The most maligned trailer in history – that’s been an unwanted element to the build up to Ghostbusters, and the reasons behind the intense negativity toward this film have been the subject of much debate. The backlash against an all-female lineup of Ghostbusters appears to have been the main driving force behind the dislike for this movie, and that’s just incredibly pathetic.
Personally, I wasn’t sure about the style of humour in the trailers – the original Ghostbusters films were quite dry in their humour, whereas this was a little more… Well, crass isn’t the word I want to use, but I’m struggling to think of a different one. However, it’s important to remember that this film and the original were made 30 years apart – audience tastes have changed and the new movie is not intended to be a sequel, but rather the start of a new continuity. It is made for today’s cinema goers.
Is this film suitable for kids? It has one or two jokes and moments that show why it has a 12A certificate, and some of the ghost moments might also merit such a rating, but by and large it’s not offensive. My 6 year-old enjoyed it (without getting most of it!), but it’s a call for individual parents.
So, is the film any good? It’s this meerkat’s opinion that it’s reasonable, without being spectacular. There’s chemistry between the leading ladies and some nice touches (including some cameos from some of the original cast). It has a charm factor. Is it as good as the original? Not in my humble view, but as I alluded to earlier, it’s hard to directly compare films in different eras. Overall, I don’t think it deserves the criticism it’s received, least of all for the misogynistic reasons offered up, but it’s not a true classic. 7/10.
2
0
20
Thank you for the fair evaluation of this film. I thought the trailer didn’t do the movie justice. I also found that there were many feminist elements in the new Ghostbusters (maybe the reason behind the man-babies’ crying?), such as: the women had countless conversations w/out discussing men (they actually discussed SCIENCE, how crazy is that?), the handsome – but, well, stupid – male secretary throwing the common trope of trophy female on its head, & the fact that, when Abby hit on Kevin, she was warned that it was sexual harassment & she could be the subject of a lawsuit, showing that men can be sexually harassed & that sexual harassment is wrong no matter what gender perpetrates.
Plus, I thought Holtzmann was the best character ever. But I do have an affinity for “weird.” LOL
On a side note, do you think that any remake can become a classic? Or do you think that it lacks the originality to earn its own standing?
My wife thought Holtzmann was great! Overall, I think the film handled the issue of gender brilliantly – by simply not making an issue out of it at all.
Can a remake be a classic? I think some of them certanly can. I don’t know if I’d put Ghostbusters down in that catagory, at least not yet.
Your wife is a very wise woman. 😉
I think, if the movie addressed gender at all, it was in a very subtle way. By turning the usual gender tropes on their head, by showing women in STEM fields who don’t need men to be whole, happy people, & by pointing out that sexual harassment is unacceptable in all situations, it passed along a subtle, but strong, message. I think that young girls (not too young, though… some of those ghosts were NOT kid-friendly!) will see these characters as role models & that’s great!
Your post definitely gave me something to think about where remakes are involved. I still question whether a remake can ever be considered a “classic,” or surpass the original in most cases. I still think this movie was at least on par w/the original – but that might just be because it showed women in roles that aren’t very popular in today’s cinema.
Got any thoughts about the Ben Hur or the Splash remakes?
I haven’t seen the original Ben Hur, nor Splash, so I can’t put the new films into context! I know the original Ben Hur is heralded as a classic, so the remake has a tough legacy to live up to.
My Dad, who saw the original Ben Hur in theaters, has mixed feelings about the remake.
The Splash remake, if you haven’t heard, is funny on principle – they gender-swapped the main characters & NO ONE is making a big deal about it. Funny how that works…