After the members of a team of scientists – Egon Spengler (Ramis), Ray Stantz (Aykroyd) and Peter Venkman (Murray) – lose their cushy positions at a university in New York City, they decide to become “ghostbusters” to wage a high-tech battle with the supernatural for money. They stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, a doorway that will release evil upon the city. Now, they are the only ones who can save New York from complete destruction.
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While I was perusing what there was to watch on streaming, I noticed there were a few movies starring folks like Bill Murray (Zombieland), Ernie Hudson (The Crow: Salvation) and Dan Aykroyd (Spies Like Us), so it seemed like a better idea to first review the movie they were all in: Ghostbusters. Has this withstood the test of time, or do newer films like Ghostbusters: Afterlife left this one a ghost of a memory?
The main trio – Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis – work well together in Ghostbusters. While they range from goofy to nerdy, they work well as a team. They have a real camaraderie that comes through on the screen, and makes them more enjoyable to watch. The rest of the cast is pretty good too, ranging from love interest Signourney Weaver to the awkward Rick Moranis (who perfected this role throughout his career).
The film works on the story level too. A lot of screen time is dedicated to setting up the premise that ghosts are real, and these nerdy goofballs come up with the idea of starting a business capturing them. The film does a good job of easing viewers into this wacky business, as they are there when this trio encounters their first ghost (and they run away screaming). Then it leads into them trapping their first ghost, and their business really kicking off, which leads to them hiring another member (Ernie Hudson). Meanwhile, there’s a slow burn storyline in the background involving Sigourney Weaver, which takes the forefront during the climactic ending of the film. By that point, the viewer is invested in what these guys are up to, and are apt to cheer along with the crowd as they take on the bad guys (whether that be William Atherton or others).
The special effects stand up pretty well for being 40 years old. There was obviously a lot of real-life effects worked into the film, with only a few CGI effects tossed in to up the ante. Those CGI bits aren’t quite as good now (especially the “lightning” effect used so often in the 80’s), but for the most part, the effects could have aged a lot worse.
While some of the special effects may seem laughable by today’s standard, the fact that Ghostbusters is played for laughs helps reduce the sting a bit. Toss in a fun trio turned foursome, telling the origin story of what would become an iconic film group, and there’s a lot of fun still to be had in the original. Definitely still a bit of goofy fun even so many years later.
