The Ghostbusters reboot has been a major point of contention among pop culture critics, most likely due to the updated all-female main cast. And between the shouts of "The matriarchy is nigh! Clearly, a movie with female leads is pandering, unlike a movie with male leads, which is just normal! You can't change things in a reboot, that's madness!" from one side of the political spectrum and "this is the most progressive thing to happen since women got the right to vote and if you don't like the movie you hate women!" from the other, the innocent moviegoer is left stranded, with no answer to the ultimate question: is it actually good?
I can't claim to be entirely unbiased because I always thought the gender-flip was a cool twist. However, I will say that, while nothing groundbreaking, this was a solid, genuinely funny movie. Below are four of my personal favorite things about the new Ghostbusters movie.
1. It pays homage to the original
As someone who has only seen the original once, I worried I wouldn't catch all the references, but I needn't have worried: the other theatergoers erupted into enthusiastic whoops whenever an original cast member made a cameo. On top of that, nostalgic audiences will recognize some familiar faces among the rampaging ghosts.
2. It doesn't beat the gender dead horse
Yes, it's awesome that this movie has four female leads, and moreover, it's awesome that these female leads aren't your average, thin, conventionally attractive actresses, and that their storylines don't revolve around romantic subplots with guys. But what's also awesome is that the movie doesn't rub it in our faces. Aside from one quick, sly joke targeting the movie's detractors, no one tries to stop the main four from busting ghosts because they're women. None of the characters have to endlessly protest that they don't need a man to save them because no one even suggests that possibility. The lack of annoying, in-your-face, and ultimately meaningless girl power rhetoric is what really makes the movie good representation of women.
3. It's really funny
A good reboot or adaptation highlights the parts of the original people loved, keeping its charm while updating the story for a new audience. The Ghostbusters reboot does what the original did well: it takes four funny, entertaining comedians and allows them to have fun with their characters. Personally, I was laughing the whole time.
4. Kevin
Yes, this falls under number three, but honestly, I thought Chris Hemsworth's dopey bimbo receptionist deserved a bullet point of his own. Kevin's inability to correctly answer phones or serve coffee, as well as the lead four actress's reactions to that, were a consistent source of humor, and Hemsworth really committed to the joke.
The new Ghostbusters is far from the best movie I've ever seen, but it was still a solid, funny movie and well worth the price of a ticket. If you can, go see it.
