Review of Ghostbusters (1984) by Ibraheem M — 27 Mar 2014

If you haven't seen "Ghostbusters", or if it's been a long time since you have you're missing out on one of the greatest science fiction comedies out there. In case you're not familiar with the story (considering this movie is older than I am, that's not inconceivable) here goes: Dr. Peter Benkman (Bill Murray), Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) are parapsychologists who have spent years mooching off of Columbia University without producing any results. Just when they lose their jobs though, the number of paranormal activity in New York City booms and the three find themselves opening up a business that specializes in capturing pesky ghosts and getting them away from the civilians they are haunting. Everything seems to be going great until they discover that one of their clients (Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett) is being tormented by a force that is not native to our world. If the three Ghostbusters and their new recruit Winston (Ernie Hudson) can't figure out what is going on and contain it, it could mean doom for our world.

The special effects featured are really amazing. From the very first scene of the film there are books moving on their own, filing cards flying all over the place and you don't have to wait long before you see a pretty convincing ghost. I still have no idea how they pulled off some of the visual stunts here and if that wasn't enough, the film features a multitude of creatures and as a visual spectacle it never stops. You get a good range of spooks and ghouls (some comedic, some frightening and several of which are iconic) a decent amount of explosions and a pretty good amount of pyrotechnics (the best of which are featured when the Ghostbusters enter a haunted hotel and blast it with their ghost-capturing equipment). The special effects also show up in the form of some catastrophic supernatural damage to the city and in the gadgets used to capture the pesky poltergeists. The tricks used still hold up and vary quite a bit so on that basis alone the film is worth viewing.

What really holds your interest though is the humor. Dan Aykroyd as Ray is a doofus that means well but is taken advantage of all the time. He's the one that's always trailing along behind the others and while he's still competent, he gets them all in trouble more than once. Harold Ramis plays a bookworm-y type (he collects molds, spores and fungi) and takes his role completely seriously, making his dialogue particularly funny ("Symmetrical book stacking... just like the Philadelphia mass turbulence of 1947"). Truly unforgettable is Bill Murray, as a womanizing, manipulative and sarcastic skeptic who takes a special interest in Dana because it's an excuse to run out of the Ghostbusters building and impress a pretty lady. While the other two guys seem genuinely interested in the supernatural, he's mostly clueless and fakes his way through the situations if he feels like there's a payoff somewhere down the road. The three actors have great comedic timing and there are easily dozens of memorable lines throughout the film (My personal favorites are "Back off man, I'm a scientist." And "He slimed me!") Ernie Hudson gets some good moments too despite having less screen time than the others and a special mention has to go to Rick Moranis, a total loser who gets tossed around by the ghosts without mercy.

It's full of laughs and full of great visuals, the characters are likeable, the script is sharp and the deliveries are priceless. It's the kind of movie you can watch every now and then and always notice something new (Check out the foreshadowing when Dana pulls up to the apartment, notice the way that gargoyle appears to be looking at her cab and the groceries she ends up bringing in?). Some of the jokes come in so quick you'll catch yourself missing them because you're not done laughing with the previous one and that's the mark of a great comedy. It's fine for kids but as an adult you'll really grow to appreciate it so take it for another spin. (Theatrical version on the big screen, August 6, 2013).