Ghostbusters (Rated B)
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones
Genre: Fantasy/Science fiction, Comedy
Dwight's Rating: 2.5 Stars
Another high-profile Hollywood remake brings another opportunity to lament the state of the movie industry.
As it continues to roll in, that recycling train seems to mostly make stops at long-abandoned locales or at places that don't need or care about that train anymore. In a few rare circumstances, these remakes or endless sequels are "acceptable," and sometimes even present interesting new takes on the source material. But the cranking out of "been-there, done-that" movies highlights the challenges facing film, especially when compared to what's happening in television, which, while not perfect at all, is clearly in the middle of another (and probably better) golden era.
It's even more apparent just how exceptional the small screen has been over the past decade or so following the Emmy Award nominations last week. TV is overflowing with talent and diversity these days, with seemingly boundless opportunities for women and minorities -- groups woefully absent, or in short supply, from many big Hollywood productions these days.
The "new" film "Ghostbusters" magnifies this major chasm between the two media in a number of ways. It's quite telling that the entire lead cast of this all-female remake of the 1984 eponymous classic is made up of television stars.
Yes, Melissa McCarthy is now a bona fide movie superstar -- the biggest female in comedy films in the last few years. But she came to prominence on television, and just ended her Emmy-winning role on her sitcom, "Mike & Molly".
The rest of the cast is all from TV's "Saturday Night Live" (SNL). Former cast member Kristen Wiig -- star and co-writer of the hilarious "Bridesmaids" (which afforded McCarthy her first Oscar nomination) -- is joined by current "SNL" stars Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon, who just received an Emmy nom for her work on that sketch show.
There are many similarities to the 1984 version, but director and co-writer Paul Feig -- who has directed all of McCarthy's funniest movies ("Bridesmaids", "The Heat", "Spy") -- has provided some significantly modernized updates as well.
In the new version, paranormal researcher Abby Yates (McCarthy) and physicist Erin Gilbert (Wiig) are trying to prove that ghosts exist in modern society. When strange apparitions appear in Manhattan, Gilbert and Yates turn to engineer Jillian Holtzmann (McKinnon) for help. Also joining the team is Patty Tolan (Jones), a lifelong New Yorker who knows the city inside and out. Armed with proton packs and plenty of attitude, the four women prepare for an epic battle as more than 1,000 mischievous ghouls descend on Times Square.
There was a time when one could not go a few days without seeing the original "Ghostbusters" playing somewhere on TV. Those days have passed. I saw it years ago, and barely remember it now. But some aspects of this classic have become ingrained in our consciousness.
You'll never forget the green slime associated with Slimer, or that giant Marshmallow Man, and of course, that hit song from Ray Parker Jr. Everybody knows the answer to the question, "Who you gonna call?" And everyone knows the source of the phrase, "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost!"
Having had such an amazing impact, it certainly was not an enviable task tinkering in any way with this beloved film. The end result of the new film is not perfect, but overall, it's not bad either. It is quite entertaining and enjoyable, with many very amusing moments.
That catchy theme song is back too, as are some other popular '80s tunes. Plus there are nice cameos by all the living major cast members from the original, including Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and especially Bill Murray -- the latter two being "SNL" alumni as well. Another "SNL" star, Cecily Strong, also has a small role.
The movie's primary demerits, however, come along with that "SNL" connection. Too often, it feels like an "SNL" sketch -- and not the good ones. Rather, it's like those sketches that go on for far too long, and which only attract nervous laughter from the live audience, because silence would be much too uncomfortable.
McKinnon, who is arguably one of the brightest stars on "SNL" today, is a major contributor to the problems. Her character is too bizarre (and sketch-like). Jillian doesn't feel fully fleshed out -- brilliant, but so odd, without much explanation. Is she a human version of one of the "Despicable Me" minions? Is she a muppet? Too many quirks are thrown at the wall, with very few sticking. It would be easy to dismiss Jillian's behavior as that of a mad scientist, but it feels like an opportunity has been lost. Instead, it's just distracting and detracting.
Jones, too, will seem quite familiar to recent "SNL" watchers, and is playing a caricature. On the other hand, while Wiig, who is an amazing talent, also seems to be playing at least one of her "SNL" characters, her role and performance are generally quite funny, and she's blessed with some of the movie's best lines.
McCarthy is proving her versatility. While she usually plays the nuttiest character in her films, she's ceded that role here to McKinnon, and plays the fun-loving (almost) straight woman to Wiig's uptight nerd. One wonders what would have been the outcome of a McCarthy-McKinnon role switch. Nevertheless, McCarthy has the chops to have excelled had she played any of the characters.
Despite reasonably good special effects, most of the ghost-fighting stuff is "meh" and may likely elicit a big "whatever". Where the film is best is with the interactions between the main characters, and especially with the scene-stealer of the year, Chris Hemsworth -- probably the best part of the whole movie.
Hemsworth (who also hosted "SNL" this season, by the way), plays Kevin, the dumbest dumb-blonde ever, and possibly one of the worst receptionists in history. His every utterance is pure hilarity, and not to be missed.
Thus, perhaps the best way to describe this 2016 edition of "Ghostbusters" is "uneven". It's not without some challenges, but it is quite funny and fun.
Again, of bigger concern, is what's happening at the box office in general. When will this disturbing and seemingly limitless wave of recycling end? That some of acting's biggest talents are on or returning (or retreating) to television, and that the freshest (with the exception of the reality show trash) ideas seem to be on television, should really have been worrisome for Hollywood for some time now.
But alas, here we are watching new versions of the same things our parents watched in theaters a generation ago. What will we be watching a generation from now?
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter@morningblend969.
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