Ghostbusters Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1984

Some movies serve to represent a specific decade many years after it has passed, whereas other movies actually serve to define a decade. Ghostbusters (written by Dan Aykroyd and directed by Ivan Reitman) is one of the latter. Who among those of us that lived during the 80's hasn't seen, or at the very least heard of, this memorable film? Read on to see why this movie quickly became a classic…

Ghostbusters is a film that could easily have failed. Creating a lighthearted movie that merges comedy and action into one is generally a challenging feat on its own. Making a film that is perfectly innocent and appropriate for the youngest of children, yet still intelligent and smart enough to appeal to adults is even more difficult. And successfully accomplishing both of these feats while wrapping the subject matter around hunting down ghosts is not for the faint of hearted. In fact it's such a grand goal that attempting it is almost setting oneself up for failure.

Thank goodness Aykroyd and company gave it a whirl, for they achieved the near impossible in a grand way.

The plot isn't deep by any means. Three experts in parapsychology stumble across an opportunity to get rich off the crazy belief of ghosts some New Yorkers possessed. Although they are initially skeptical about the reality of ghosts and are in it for the riches, they soon discover that ghosts are indeed among us… and New York is about to face a paranormal event the likes the world has never seen.

The simplicity of the plot is actually part of the movie's genius, because Ghostbusters is a film that will appeal equally to children and adults alike. Children will eat up the light subject matter and impressive special effects while adults will indulge in Bill Murray's (Dr. Venkman) constant stream of potent one-liners and ironic style of humor – a style that has yet to be duplicated by any other actor.

This isn't to suggest Dan Aykroyd (Dr. Stantz), Harold Ramis (Dr. Spengler) and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore) didn't rise to the challenge, for the foursome worked together wonderfully as the Ghostbusters crew. Bill Murray may have been a scene-stealer, but he's only capable of stealing scenes due to the ease he can play off of his peers. Their chemistry together was undeniable.

Sigourney Weaver stops by to play Venkman's potential love interest, Dana Barrett, who eventually becomes possessed by the mother of all ghosts. Rick Moranis plays Louis Tully, a nerdy little fellow that fawns over Barrett and plays an unwitting role in setting the New York paranormal plague in motion. I have never been a fan of Moranis' style of humor, but I was able to put that aside in Ghostbusters due to a job well done.

No one expected this film to hit the world by storm, but by the time the juggernaut known as Ghostbusters blew through it spawned a number one hit for Ray Parker Junior, who sang the infectious theme song, a sequel and finally a cartoon series.

The quote "who are you gonna call?" became a mainstay during the 80's… and more than twenty years later the answer remains the same. If you are uncertain what this answer may be, you owe it to yourself to watch this comedy classic so you too can discover the answer.

Movie rating: 9 stars

If you enjoyed Ghostbusters you may also find the following films to be of interest:

• Airplane!
• The Naked Gun

Enjoy the Ghostbusters experience in the comfort of your own home with these products!

DVD

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Poster Ghostbusters Buy this Mini Poster at AllPosters.com

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