I Ain't Afraid Of No Ghost: Review of Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters

Director: Paul Feig

By Alex Watson

Having the most disliked trailer in the history of Youtube is not something to savor. From the get-go, there were a lot of haters dumping on Paul Feig's all-female reboot of Ghostbusters. Well, prepare to have your doubts extinguished because this effort is as funny and quirky as any of the originals. The female foursome gives this franchise a newer and fresher feel. Also with the laughs coming thick and fast the gender of the characters will be the furthest thing from your mind.

Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) is a former college professor who has recently reconnected with old friend Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and her wacky assistant Jillian Holtzman (Kate McKinnon) after an outbreak of ghost sightings around Manhatten. Along with former MTA worker Patty (Leslie Jones), it is clear that evil spirits are out to claim the city, but what is causing them to appear? With New York Mayor Bradley (Andy Garcia) wanting to silence the whole affair, how will they succeed?

With an effective scary opening, Ghostbusters is able to score points pretty much immediately. When we meet the estranged friendship of Abby and Erin, we like them right away. The pair has as much dorky and goofy charm as Venkman and Stanz before them- previous co-authors of an embarrassing paranormal book, Erin quickly rediscovers her lost passion. Things kick up a notch when Patty enters the fray, this character is one of the smart elements of this movie. Unlike Winston before her who was there to make up the numbers, Patty's knowledge of New York is an invaluable asset and marks her out as one of the key members. A sassy and loyal fireball, she often gets the best lines such as when views a ghost heading on subway towards Queen's "He's gonna be like the third scariest thing on that train!"

Feig is able to find a more different sense of humor, unlike this previous work. His clever gender role reversal of incredibly dumb but intensely hot secretary Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) is a delightful touch. Finding it impossible to perform the simplest of tasks, such as answering the phone or even make coffee, Kevin is a continual source of hilarity. The set pieces are also well executed, such as the four having to capture a demon in the middle of a rock concert, cue Ozzy Osbourne screaming "SHARON! I'M HAVING ANOTHER FLASHBACK!" the cameos in the piece are one thing that slightly lets picture down because they are not given nearly attention. Some known faces make an appearance, but we never feel the needed force.

The laughs do begin to dry up as Ghostbusters reaches its climax. When the CGI takes effect it is spectacular to see the ladies blasting away ghosts, "I shot a pilgrim!" one of them mourns. The finale is decidedly low on tension but by this point, you are already so high on laugh its seems inconsequential. There are setbacks in this picture such as Kate McKinnon's Jillian Holtzman, although she raises a smile or two, her constant zany humor eventually becomes a bit too much. This reboot also lacks a real threatening villain, occultist Rowan (Neil Casey) comes off as just a whiny jerk who needs to grow up. Feig along with his impressive cast is to be commended for shaking off the criticism and giving us something that threatens to give reboots a good name.

Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are always a dream together and their work here is no exception. Able to produce laughs at any given time, they are able to give a pair of original creations a million miles away from their predecessors. Leslie Jones nearly walks away with the picture with a brilliant turn as subway worker turned Ghostbuster Patty. Jones is always on point and each scene she seems to find a way to win it over with the minimum effort. The fourth member needed an upgraded after Ernie Hudson was wasted over two pictures and she is one of the main reason to want a sequel. Chris Hemsworth however, steals the show with his hilarious against type as the ditzy Kevin. A man coasting through life on looks alone, Hemsworth shows an unexpected comic touch and seems to find ways to make him stupider by the minute.

Who would have thought that among all the criticism that Ghostbusters would be one of the movies of this summer? Well, haters, it appears that you might want to retract those statements.

The Spy Who Came in From The Cold: Review of Spy

Spy

Director: Paul Feig

By Alex Watson

Thanks to the charms of the reliable Melissa McCarthy, Spy is a funny and likeable parody. Director Paul Feig doesn't deliver anything groundbreaking in terms of formula. But in terms of sheer belly laughs and wit, it succeeds admirably. Its leading character Susan though, is one that audiences are drawn to and will certainly be back for more installments.

Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is a desk bound CIA agent who assists super spy Bradley Fine (Jude Law). But when Fine goes MIA, Susan finds herself pushed into a field agent role. She is tasked with tracking villians Rayna Boyanov (Rose Bryne) and Sergio De Luca (Bobby Cannavale). Together the pair know the location of a devastating nuclear bomb. But is Susan really ready for the challenge ahead?

Rather than just letting Susan being the bumbling overweight and clumsy hero, Paul Feig turns things on their head makes her an butt-kicking action star. At first she is the underwhelming office lady whom everyone assumed to be a crazy cat lady off screen. Alongside her equally downbeat friend Nancy (Miranda Hart), she is kept firmly at her desk and laments her crush on Bradley not being returned. Though she whispers helpful instructions through his ear piece and keeps his life safe, she knows this maybe as good as life gets.

The second act of Spy thankfully turns over a new leaf and allows Susan to run wild with flying groin kicks, punches and any number of sassy insults. In rich villain society, she really is the fish out of water and causes ripples of panic whenever she enters a room. But no matter what she does or any errors thrown, she only succeeds in becoming likeable throughout. Same cannot be said for the villains of the piece. Rayna while cold and glamorous is a rather cookie cutter villain, whose is more like a playground bully than an icy international criminal.

Thankfully this movie has enough gas in the tank to see it through the whole run. No matter where the action takes us, Rome, Bulgaria or even the US, the laughs keep on coming. Also the action sequences are equal to even some more established action franchises. One scene she Susan in a kitchen battle with both a knife and frying pan. Full marks for creativity there, but seeing her hang from a helicopter is a finale that works on all levels. If only for the hilarious 50 Cent cameo that comes alongside it.

Melissa McCarthy is one making a great career out of these type of films. As Susan she brings us a character that has a superbly sharp tongue along with a set of skills that would rival Jason Bourne. Expect a return for this character very soon! The supporting cast is also top notch, with Jude Law leading the way as self-serving agent Bradley. Very much a satire of the Bond franchise, Law demonstrates his comedic ability to poke fun at himself. But it is Jason Statham who steals the show with an hilarious turn as Luke Ford. With the subtly of a brick and loudly bragging about his exploits, Statham has a ball and I can only hope he earns a spin-off from this.

Spy is a movie that is impossible to dislike and there will most likely be any number of sequels in future. Melissa McCarthy is proving to be one actress that can stay fun no matter the material and I look forward to the exploits of Susan in years to come.