Now, as always with my movie reviews, (this is a writing blog) I am going to say below at the end what I would have written or done differently. Not to take away from the movie, but as an exercise to look at something and adjust how I would work things. It's easier to do it in this format than with your own work, but it's a good skill to have nonetheless.
I am going to start out with, I realize this movie has had some controversy. The first trailer was one of the most hated videos ever put on youtube (deservedly so, it is not a good reflection of this movie.) There have been accusations of people hating it because they decided to go with women instead of men. (I have opinions here myself.) Through it all, the movie made some money and it is rumored to be going for a sequel despite lower box office sales than expected.
This movie has a bit of a divide on Rotton Tomatoes... not a big one. Critics at 73% and Audience at 55%. I always find it interesting when critics rate a movie higher than the audience. And I do think that in this case, part of that is because of the audiences pre-conceptions. I do think a lot of the audience went in expecting this movie to suck and felt that it did because of those preconceptions. Whether it was because the show was women powered or because they didn't want to see a remake of the original, they saw what they wanted to see.
I myself enjoyed this flick. It is far from a perfect movie for me and I wouldn't put it past the original, but I think it is worth seeing. I found myself laughing out loud in different parts and openly enjoying different moments. I think it was funny, well done, and worth seeing. I would even willingly see it again.
I have heard a couple folks say that the plot was close to the original... and I can see that. However I think that going in you know the plot is, ghost appear, four folks team up, find reason for ghosts, try to defeat that reason, get knocked back, team back up to fight the big bad and save the day. That is the formula for pretty much all three ghostbuster movies. This one I felt was different enough that I have no complaints over any similarities. Rather I cherished the Easter eggs, cameos, and everything else that was a call back to the original.
My first issue is with the chemistry of the cast. Other than SCIENCE! I don't understand what binds these four together. There was a past relationship with Abby and Erin, and obviously Abby is working with Holtzman when they team back up, but other than happenstance I just felt nothing tying these characters together. My personal theory on this is they tried to make every character so unique and different they forgot to tie them back together. Even with Patty it's, hey I know New York, and since we are ignoring the internet and anything else you can use to get information you need me! I wanted more bonding less crazy science. (Not that the crazy science wasn't cool) The one big bonding moment in the movie came too little too late for me. I want these characters to feel invested in each other so I feel like investing in them.
Kevin is a waste of space. I think Chris Hemsworth phoned this part in and didn't do much for the movie. He was a running joke that later because a weak plot device. (Anyone could have been possessed at the end, even a man casually walking by on the street.) I wanted to kick his character off the screen every time he showed up and I think making a meaty, stupid, receptionist didn't serve the movie very well. Or just cast someone who is beefy and can do comedy in this spot.
I could have done without the mayor and assistant plot as well. They would have worked better if more thought had been put into their part in the movie, but they became pretty much a bland plot device to keep things moving forward. If the Mayor and his assistant, (and homeland security) had actually done something to hamper the ghostbusters efforts, (bad publicity... not a big show stopper) They might have been worth the screen time.
Other than that, Would give this movie a B-. It did fall flat on some of the jokes and I just kept getting kicked out of the story by the lack of chemistry here and there. Like I said, I think it's worth seeing and would recommend it to fans of the franchise.
Now her comes the part were I delve a little into spoilers. I try to keep it light, but in order to say what I would have done differently I sometimes have to mention plot points, and events that happen. So while I may not do spoilers, don't be surprised if I do.
First of all, the character development needs to bond the characters tighter. Just fighting for the cause doesn't tie people together. I need some bonding moments and I need them early on. Tell me why these characters are tied together emotionally. Why does Jillian Holtzman work with Abby Yates, what put them in business together in Erin's Absence? What makes Patty want to join the ghostbusters? Yes she sees the ghost with them, but it never really explains why she said, lets go face some more of them together. I need to see the girls band together to in a way that said, we are friends, we are a family. That didn't happen. The only attempt I really saw was too late in the movie to truly move me.
Second I would have made Kevin a more important part. Comic relief is great, but what if they only person they could hire as a receptionist was a snarky jerk who questioned them constantly. Give Them a challenge rather than a pretty face to moon over. Or write him out, and replace him with a boring placeholder. I just needed something, a purpose beyond a badly made running joke for that character to be there.
I would have written in some real opposition. Instead of the Mayor and company just telling them to keep stuff quiet, I would have had them actively working against the Ghostbusters. Don't make him a bad trope, make him a mayor who is genuinely fighting for the city and thinks that they Ghostbusters are making things worse. Put some meat in the game rather than a weak plot point that we have seen before. Movies are so full of corrupt and stupid politicians, make and honest one for them to fight against and then you have an interesting thing moving the plot forward. Not something we have seen a million times before and that we just pray ends soon.
Last of all I would reign the personalities in a big. Holtzman is great as the mad scientist, but balance that out with a bit of personality that is contrary. Erin is very straight forward and almost stiff, but give her some moments early on that show what she used to be, or how she got that way. Don't just mention it and move on. So on for the other characters. Build them so they are less two dimensional. I need a reason to care for them, that is true of any character in a story. There is very little character development here though. I can't honestly say I think any of the characters have changed by the end of this movie.
Beyond that, I liked the overall arc of the plot. The visual effects were pretty amazing, and i think it was well paced and directed.
But what did you think? What worked for you in this movie, what didn't. How would you improve this story?
Ben Marble.
As always, if you want to support me and my attempts to rid the world of evil spirits, please consider buying one or my shorts stories at Amazon.com.
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