Ghostbusters: Funny, feminist

 The Ghostbusters Photo: Courtesy

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Chris Hemsworth, Leslie Jones

Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Action

Duration: 117 min

Rating: 6.5/10

Paranormal researcher Abby Yates and physicist Erin Gilbert are trying to prove that ghosts exist in modern society. When strange ghosts appear in Manhattan, Yates and Gilbert turn to engineer Jillian Holtzmann for help. Also joining the team is Patty Tolan, 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 spirits descend on Times Square.

Thumbs Up

The film is a rework of the old Ghostbusters only this time the scares happen in a mansion, not a library and it stars incredulously funny women as opposed to men. Even then, the men in the movie pull their weight (no pun intended) especially the incredibly funny Chris Hemsworth.

The movie is well balanced in that you can see teamwork throughout and no one performance dominates, although Kate McKinnon’s magnificent, eccentric turn comes close. It is also a breath of fresh air from the usual tears, jealousies and boyfriends synonymous with most big screen movies with girls. Not forgetting the unexpected touches like the creepy bathroom scene that adds a few horror-flick shivers.

Thumbs Down

The movie climax comes after it has been long overdue, hence does not have the intended impact. That is aided by the over dwelling on the ghost busters backstories. One also gets the feeling that the women are being pushed to become funnier than the men hence suppressing the men by giving them little to do. Yes the movie is feminist, there, I said it. When the ghost busting starts, the action is amazing then it gets bigger and louder and so awash in digital dizziness you can hardly see the now pixelated characters.

Verdict

This is one of the best things to happen to big-screen comedy.