Ghostbusters 2016

Who You Gonna Call?

In a world fraught with reboots and remakes (yes, there is a difference), it's usually pretty hard to find one that works well. Although I was highly skeptical when it was originally announced, I believe Ghostbusters is one of those rare instances.

The 2016 version of Ghostbusters is a straight-up reboot of the classic 1984 film. It takes the iconic movie and gives it a fresh coat of paint, albeit with plenty of callbacks to the source material. But it has a story that is decidedly unique as well.

Now, most people were pretty outraged when this movie was announced. Some, myself included, were upset that they were taking something so recognizable, so iconic and remaking it. Others (not me) were more apprehensive at the fact that it would be a reboot with a female-led cast. I mean, really? Come on, people, it's 2016, we should be over this gender issue by now.

However, after seeing trailers for the movie, I got more and more intrigued. My apprehension about the reboot turned into genuine interest, and I finally decided I would see it opening weekend.

Let me say this. As much as I still think it wasn't necessary for there to even BE a reboot, I still think that it was a good movie.

The story starts out very similar to the original, with a group of scientists interested in the paranormal coming into contact with a ghost. And like the original, they get kicked from their respective college and have to make it on their own. While there are other similarities, most of them are just callbacks and don't have much impact on the film as a whole.

Slimer even makes an appearance!

As far as the characters go, while similar to the original castings (I'm sensing a theme here), they are uniquely their own. That being said, there is a strong connection between the two sets of protagonists meaning that Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddmore can easily be seen in their reimagined counterparts of Abby Yates, Erin Gilbert, Jillian Holtzman and Patty Tolan. It's a nice touch and one that I thoroughly appreciate. And keep an eye out for some pretty great cameos littered through the film as well.

It's definitely an entertaining flick, and while most reviews of it have actually been negative, I don't think there is any real reason for that negativity. Yes, it borrows from the original, sometimes very heavily, but it truly honors the classic while creating its own story. 

Ghostbusters gets 7/10 stars

Overall, Ghostbusters is a movie that I would recommend. I say this not only as a big fan of the original film (not so much it's ill-conceived sequel), but also as what would probably be considered part of the reboot's target audience. It's fun, funny and at the same time, respects the source material in a very nice way. If you get a chance to see it in theaters, definitely go to see it, if not, it is without a doubt worth a rental.

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