Nowadays fans seem to decide well before the first image is even released whether a movie will be great, or simply a gargantuan waste of time. No other movie as of late however appears to be pummeled more than the upcoming GHOSTBUSTERS remake. For all the trips down nostalgia lane we make in the theatre, very few seem to really ignite genuine excitement. In the past few years we’ve had dismal retellings of OLDBOY, ROBOCOP and the recent POINT BREAK proving that perhaps we shouldn’t mess with something that isn’t broken. Yet, it seems that the hatred the all female paranormal experts are receiving is far more intense than nearly every reboot, remake or what have you. And then came the trailer.
The original film starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson is well regarded as a classic. Full disclosure, while I really dug the film when I saw it as a kid, it didn’t quite live up to my own memories on recent viewings. Of course this is a movie most fans cherish and have genuine love and affection for. So it makes sense that there is going to be some backlash regarding a new version. And while I can understand a bit of the frustration, the constant hatred seemingly in part because it is an all women cast is a little silly. After all, the four actresses are very talented and can certainly handle the humor much like their Ghostbusting forefathers. So that complaint is slightly invalid to me.
Now let’s get to back to that trailer. As one of the few moviegoers not ready to slime this flick for existing, the preview we’ve been given is lacking any sort of awe factor. In fact, whether it’s all chicks or all dudes or a mix of both, it just looks like a carbon copy of the original. So why even bother? If you are going to do the exact same movie, it is an absolute waste of time. Now perhaps there is more to this feature than meets the eye. I can name dozens of trailers that did a terrible job of selling a movie and it ended up to be pretty great anyway – KINGSMAN is a fine example of that. Personally, I kind of dug the fan cut of the GHOSTBUSTERS trailer. It gives very little away, and it’s a hell of a lot more fun.
The question is, is it ALL bad? I’m not so sure that it is. Director Paul Feig has assembled a fine cast. Given the right material, Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are terrific – especially Wiig. The same can be said about both Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones – although Ms. Jones does appear to be a bit of a lame stereotype here. Either way, the problem with this film will not be the cast, at least not from what I’m seeing. Again, if we had all dudes, or a mix of guys and gals, if it doesn’t offer anything new than what is the point? Perhaps there is much more to the story than what we are seeing in the teaser and the first trailer. Who knows, maybe there is a smart tie-in to the original that will excite fans in our future.
Aside from a pretty strong cast, I will say that it made me a little giddy to see “Slimer” back. In fact, the little ghost looks to be a highlight. Hell, even the apparition of a woman who surprises Ms. Wiig with a bunch of icky may be a promising spook. Effects wise, it doesn’t look all that bad, in fact, there may be a few groovy visuals heading our way. I’m even kind of digging the updated Ghostbusters theme. In the end, this is the first trailer. It’s not great. In fact, it certainly didn’t bring any peace of mind to those who have already discounted this an a needless remake. Yet, there is enough buried inside the two minutes and thirty-seven seconds that have me wondering if there is a better and more satisfying film coming our way.
Maybe it’s the booze talkin, but there may be some good in the Ghostbusters trailer. Unfortunately, for all the backlash this flick has been getting, it would have been nice to see something that blew our minds. At times, this feels all too much like a Saturday Night Live skit of a trailer. Yet every so often there is a spark, and perhaps we are judging too quickly. Maybe all the discontent that fans are feeling is correct and this is going to be a terrible waste. You know what would be better? A surprisingly fun flick that is far more entertaining than what many are expecting. Paul Feig and crew have given us a ton of laughs before, I am personally hoping to find at least a little bit of that when GHOSTBUSTERS arrives in theatres this summer.