Funny ghost movie with a hilarious Murray

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2017)

I watched Ghostbusters for the first time since it's original release, and it has worn well. The story of supernatural exterminators is clever, the pace is quick, the special effects are fun, and much of the movie is very, very funny.
The main reason the movie is funny is Bill Murray as a smarmy professor who inexplicably wins over the resistant Sigourney Weaver with his oily charm. Murray's performance reminds me of meaner version of 1940s Bob Hope; they both specialize in the "that looks really dangerous; you go first" style of humor to great effect.
Aykroyd and Ramis are generally overshadowed by Murray. Outside of Murray the most entertaining performance is Rick Moranis as a creepy accountant.
The special effects are for the most part quite good, with silly ghosts and a tremendous and ridiculous final monster. Some of the other effects are pretty bad, most notably those bear-like creatures. The blue-screen edges are actually visible in places. I watch them and think, how is it possible that critics of the reboot actually claimed the original had better special effects? Are they *blind*? Anyway, very entertaining movie that I found almost as enjoyable as much as the much-defamed reboot. Well worth seeing.