Ghostbusters (series)

GHOSTBUSTERS (PG)

D: Ivan Reitman

Columbia (Ivan Reitman)

USA 🇺🇸 1984

107 mins

Comedy

W: Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis

DP: Laszlo Kovacs

Ed: Sheldon Kahn & David Blewitt

Mus: Elmer Bernstein

PD: John de Cuir

Cos: Theoni V. Aldredge

Bill Murray (Dr. Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (Dr. Ray Stantz), Harold Ramis (Dr. Egon Spengler), Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett), Rick Moranis (Louis Tully), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz), William Atherton (Walter Peck), Ernie Hudson (Winston Zedmore)

Who ya gonna call?

Originally intended as a vehicle for John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd, much of the plot changed when Bill Murray and the rest of the cast signed on, making Ghostbusters arguably the comedy event of the 1980's.

Though fundamentally silly, there's also a lot of reasons to enjoy this film, from its memorable title song, the introduction of Slimer, inspiring a television cartoon series and a 1989 sequel (as well as, regrettably, a remake *sigh*).

The story follows three slacker university professors who uncover paranormal goings on, but not before being expelled from their campus. They go into business for themselves and as the title may suggest, bust ghosts.

Comic delivery is very much the key to the film and nobody does it quite like the brilliant Bill Murray, delivering one of the most laconically laid back, yet gut-bustingly hilarious movie characters of all time.

A 2016 remake wasn't wanted or needed, but Hollywood's arrogance and greed still greenlit the project. A decision which has been much derided by fans of this original film and it's very understandable why. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

10/10

Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis & Bill Murray in Ghostbusters

GHOSTBUSTERS II (PG)

D: Ivan Reitman

Columbia (Ivan Reitman)

USA 🇺🇸 1989

108 mins

Comedy

W: Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis

DP: Michael Chapman

Ed: Sheldon Kahn & Donn Cambern

Mus: Randy Edelman

Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (Raymond Stantz), Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler), Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett), Ernie Hudson (Winston Zedmore), Rick Moranis (Louis Tully), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz), Peter MacNicol (Janosz Poha), Wilhelm von Homburg (Vigo)

The Ghostbusters have been out of business since the events in the first film, but must reunite after a river of ectoplasmic slime is discovered oozing under the streets of New York City and they discover a link between the gunk and the negative vibes of the city's population, both of which are giving life force to an ancient warlord whose spirit lives in a painting at the museum of art.

A sequel which captures the basic essence of the first film with its creepy goings on, funky soundtrack and keeping much of the original cast together, especially Bill Murray, who steals all the best lines of dialogue once again. Unfortunately, the screenplay is very light on the jokes, at least in comparison to the first movie and it lacks the middle finger to bureaucracy which gave the original its most memorable moments of conflict.

6/10

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE (12)

D: Jason Reitman

Sony / Columbia / Bron Creative / Ghost Corps (Ivan Reitman)

US 🇺🇸 2021

124 mins

Comedy

W: Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman [based on the 1984 screenplay “Ghostbusters” by Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis]

DP: Eric Steelberg

Ed: Dana E. Glauberman

Mus: Rob Simonsen

Carrie Coon (Callie Spengler), Paul Rudd (Gary Grooberson), Finn Wolfhard (Trevor), Mckenna Grace (Phoebe), Logan Kim (Podcast)

Following a 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters that didn’t sit well with many fans, Sony & Columbia went back to the well for a sequel/soft reboot that draws far more inspiration from the original films, albeit framed with a narrative that is more akin to the Stranger Things series.

Ghostbusters fans who were disenchanted with the 2016 remake cried havoc that a new film didn’t pass the torch to a new generation of supernatural spook hunters, and the studio listened for this film.

The plot follows the daughter and grandchildren of Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis’ character from the original films), as they inherit his Oklahoma farmhouse following his death, and his grandchildren Phoebe and Trevor, uncover some ghostbusting gadgets and discover that the battle from the original movie may have been won, but the war is far from over.

There’s certainly enough here in the way of nostalgia and Easter eggs to appeal to fans of the original film, and the plot is accessible enough for an entire new generation, but it does lack the acerbic humour of the original film for something far more family-friendly (albeit with a 12 rating when the original film is a PG). Mckenna Grace steals the film as Egon’s science nerd granddaughter (sans the end credits song which is completely out of place), and the rest of the cast don’t really put a foot wrong, and the visual effects are incredibly well done, particularly in the finale.

Partially, it is a film for the fans, but it also smells a lot like a movie by committee, which is still the polar opposite of what the original film was.

Still, I enjoyed the nostalgia at face value, as well as the cameos from some of the original cast.

6/10

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE (12)

D: Gil Kenan

Sony / Columbia / GhostCorps / Right of Way (Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman & Jason Blumenfeld)

US 🇺🇸 2024

115 mins

Comedy

W: Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman [based on characters created by Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis]

DP: Eric Steelberg

Ed: Nathan Orloff & Shane Reid

Mus: Dario Marianelli

Paul Rudd (Gary Grooberson), Carrie Coon (Callie Spengler), McKenna Grace (Phoebe Spengler), Finn Wolfhard (Trevor Spengler), Kumail Nanjiani (Nadeem Razmaadi), Dan Aykroyd (Dr. Raymond Stantz), Ernie Hudson (Dr. Winston Zeddemore), Bill Murray (Dr. Peter Venkman), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz), William Atherton (Mayor Walter Peck)

If 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife was a nostalgia ride for fans of the original Ghostbusters films from the 1980s, this 2024 offering must surely be aimed at fans of ‘The Real Ghostbusters’ cartoon series, that ran from 1986-1991, appealing directly to younger kids and dropping the dry, dark humour that the original film is noted for, focusing instead on Scooby-Doo ghost chasing adventures.

The action is back in New York City, utilising familiar locations from the original films and bringing some old characters back for the hell of it, including bureaucratic environmentalist Walter Peck, who is now mayor of the city as an excuse to bring him back into the series.

The main ghost here is a powerful ice demon that is accidentally released from his supernatural prison, though the steps to get there require more plot acrobats than should really be necessary.

The cast of Afterlife return, and though Paul Rudd gets top billing, most of the attention is on precocious teenager, Phoebe, who is written to be super smart but actually makes some of the dumbest decisions in the entire film, all because she wants some ghost puss or some such nonsense.

The film is a huge disappointment, especially considering Ghostbusters: Afterlife had brought the old fans back on side following the absolute car crash of 2016’s attempted reboot. Too many characters, too many subplots, too many jokes that fall flat, scenarios that go absolutely nowhere and a screenplay that feels as though it was written by artificial intelligence

The ball was handed over from the legacy characters to the newbies to run with in the previous film, but they fumble it quite badly here. This one really puts the bust in Ghostbusters, and though it isn’t as shockingly bad as 2016’s attempt, that really can’t be considered a win.

4/10