Ghostbusters 2016

Ghostbusters ~ My pre-viewing problems with the 2016 remake/reboot/reimagining of Ghostbusters had nothing to do with the gender or talent of the actors involved. Maybe.

I didn't care about the gender switch, and I actually thought the idea that only the women were competent and the men are idiots was pretty clever. My problem was with the Bridesmaids connection, a film I did not like, and Ghostbusters has its director and two of its stars. That was my problem.

And I'm also not one of those folks who worship the original and don't want it remade, because it's 'sacred.' Hey, yeah, the original was awesome, still holds up, is freaking hilarious, and is an almost perfect movie, but nothing changes that. The 2016 Ghostbusters is not the 1984 Ghostbusters, but let's be honest - what is? It's hard for such lightning to strike twice. Don't believe me? Just ask Ghostbusters II. Bam. Yeah, that was me dropping the mic.

The theme is roughly the same as the original, three scientists and a fourth team member chase ghosts in New York, until a larger threat rears its ugly head for the final battle. In this case, it's not an extra-dimensional entity trying to break through on its own, but someone in this world trying to bring the netherworld here, and become the king of ghosts. The story works, despite some plotholes that may be the result of worrisome editing - I won't hold it against the movie.

Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig are adequate but funny and believable, and it was a blast seeing Chris (Thor) Hemsworth playing mimbo, but the prize performances in this flick are undoubtedly the wonderfully hilarious Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon who steals the movie whenever she is on screen. She easily out-weirds Harold Ramis from the original.

There are also appearances from the original cast as well, most notably Bill Murray as a disbeliever who is so mean and humorless one had to wonder if this was acting or how he really felt about Ghostbusters. Either way, he's good. Too bad Rick Moranis couldn't be convinced to show up out of retirement.

The 2016 Ghostbusters is a great summer popcorn movie, and a hell of a lot of fun. It is thankfully no Bridesmaids, and certainly not worth the harassment many fans of the original have put it through. It's just great entertainment, check it out, you'll love it too.

Identity Thief

Identity Thief ~ This is a really funny flick, highlighting the comedic talents of Melissa McCarthy, who stars in "Mike & Molly" and skyrocketed to fame in Bridesmaids.

As I said, it's very funny, but it could have been funnier. This tale of a sociopath (McCarthy) who steals family man Jason Bateman's identity spotlights her outrageous behavior, but unfortunately there is a very real undercurrent that is sooo not funny. The realities of identity theft are all here, and how such criminal acts can destroy the victim's life. As much as one might want to laugh, there is always that underneath.

Where the flick falls apart is that the idea of Bateman confronting McCarthy and dragging her home on a roadtrip to right his life is just not enough apparently. It should have been, and would be, but the filmmakers somehow felt that drug dealers, bounty hunters, and lethal situations were needed in what basically amounts to a madcap comic romp. For me, it ruins it.

Melissa McCarthy is a delight, and saves the movie from being dragged down by bad creative decisions. It could have been better and funnier, had it been much simpler.

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids ~ This is so not my kind of movie, and really the first half-hour of it bore that out. I had been told this was a female version of the Hangover movies. I was told it was vulgar and hilarious. I was told it was a chick flick. And I was told that Melissa McCarthy of TV's "Mike and Molly" was hysterically funny in it. Maybe only one and half of these things ended up being true.

I despise Kristen Wiig. I count her as one of the most unfunny folks in recent memory on "Saturday Night Live." Had I known she was the star of this flick, I would have clicked delete in the Netflix queue on this baby. Watching Bridesmaids, I have to say I didn't think I could dislike Kristen Wiig more, but I would be wrong. Actually I think I might have enjoyed this a lot more if someone like, say, Laura Linney had been the lead.

The real surprise of Bridesmaids is Chris O'Dowd from "The IT Crowd," here playing a semi-serious role as Wiig's wannabe relationship. He's quite good in a role so different from the one we're used to. Franklin Ajaye and Jill Clayburgh, in her last screen appearance are good too. Also look for an uncredited Jon Hamm, and Wilson Phillips as themselves. And yes, Melissa McCarthy is definitely the reason to see this flick.

As I mentioned it started slow, painfully slow, but once we had the gross out scenes in the Brazilian restaurant and the bridal shop, and Wiig and O'Dowd got together, it wasn't bad. It wasn't much like I had been told it was, but it wasn't bad. Definitely worth a rental or pay per view.