Review of Ghostbusters (1984) by Kai82 — 26 Apr 2021

A cult classic enhanced for me by nostalgia and childhood memories. A movie like that would probably not be greenlighted today. The strengths are the awesome cast which has fun playing the roles, the director, humor and the mixture of comedy, fantasy with some science fiction elements.

It creates a world that is fully believable and entertaining. Also it gets the mixture of seriousness and humor right in a way that non harms the other. It is the story of the 3 parapsychology scientist Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler (later joined by Winston Zeddemore) who investigate paranormal activities.

Because this field of science is not taken serious and seen as fraud they are thrown out of their jobs at the university and are discredited. Because of this they start a business called Ghostbusters.

They use their knowledge and technical skills to develop tools / equipment to locate, capture and contain ghost. Of cause there is more to it as paranormal activities are on the rise. I stop with the set up here.

The story might sound a bit silly but works fully. Maybe the start is a bit to slow for my taste but it introduces the characters well. The rest is a great story with an epic climax. It is one of the most well know movies of the time.

The humor is awesome and is carried by the cast and script. The actors have a great chemistry together and so it is natural that the demands for a new movie and the franchise are still strong. They created something that is a timeless classic.

Lets continue with the strong cast. We have Bill Murray as Peter Venkman. Must I even praise him? He made so many wonderful performances in his career and this is one of the best of them. He is a charming trickster and master of persuasion.

Then we have Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz. He is the noble scientist with a hearth of gold. Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler is the smartest scientist of the group. He has also some dry humor. Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore has less screentime in this movie but fills it with a really good performance (They say that the role was for Eddie Murphy and was cut down when he was not available but other say this was just a rumor).

These 4 Ghostbusters are pop culture icons and legends. This performance laid the foundation for the franchise. It ends not here as we got even more great actors / actresses. There is Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett with a great performance.

She is a legend in the industry and one of my favorite actresses. Then we got Rick Morranis another one of my favorites. He has also so many good performances including this. Sidenote: I wondered why he made no movies after becoming a big star.

His wife died and he quit his career to raise their kids. He is such a great man. There is Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz who is often forgotten, has a smaller role but fully delivers. Finally I want to mention Ernie Hudson as Walter Peck.

He has a memorable scene and says he was mocked by / for the nickname he was given in this movie;-). A truly remarkable cast. All characters work well and I consider it a true strength. I praise also the clever written script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and of cause the director Ivan Reitman.

Without these it could also not be a cult classic. The special effects were amazing for its time but aged a bit badly. Still has some scary scenes. Then there is the humor which is another strength. There are a lot of good jokes, memorable quotes and scenes.

I must also praise the music. The Ghostbusters song by Ray Parker Jr. has also become a classic and is still sometimes played today in the radio. Heard it so many times but still enjoyed it. Overall this is a childhood favorite I still enjoy as adult.

A cult classic that earned its place in movie history. Even after all the years it has so many fans. One of the easiest recommendations I can make for movies.