Amph Don't Cross The Streams! The Ghostbusters Franchise (Afterlife, Frozen Empire)

I remember weird things.

 

me too actually.

edit: anyway i think most people think this ghostbusters reboot is unnecessary because of the classic status of the original film. there was a similar but much smaller outcry when tim burton did the willy wonka remake. i just think in order to make the argument that the original has some kind of holy grail status you have to conveniently ignore the fact that a pretty bad and unfunny sequel already exists.

 

Amazing Spiderman was alright and Garfield was a good Peter Parker.


I can deal with Ghostbusters being "OK". I'd rather it be that than catastrophic failure of a film



I agree that the original holds a special status for me and anything new deserves to be view with suspicion and caution. The Burton version of Wonka covers why that suspicion is needed. Burton's Wonka was a horror that should never have been unleashed.

 

going by the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes it seems to be pretty well beloved by critics so far

 

The general consensus seems to be 'Not as good as the original, still a fun time out'.

I know what I'm doing this Friday then.

 

Fair question. It's just that it seemed unnecessary comparatively speaking when it could have been a straightforward sequel.

 

Could we have got a sequel without any form of input from Harold Ramis? I mean, before he passed away and the project was entirely retooled all signs were pointing to a sequel/reboot where the old Ghostbusters would train a new generation.

Personally I'd have thought it incredibly awkward if we were missing one of the original four. Especially given that Egon was the character that delivered a good deal of the exposition.

 

I think it could have been done in a matter that honored him and still passed the torch to a new line of all women Ghostbusters. It just seems silly to bring the surviving members on as cameos and they're not even playing their original characters. Then why cast them?

You could have made one of the new lineup Egon's daughter and she carries on the tradition of her father, who has passed away.

There were ways to do it that paid respects to the original, and the original creators, and still kick butt with a new generation.

 

I won't disagree that casting the original actors in new roles is a bit awkward. It feels like something mandated by Sony rather than something important to the film.

I just think that if we need a new Ghostbusters movie at this point then a clean slate is the best way to go.

Personally I'm still rather cynical when it comes to a new Ghostbusters movie, be it sequel or reboot. However I'm just pleased that the reception seems to be rather warm.

 

Good point. Reboots or sequels are tricky. Reboots are especially tricky because you have to decide how far to go to make connections and how far to start anew.

I hope the new one is good. I'm not going to write it off. All of the new cast seems excellent.

 

It's a very difficult film to grasp in terms of criticism.

Some are very much just saying it's the best thing ever to throw dirt in the haters faces. Reading some of them is kinda painful. Take shots at those who dislike the film for one of the 3 reasons, while at the same time pretty much agreeing that the film isn't as good as the original and is for the most part "Just Okay."

Most of them seem to be leaning toward the simple consensus that the film is an above average remake. Something that would normally be forgotten after release, and that still may very well be the case.

A more deeper criticism seems to be that the film isn't bad enough for the cry baby haters to gain their much wanted victory and the film isn't good enough for feminist to go on parade.


I was never a hater, just didn't want to watch a Paul Feig version of Ghostbusters, and was so very disappointed that the Russo Brothers didn't take it up. I really believe they would have given us the film most of us would have liked to see. Regardless if the hero's were all women or not.

Always hoped it would turn out good though.


If the film does okay at the box office, but not great, you can expect there to be a sequel but that we'll see some big changes in the production. Feig may be outed for example. They may go through with the second film that has both guys and gals as Ghosbusters, etc. Anything to bring in the viewers they thought were missing from this one. IF IT TURNS OUT THAT WAY. I've not seen any box office predictions as of yet.

Just like with the Turtles movie. Did pretty well. However in order to make sure the sequel stuck they fan serviced the **** out of it. Didn't work, but that's usually how these things go.

 

I'd be happy if it's basically snazy FX Ghostbusters-style. As well written as the original is (And that is a really crackin' script) just throwing out some spectacle is a huge part of it. I really don't mind when people complain that movies fall into CGI holes or whatever. But I am also in the "would have rather seen a Legacy / Force Awakens style sequel than a remake". the fact the OG Ghostbusters actors are in it and not playing their characters is really head scratching. But I do think I remember Dan Aykroyd going off on maybe he's a parallel reality Ray Stantz or something. There ARE alternate realities in the original flick (that's where Gozer comes from).

 

The marketing at Waterloo Station is nice.

 

I don't hope the film does well. Studios should be punished for their terrible ideas and worse execution.

 

And I hope they keep calling us misogynists for no real reason. You want a reason? Hey babe, why don't you go and get me a beer and a sandwich while you cry about it? And hurry up. I'm hungry.

 

I think it's because the idea of another Ghostbusters movie is artistically bankrupt.

There's nothing about Ghostbusters, as a work, that is just begging for another movie. It doesn't have some compelling hook that just demands more. It doesn't have a well built universe that is ripe for other stories. If it did, another movie would be "necessary", it would be in demand. It doesn't, so it's "unnecessary". (I don't use these terms myself, but I know what people mean when they do)

When people say unnecessary, they often mean there's no story. They also often mean that it is unappealing, and undesirable. It's a sequel they simply didn't want.

Want another Ghostbusters movie?
No thanks.
Why not?
Because I don't.

How do you feel about another Ghostbusters movie?
Bad.

It really is that simple. If another movie doesn't get you excited, that says something, I think. Can it turn out different than you expect? Sure, but it rarely does. Except for that one time.

Star Wars prequels? About the Clone Wars Leia mentioned? About Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader, and the rise of the Empire? That sounds awesome!

I think that permanently soured a lot of people.

Well, I like Ghostbusters 2 fine, but let's pretend I don't.

The fact that a pretty bad and unfunny sequel already exists is actually a great argument against another Ghostbusters movie.

It's already been done. It was bad and made me feel bad.



But I don't care that Ghostbusters 3 is being made. At all. I got used to other things like it long ago, and now I just shrug.

 

I just got back from seeing it. In my opinion it's pretty good. It's not the worst crime to happen to humanity like some want it to be, however it's not the best thing since sliced bread either.

It's a very flawed summer blockbuster with some of the worst trappings of modern movie making, like enough product placement to make Man of Steel look tame. It's also not the dry, deadpan comedy of the original movie. Instead the humour is much more on the nose, for better or worse. This becomes very apparent within the first few minutes. I'd go as far as saying that this is based less on the original movie and more on the franchising, with a strong focus on green goo and cool gadgets. If you are someone who grew up with The Real Ghostbusters then I think you are going to have a grand time with the new movie.

Personally, I had a lot of fun. I got a few good strong laughs in the cinema, which doesn't happen often anymore. The cast have an infectious enthusiasm and it just left me smiling throughout.

It's a solid 7/10 for me.

 

How is McKinnon? She's a riot on SNL and the reviews so far have singled her out as a cut above.

 

I think going in expecting more broad, slapstick comedy style as opposed to hoping for the dry witticisms of the original is probably a good idea. However, I think one of the things that makes the original so good is the dry humour because it contrasts nicely with the outsized supernatural stuff.

I actually think there's a good core "franchise" concept in there literally about Ghostbusters franchises. It's sort of a blue collar work comedy except their day job is supernatural stuff. Now, it could be said that the entire notion of "plumbers who actually fight ghosts" may burn itself out in one flick but I think there is a lot in the notion to build upon. It's really a sort of superhero movie format and there's a hellova lot of different ways to take it.

 

I think Ebert was right years ago when, while praising Ghostbusters in his review, he said(to paraphrase) that these big comedic movies are so easy to fall short because their high production values can suck all the oxygen and spontaneity out required for improvisation and comedic bits. Ghostbusters was an exception perhaps. Ghostbusters 2, as an example, was not nearly as funny. The vfx overwhelmed the comedy in many cases.

The first Men in Black was funny but compare it to the second one.

These types of movies seem to fall short more often than they work.

 

Interesting, even though the new Ghostbusters has only been released in Ireland and the UK, it already has a 3.7 imdb rating and over 4000 votes with 57% of these pretend viewers giving it a "1," and one-third of these are from US voters.

No, it doesn't seem like anyone would prejudge this film just because it has women as the leads.

When I first heard about the film, the whole thing seemed just as creatively bankrupt to me as all the other sequels, remakes, rebootquels etc out there. But now I hope the film is a huge success just so that it will piss off all the sexists out there.

 

The entire imdb rating system is a sham. Complete and utter toss pottery.

 

Yeah, they're especially ridiculous early in a film's release. BvS had a 9.0 and something like 10,000 votes cast before anyone outside of the premiere had seen it. I just wonder who's responsible for the vote rigging in these cases -- the studios or desperate fans.