny as it could be. The ever-charismatic Chris Hemsworth brings plenty of wacky improv as the mimbo secretary. Yet, some of his jokes, like others from different characters, fall flat.
To be fair, much of the ironic and meta-humour manages to hit the mark effectively. A commendable empowering message permeates throughout Ghostbusters, the actresses have great chemistry, and the focus on gadgets is genuinely clever and engaging. There are however three fundamental problems that hurt the movie. Firstly, being a big budget, heavily-scrutinized reboot, the story is far too safe. The film is funniest in the first half until it becomes a visual effects-driven action finale that is mostly eye candy mixed with several decent gags. Secondly, the central villain is severely underdeveloped in an almost cartoonish way. Thirdly, and perhaps most egregious, the original cast cameos are pointless, borderline embarrassing.
It remains to be seen whether Ghostbusters will get a sequel; though deserving of one, the franchise will have to take some narrative risks in order to shake the shadow of its predecessor.
