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I can count the list of perfect comedies on one hand. The fact is, most comedies are flawed. The daunting task of entertaining people for an hour and a half is a little too much for most films, but Ghostbusters’ iconic foray into the realm of comedy is both perfect and timeless. A quintessentially ‘80s flick that relies on top notch performances from a cast of equals, Ghostbusters is the comedy highlight of the ‘80s.

Ghostbusters tells the tale of three goofy white dudes and their African American manservant. Led by the unscrupulous and ultimately sleazy Dr. Peter Venkman, the Ghostbusters start capturing ghosts around New York City… after they are unceremoniously kicked out of college. Things start out well, but a spike of paranormal activity has the Ghostbusters scrambling to figure out what’s going on. All of this leads to a deadly showdown with a giant marshmallow man. It’s a great story, made up of many little parts that all work perfectly together. There isn’t one thing in this film that makes it great, but the combined factor of hundreds of little touches and moments of mirth creates a film that is simply great through and through.

Director Ivan Reitman does one thing well with Ghostbusters… he gets the fuck out of the way. While the names Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray may not conjure up much in the way of humor these days, Reitman knew enough in the ‘80s to just step out of the way of Murray and Aykroyd and let them do their thing. Most of the film feels ad-libbed and completely natural, as if Reitman merely plopped a camera in front of the cast, gave them a general idea of what the scene was about, and let them do their own thing. Of course, Reitman does a solid job of creating some nice shots and some interesting moments, but it’s the characters that drive the film. Reitman’s greatest success might be the fact that he actually made Sigourney Weaver look hot in this movie… you know… like ‘80s hot.

The cast of Ghostbusters is top notch throughout. Bill Murray (Stripes, What About Bob?) is definitely the star of the film as Dr. Venkman. Murray’s performance is equal parts car salesman and date rapist, but he balances out the goody goody feel of the rest of the cast. Dan Aykroyd (Coneheads, Spies Like Us) and Harold Ramis (Stripes, Knocked Up) are about equal in the film, with both providing several solid supporting moments and generally ratcheting up the humor in the film. Ernie Hudson (No Escape, The Human Tornado) is solid, but definitely under-used, which leaves his character feeling like a forced addition to the film. His character seems to be stupid, superstitious, and slightly uneducated. In short, he’s a walking, talking stereotype. The rest of the cast is rounded out with solid efforts from Rick Moranis (Strange Brew, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids), Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Dave), William Atherton (Die Hard, Real Genius) and Annie Potts (Pretty in Pink, Ghostbusters II).

The special effects in the film are the height of ‘80s technology… meaning they don’t look nearly as good as they would if they were made today… maybe. There are lots of composite shots, matte paintings, and straight up drawing going on in the film, but none of this gets in the way of the film’s charm. Part of this is due to the fact that you’re watching Ghostbusters to laugh, not to be scared. Slimer seems more like a nice pet than an actual scary ghost, but that’s another thing that makes this movie work.

Few comedies from the ‘80s have held up as well as Ghostbusters, and it’s the type of film that you could show the youth of today and they’d still love it. Of course, I could show them a bent spoon and they would think it was awesome thanks to their steady diet of shit TV shows and films like G.I. Joe: The Riser of Cobra. But rest assured, this is a classic flick, and one of the best comedies of all time, not just the ‘80s.

Final Synopsis: Ghostbusters rocks. Everything about the film is awesome… except for the whole Ernie Hudson character. You should own a copy of this movie.

Points Lost: -1 for the Winston character

Bonus Points: +1 for being nonstop entertaining

Lesson Learned: Don’t cross the streams… works for urine and ghostbusting.

Lesson Learned #2: If someone asks you if you are the “keymaster,” just say, “Yes.”

Burning Question: “Who you gonna call?”

Ghostbusters
10/10

Tags: '80s cheese, 1984, Annie Potts, Bill Murray, classic '80s, comedy, dan aykroyd, ernie hudson, ghostbusters, harold ramis, ivan reitman, latest movie reviews, recent3, rick moranis, sigourney weaver, supernatural, william atherton