The reboot of GHOSTBUSTERS is a mixed bag due to a script that starts out good only to have a terrible second half (with some good ideas) and some actors who just aren’t funny.   The stand outs in the cast are Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon where the humor from Melissa McCarthy and Leslie Jones mostly falls flat (even Chris Hemsworth is better as the airhead secretary Kevin).   I think the setup of the story is great, but they fail to execute the story in favor of gags and big special effects.   The original Ghostbusters cast appear in cameos as different characters with Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver’s characters being the best (Weaver’s character appears during the end credits).   The failing of the movie I can blame on the script and director Paul Feig’s casting choices.  I won’t even cover the plot since it is a parody of the original Ghostbusters basically.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Two audio commentaries- one with the writers and directors with the others being a filmmaker’s commentary

 

4 deleted scenes which include better character development material that should have stayed in the movie while the 11 extended and alternate scenes offer some interesting takes on scenes in the movie.   Then there are two gag reels (about 15 minutes) and 30 minutes of joke outtakes from various actors.

 

Five featurttes:

MEET THE TEAM- all about the cast

THE GHOSTS OF GHOSTBUSTERS- a look at how they created the ghosts using a combo of practical and CGI effects

VISUAL EFFECTS: 30 YEARS LATER- a featurette on the effects of the new movie, but the clips from the original movies make the original effects look better than the CGI in the reboot

SLIME TIME- How they made the slime and listing the recipe to make your own slime

CHRIS HEMSWORTH AS KEVIN- all about Hemsworth’s character Kevin and praise for Hemsworth’s acting in the movie

 

Concept art gallery and previews for other movies from Sony (THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, INFERNO, the new FINAL FANTASY animated movie)

 

Code to download and/or stream a digital copy of the movie

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  The first half of the reboot shows promise before they favor special effects and gags over a story.  The movie walks all over the original Ghostbusters and drags it around like a corpse.   If you love the original Ghostbusters movie, you may want to avoid the reboot.   The outtakes and deleted scenes show a better movie struggling to come through, but none of it can save the train wreck of the second half.

 

This review is ©10-29-2016 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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