I, like many my age, grew up with Ghostbusters. I would watch it at least once a week and had it all memorized. So when I heard that they were remaking it I was understandably excited. I eagerly awaited any details on the project, and then they released the casting. I am also a fan of Saturday Night Live so as it was revealed that some of the funnier members of the show would be some of the main characters of the remake it seemed like it would live up to my expectations. It wasn't until later that I was told that my childhood was ruined. Here I was, enjoying the news, while unbeknownst to me the films that made up much of my life were decomposing beneath me.
I heard it from the mouths of others in my situation; those who grew up with the films and wanted an authentic return. There was outrage at the casting, with the team being made up of primarily women. In all seriousness, though, I was completely unaware that the ghost busting business was gender exclusive. I applauded the film, not because of progressive sensibilities or any political agenda one wants to place on the decision, but because it gave role models to a whole group of little girls with criminally low representation in cartoon and pop culture while taking absolutely nothing from me, it even gave me an opportunity to jump back into this cinematic universe that I grew up with and loved. One’s childhood cannot be destroyed posthumously.
So I went and saw the film, and though it may not have surpassed the originals, which I had no expectations that it would, the film was good. It was a comfortable return to the lighthearted creepiness that lined the original. All characters brought their own color to the screen and were allowed their time to shine. It may not have been the triumphant return some may have wanted, but it was a nice stroll down familiar roads.
The comedy may fall flat in places, and there are moments in which it seems forced and unnatural, in the end, it is the authentic acting from the cast that drives life into some of the dead scenes. Most noticeable is the strict adherence to the passing of time, abstaining from the montage that the original ghostbusters use to evolve from dopey amateurs to tried and true professionals. So the audience is along for the entire ride, which proves to be fairly dramatic with the team stumbling across ghosts and clumsily making it through cases, then falling into the middle of an apocalyptic haunting.
In the end, it all plays well. The characters are loveable and the ghosts are just scary enough. It has a heart that beats along with the beloved classics yet doesn’t try to erase or rival them. It is a welcome addition to a cinematic universe that many grew up in and never really left.
