(SPOILER WARNING!!! This article does contain spoilers, if you haven’t seen the movie, just see the first paragraph to be informed without spoilers!!!)

Ghostbusters may have cool special effects, but it didn’t capture the essence of the original Ghostbusters, and the comedy was just ok to say the least!!!

Rating: 2.5 Stars

What got me into the Ghostbusters franchise was the cartoon. As a kid, I enjoyed the cartoon, and how it is cleverly put together making catching ghosts fun and yet creepy at the same time. Then when I saw the movie, I really enjoyed the special effects for that time, and how fun it still is. I even enjoyed the second movie that most people hated. I had the most fun watching this movie and cartoon franchise, and really put the fun in ghosts where I wasn’t scared of it like a normal kid. Did some scenes creep me out, yes, especially the cartoon episode of the Boogeyman. However, they mixed some creative fun making it not so spooky. Also, Slimer became a favorite character of mine that was always enjoyable to watch. So when this remake came along with an all female cast, I was intrigued, but it had to be written well to make this work. After seeing the trailer, I lost hope that the franchise would be reinvigorated. I can say that in my world, it didn’t do to well.

What I Like: Director Paul Feig has been on a roll with movies he directed recently. However, for this movie he did up the ante with special effects. I thought he did a pretty good job in making these ghosts look authentic on screen. I really enjoyed the beginning scene at the mansion, and how creepy that scene was. It did make my nerves jump to the edge of my skin. The special effects weren’t cheesy, and were fun to see. Especially seeing Slimer with a lady Slimer made it a little nostalgic with some new fun. The cameos of the original Ghostbusters characters were fun to see, and pretty much the only nostalgic part in the film. My favorite cameo is Bill Murray as a ghost debunker, and end up getting killed off by a ghost and it was comedy gold. I also give credit for putting a state bust of the late Harold Ramis which was an appropriate homage to his character of this classic franchise.

The So So: As for the cast, I really enjoyed the chemistry between the four ladies. In that regard, it really worked in keeping the movie rolling along at a good pace. Seeing Kate McKinnon making some of the craziest faces was appropriate for scenes, but I thought her character in the comedy department was too much. It’s like the director really wanted her to overact her quirkiness, and it didn’t really do it for me. The comedy was hit and misses, and hearing the characters from Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig talking smart was amusing, but not really that funny. Leslie Jones was the loudest on the screen, but probably brought too much attention to herself when it wasn’t not needed. With all that said, they did work well together.

What I Didn’t Like: For a Ghostbusters remake, it didn’t really capture the essence of the original movies. It wasn’t because it was an all female cast, I embraced that idea. However, it lacked depth in comedy, and really didn’t have the nostalgic moments it needed to please the original fans. If it were up to me, I would’ve wrote it where they were all daughters of the original Ghostbusters trying to restart the business. To me, that would’ve been a better nostalgic story. However, they went for a remake which was whatever for me. Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor) played their secretary. I really didn’t like how dumb they made his character. When he came on screen with his jokes, it really had my eyes rolling. At least seeing him dance in the ending credits was amusing at least. The main villain was redundant which we saw in the past Ghostbusters movies. Wish the story for the villain was more original. Lastly, and yes I’m being nit picky, they filmed the movie in Boston (causing a lot of traffic) but the setting was New York. As a Bostonian, that is a cardinal sin.

Overall: I strongly believe this movie won’t please the purest of the Ghostbusters fans. It lacked the nostalgia, and it really wasn’t that funny. The cool special effects weren’t enough to save this movie, and that’s unfortunate. Maybe if this movie was on it’s own, it could work, but putting a big franchise name on it didn’t deliver on expectations. It will disappoint and anger fans!!!

Rating: 2.5 Stars