Ghostbusters

If you haven’t seen “Ghostbusters” you’re missing out. If it’s been a long time, give it another go. Most people would call it a classic and there’s a reason it’s still a fan favourite today.

Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) are parapsychologists who have spent years mooching off of Columbia University without producing any results. When the number of paranormal incidents in New York City skyrockets, the three open up a business that specializes in capturing ghosts. Everything seems to be going great until they discover that one of their clients (Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett) is being tormented by a force that is not native to our world.

What I like best about this movie is the way the comedy is handled. So much of the humour isn’t about what is being said. It’s the way characters look at each other after something happens or the tone being used when the lines are delivered. It shows that comedy doesn’t have to be wild and manic. It can be subtle. Someone muttering something off-hand or simply reacting to a wild event in a nonchalant way, incredulous looks, etc. Bill Murray is a master at this art and you can’t help but pay attention to him, but the same can be said about Aykroyd, Ramis, Ernie Hudson (who joins the group later in the film) and Weaver. The actors have great comedic timing and they’re given many memorable lines.

"Ghostbusters" is laden with special effects and they still hold up. Honestly, I don’t know how they did some of the seemingly simpler “ghost effects” at the beginning of the film. They don’t involve any semi-transparent figures jumping around, and I’m sure there’s an easy trick to how they made all of those objects fly, but I have no idea. There’s a nice variety in the spirits that the Ghostbusters encounter so don’t expect just a bunch of chain rattling and white bed sheets. A lot of imagination is present in the creatures our heroes have to do battle with. I never saw the Saturday morning cartoon based on the film, but I’m sure the people in charge of that project were happy that they were given a base that was as filled with memorable characters and as many possibilities for villains as "Ghostbusters". And the best thing about the SFX is that they never overshadow the characters and the dialogue.

It’s full of laughs and great visuals, the characters are likeable, the script is sharp and the deliveries are priceless. It’s the kind of movie you can re-watch and always notice something new. It’s got a constant stream of laughs interrupted only by big impressive scenes where we get to see the titular ghost busting and never resorts to cheap jokes. It’s fine for kids but as an adult you’ll really grow to appreciate it. (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 6, 2016)