The reboot of Ghostbusters opens this week with a stellar all-female comedic cast including Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon. Directed by Paul Feig, this film has a theme all of its own and, in our estimation truly deserves a look. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Ryan R. comments, "I like because it has a strong comedic female cast, good humor and great realistic CGI animation." See his full review below.
Ghostbusters
By Ryan R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
Ghostbusters is the new female reboot of the original Ghostbusters which I like because it has a strong comedic female cast, good humor and great realistic CGI animation. In this reboot, we meet Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), a professor who is up for tenure at her college. One day a man approaches Erin about a book she wrote with her friend Abigail (Melissa McCarthy) regarding the paranormal that he bought on Amazon. Erin asks Abigail to take the book down because Erin doesn't want it to jeopardize her tenure. That same day, Erin goes with Abigail and another friend, Jillian (Kate Mckinnon) to speak with the man who bought the book and that's where the fun begins as they encounter a ghost. After that, they start a business as Ghostbusters and along the way they hire an incompetent receptionist name Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) and are joined by Patty (Leslie Jones) who quits her job at the MTA when she sees a ghost on the tracks and decides to join them. Their mission is to find and capture ghosts. Will they find the ghosts and save New York City? Or will they be labeled as frauds?
The performances by Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate Mckinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth are superb. All four of these women are funny but Leslie Jones and Kate Mckinnon really stand out as exceptionally hilarious. All of their jokes, timing and facial expressions are extremely funny and just cracked me up. Most of the jokes are funny, but this film has some jokes that not everyone would get, especially if they never saw the original movie. Chris Hemsworth really commits and delivers in his role as the clueless incompetent receptionist so you can't help but laugh at him as well. I also love how the CGI animation makes the ghosts look scary and very realistic. I appreciate how the animation makes Slimmer and Marshmallow man look different compared to the original movie. This film also features some actors in surprise cameos which is a bonus for fans of the film.
What I didn't like is the pace of this movie. Some parts feel rushed and some parts feel like they are dragging. Additionally, some scenes are predictable. Other than that, this film is really enjoyable.
I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for kids ages 10 to 18. I think adults might like this as well especially those who like action, adventure and sci-fi films. This film has many intense scenes that are unsuitable for younger viewers because they may find it to be too scary. Make sure to see this film which opens July 15, 2016.
Ryan R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12