Ghostbusters (2016 remake) - Not as bad as I thought it would be (and probably not as bad as you feared)

In case you haven’t heard, the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters’ trailer received the most ‘thumbs down’ dislikes on Youtube when it was first released.  This produced cries of ‘misogyny’ from some quarters, as the previously all-male cast has now been replaced with all women.  I suppose when you read this you should know that, I too, am a male.  I too ‘disliked’ the trailer.  And I too am old enough to be only six years old when I saw the original in cinemas all that time ago.

I didn’t dislike the trailer because of the women.  A new Ghostbusters film has been in the works for so long that I’ve heard all sorts of ideas mentioned with what to do with continuing the franchise.  The popular thought was that it would be a sequel where the old boys hand over the torch to a new ghost-busting generation.  That was what I hoped.  What I got was a remake.

Yes, the trailer was awful.  First of all it misled the viewers into thinking it WAS a sequel, only to reveal that it was a remake that looked almost shot-for-shot.  I actually stopped watching the trailer simply because it bored me.  There weren’t enough jokes and the whole thing just looked pointless.  I wasn’t going to watch the film, but ended up taking my eleven year old daughter.  From the moment the film started I was desperate to justify my ‘thumbs down’ – I hated the special effects, I hated the characters, I hated the fact that – yes – the story was basically a photocopied version of the 1985 script.  Then I started smiling.

I use the word ‘smile’ over ‘laugh.’ Laugh may be a little too generous.  There aren’t that many huge belly laughs to be had, but definitely smiling was participated in.  It’s actually not that bad.  The script is a copy, but there are just about enough nice jokes to justify its existence.  Yes, I’d have preferred a sequel, but this could have been a lot worse.  There is plenty of chemistry between the new cast to enjoy it.  I know that not only did people cry ‘sexism’ regarding the treatment of the female leads, but some then went on to add ‘racism’ to the mix when the three white women are all intellectual scientists when the old black lead is merely a subway worker.  Personally, I enjoyed all their performances – even Chris ‘Thor’ Hemsworth was fun (sporting a weird British-Thor hybrid accent) and the surviving old cast members may even show their faces.

If you loved the original Ghostbusters, you still will.  It’s original and perfectly-made.  However, if you haven’t seen it – as many of today’s youth probably won’t – then they will probably justify this film’s existence.  If you love the original then you also probably own it.  Unless you’re taken to see this version I suggest you stick with what you know.  However, if you do find yourself being taken to see the 2016 version, don’t go in to it filled with hate and resentment.  Like I say, it’s not that bad.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that