Ghostbusters has set the Internet world ablaze with debate, and controversy. The upcoming reboot from director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat), has divided fans of the classical franchise and newcomers alike. It’s no secret that Feig has cast females to fill the roles of the paranormal investigators, but what does that do as far as the re-imagining of the series is concerned? For that we’d have to explore just what forced Sony to give the reigns to Feig over original alum Ivan Reitman, and then ask the real question: Does this movie look as if it will pull tickets?
Ivan Reitman leaves the franchise:
Reitman departed from the project due to a number of concerns from fans, personally and difficulty working with Bill Murray reprising his role. Murray, who had apparently grown tired of the Ghostbusters craze refused to reprise his role as Dr. Peter Venkman in a not so obtuse way. He never confirmed or denied whether he would pick up the neutronal wand again.
Another reason was due to the fact that Harold Ramis died, and the fire just wasn’t there any longer for the veteran actor. As if losing a brother, once Reitman attended Ramis funeral—that was essentially the final nail in the coffin. With fans wishing for a third installment in the franchise, and Sony already promising fans a new movie, the decision was made to look elsewhere for a director, and landed with Paul Feig.
Why Fans hated the trailer:
Despite what you may have read online everywhere (including Youtube comments) at this point, there’s a fundamental reason fans don’t like the new Ghostbusters trailer, and it isn’t because there are four women on the screen. The majority of the outcry is coming from fans in my generation (if you’re 20-29). The reason for this is:
– Ghostbusters canon
– New York landmarks
– Return characters
– Storyline
Many fans are upset that this looks to be another classic installment in Paul Feig’s many feminine driven comedy ventures starring Melissa McCarthy, and Kristen Wigg. From the looks of the trailer, nothing could be closer to the truth, and simultaneously further. As a fan, I have to side with everyone who says it looks foolish, and as a neutral voiced film critic. I will say it will serve its purpose: opening itself to a wider more diverse demographic to reintroduce the series to a new generation of Ghostbusters fans.
Will this movie pull tickets?
If you are looking at this film with the mindset that it’s a group of four women who are going to have a supernatural adventure in 2016, then that’s fine. However, if you want to look at it as a “hardcore fan,” and think of the first two films, the four comic book adaptations; the original Hi-C ecto cooler; the three Saturday morning cartoon shows (yes, I included Extreme Ghostbusters with Kylie the chick Ghostbuster), and even the 2009 Playstation 3/ Xbox360 game. Well, then you’ll hate Paul Feig´s Ghostbusters movie for sure.
Diversity is important to realize, but we can’t point fingers at people who disagree and shout misogynist or sexist simply because they could. Giving this film a fair shot is the right move for critics—especially because we haven’t seen a word of cameos (Slimer doesn’t count) at this point. There’s an entirely brand-new generation which didn’t get to experience what the original two films gave us, and the good news is they still can. Ghostbusters I-II will be coming to Netflix soon so you can go back and enjoy the classic before the new one arrives. As far as if this movie will sell or not? That’s going to depend solely on you and the other people who decide to give it a shot regardless of how you watch it.
With that said, what do you think about Paul Feig´s “Ghostbusters” movie so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section down below!
***Disclaimer***
This is a personal opinion of the writer, and it doesn’t necessarily represent the other writers (nor The Gaming Ground´s)
opinions.
Kenay Peterson
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheDark_Mage
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Tags: Ghostbusters, Melissa McCarthy, New York, Paul Feig, Youtube