Movie Review: Ghostbusters

GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

U.S.A, 105 Mins

        Dir: Ivan Reitman

Sadly last week we sadly lost a very talented actor/writer/producer in Harold Ramis. So in honour of his passing, & having had requests for a review of this film, let’s look back at arguably his most famous on screen role!

Hard to believe this year marks 30 years since the release of Ghostbusters! Obviously still a very famous & well known film that has immersed itself into pop culture. A star studded cast including Bill Murray, the afore mentioned Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver & Rick Moranis all-star in this light horror-comedy film about a group of eccentric paranormal investigators forming a business called the Ghostbusters & attempt to save New York from an upcoming attack from an ancient God named Gozer.

I’m sure we’ve all seen the film at some point or another over the years, so I won’t give a blow-by-blow description of the film this week. Suffice to say we meet Peter Venkman (Bill Murray, is his usual sarcastic wise-cracking best), Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) & Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) as they are attempting to further their investigations into the supernatural while employed at Columbia University. When they are turfed from their jobs & their funding, they decide to go into business for themselves.  People are sceptical & business is slow to start, but when Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) brings her case of her paranormal experience to the trio, & then they capture their first ghost at the Sedgewick Hotel, business starts booming. They rapidly grow into celebrity status & become overworked due to their demand.  The group run afoul of the EPA however, & are arrested. When things escalate in New York, they are released from jail by the mayor to tackle the crisis & attempt to save the city.

I watched this again last night, & it still holds up really well 30 years on. Still very funny, plenty of laughs, & so many great lines – some of which have entered pop culture – e.g. “We Came, We Saw, We Kicked Its Ass!” Suitable for the whole family, the ghosts are of the more amusing kind rather than scary for the most part, making it suitable for kids as well as adults. Murray, Ramis & Aykroyd combine together very well. The budding romance between Dana & Peter adds a nice side touch to the ongoing paranormal battle, Rick Moranis as the nerdy Louis competing for Dana’s affections is amusing, & of course who could forget the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?

In summation, Ghostbusters is still a very funny & enjoyable film 30 years on. It was one of the most successful films of the 80’s & spawned spinoffs such as video games, cartoon series, heaps of merchandise, & of course a sequel, Ghostbusters II in 1989. The theme song for the film, Ghostbusters, was huge hit for Ray Parker Jr in 1984 as well, with the very catchy line – “Who You’re Gonna Call?”

As a huge Bill Murray fan, I love this film just as much as anyone. Murray’s wit combined with the wisdom of Ramis, & the keenness of Ackroyd, makes this a very funny & enjoyable film. Rumours are still abound of a 3^rd film in the series – I for one hope this doesn’t eventuate, especially with the passing of Ramis last week. It’s not like it could come close to the original in any case, which is often listed in film critics & magazines listings of the best comedy films, & best 80’s films. As good today as it was when first released, Ghostbusters is an easy **** ½