Well after years of development, a new Ghostbusters movie is finally in theaters. While the initial plan for another Ghostbusters film would have seen the original actors returning while they “pass the torch” onto a new group of Ghostbusters, a variety of factors led to that iteration of the film never coming to fruition—they couldn’t crack a good screenplay, Bill Murray was ever-reluctant to return, and then Harold Ramis’ death in 2014 led director Ivan Reitman to decide he didn’t want to take the helm of another Ghostbusters movie without that original team intact.
Enter Paul Feig, the filmmaker behind Bridesmaids, Spy, and The Heat and co-creator of Freaks and Geeks, who was approached by Sony to direct the new Ghostbusters after a number of other comedy directors passed. Feig eschewed the idea of a sequel, instead deciding the best way to move forward would be to reboot the franchise altogether, that way the lead characters could continue to be underdogs. He set about filling out the ensemble with incredibly funny women, scoring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon as the new team with Chris Hemsworth and Cecily Strong in supporting roles.
So now, after all the stops and starts of development and a ridiculous campaign by angry misogynists to destroy the movie before anyone had ever even seen it, Ghostbusters is now available for public consumption. Reviews have been mostly positive, with Collider’s own Matt Goldberg praising the film’s consistent laughs and impressive visuals. But given all the fan fervor surrounding the film—which, again, was driven by passion/anger from folks who hadn’t seen the movie—we’re curious to know what you thought, dear reader.
So what’s the word? How does the new Ghostbusters stack up against the original film and/or in relation to this summer’s other blockbusters? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below, and click here to catch up on all of our Ghostbusters coverage, from box office to interviews.
