Review of 'Ghostbusters'

1st film in the 'Ghostbusters' series

ghostbusters.jpg “Ghostbusters” follows a group of social misfits kicked out of their positions in a university studying unexplained phenomena and into private enterprise – “Ghostbusters” where they will come and get rid of those pesky ghosts from your loft. Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) is the scientist who really believes in very little of what he studies forced to question this with what he witnesses. Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) is very serious about his work, ultimately designing the equipment that allow the team to trap ghosts. Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) is also serious in the study of the supernatural. After forming the Ghostbusters and establishing their headquarters in a disused fire station in New York, they hire Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) as a secretary and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) as the forth Ghostbuster. When Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) calls the team into investigate odd events in her apartment they discover Sumerian God named Gozer the Gozerian is threatening to return to Earth to destroy it. At the same time an overzealous, cynical, EPA inspector Walter Peck (William Atherton) has the containment device used by the team to hold the ghosts they have captured shut down it results in a huge explosion. It is up the team to capture the demons and save the day…

A hilarious romp featuring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Rick Moranis (as Louis Tully, Dana's geeky neighbour) at the peaks of their careers. Fantastic fun featuring imaginative writing and great dialogue improvising. Yeah, the effects are not great even for the time but they serve to put the story across as is it that along with the humour of the cast that carry the film. Even in the height of battle the humour continues with no one taking things entirely too seriously (a mistake, perhaps, in the ill-fated sequel from three years later).

A classic film comedy with great acting, story and script, “Ghostbusters” is sheer film joy.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2005-03-10


Directed by: Ivan Reitman

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Year: 1984

Length: 101 minutes

Genre: Science Fiction

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087332/


Other reviewed films in the 'Ghostbusters' series:

Other reviewed films by Ivan Reitman: