A good film, pretty unique subject

Rating: 6/10 (17 November 2015)

"Ghostbusters" is a 100-minute movie from over 30 years ago and considered a classic by many today. I am not sure if I would go that far, but it was certainly a good watch for the most part. The director is Oscar nominee Ivan Reitman, whose son Jason has followed in his footsteps by now, and the film we got here is certainly the older Reitman's most famous work, especially as the man in charge. The script comes from Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who also play 2 of the major characters. However, those were one of the weaknesses of the film. Maybe it was because Murray was so great, had the best material and stole every scene he was in, but Aykroyd and Ramis looked truly pale compared to him and this film may have been even better with other actors in these roles.
Still, I think they did a good job on the writing. Ghost movies are fairly common, but in terms of people in charge of hunting these ghosts, there really isn't that much to pick from and this is certainly the ultimate movie. Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis do a lot with the little they are given, but the standout is clearly Murray in his big breakthrough performance (his introduction with the questioning scene involving the guy and girl was already pure gold) and he has been delivering constantly great material in the last 3 decades, especially in terms of comedy, frequently with a dramatic note to it. However, even with the premise of the world about to end, "Ghostbusters" is 99% comedy. Nobody dies, the possessed characters turn back to normal, the shooting sequences involve cool futuristic gadgets and the monsters are at least as creative as scary. And of course, there is funny one-liners from start to finish, also a couple unfunny ones, but not too many. The ending is solid, but not the film's biggest strength. I wonder if we will ever get another "Ghost Busters" film. With Ramis' death it may not look too likely, but who knows. Until then, I recommend watching this old film here. Thumbs up, especially for the first hour.