Ghostbusters (1984) User Reviews

A severely underrated film

[magic_marker · 9/10 · 16 September 2002]

What's that you say? Ghostbusters, one of the most financially successful and over-hyped comedies of the eighties, underrated? Yes. Precicely because it was so over-hyped and made so much money, there has been a stigma attached to this film identifying it as a childish FX piece, when it is nothing of the sort. Most of the lines people remember("He slimed me," "OK. So? She's a dog," "When someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!") are not its funniest or wittiest lines, which often are missed on first or even second viewing. I laugh every time I observe a gag or a quip that I somehow missed the other 20 times I viewed a scene; "Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head, remember that?" "That would have worked if you hadn't stopped me", or, to the driver of a van from a loony bin, "Dropping off or picking up?" Brilliant.

Not only is Ghostbusters funny, it manages to include some truly scary scenes. And not just lose-your-popcorn moments like the fridge from Hell, but also scenes of quiet, thoughtful chill, like Egon's retelling of how the possessed apartment building came into being, or Winston recalling the Book of Revelation. Which other film has managed to combine the Marx Brothers with HP Lovecraft?

The special effects hold up well, besides some obvious studio sets and models, but what really creates this film's world is the stunning cinematography. Manhattan, perhaps the pinnacle of Gothic architectural evolution, is brilliantly utilised here to create a sense of menacing grandeur. After watching "Ghostbusters" I couldn't imagine the realm of the Old Gods opening into our world from anywhere else. The soundtrack is great, not the overrated theme (Which was in fact lifted from Huey Lewis' "I Need a New Drug"), but the wonderfully blusey "Cleaning Up the Town," the creepy proto-techno chiller "Magic" and also the wonderful score by the late and much lamented Elmer Bernstein.

"who ya gonna call......?"

[The screen dweller · 8/10 · 9 July 2001]

Ghostbusters was an incredibly huge smash hit on its original release back in `84 and its not hard to see why - its a funny , exciting and imaginative thrill ride. There is a lot to like about ghostbusters , like bill Murrays constant and always funny wise cracks, the films constant shift from a light hearted comedy to intense ghost busting thriller and of course , the technically flawless attack of the marsh mallow man that is probably one of my favorite parts of this film.

In this day and age of computer generated fx wizardry the completely analogue special effects still look great ( especially the stay puft marsh mallow man , its rampage through the city looks incredibly real ! ) and the film it self is still better and more imaginative than a lot of event movies you will find in a cinema near you today .

And to top it all off Ghostbusters is one of the few films out there that actually had worthy TV spin off that was the "real Ghostbusters", a cartoon that i loved as a kid.

Ghostbusters is a film that truly deserves its iconic status.

The screen dwellers mark (out of 5 ) : * * * *

Still Very Funny & Entertaining

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 10 June 2006]

There is no set definition of the word "classic" but I'm sure this film qualifies as such or will in the near future, since it was so unique and popular....and remains so today, over 20 years old later. It's just one of those films that you remember seeing when it came out at the theaters. I doubt if anyone has forgotten the catchy theme song, either.

Despite numerous viewings, I still find this very funny as I suspect many people do, because it entertains so well. I know the story is ludicrous and I don't believe for one second in ghosts so I ignore the "theology" and just laugh at Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson.

Murray, as he tends to do, grabs the spotlight more than the rest and delivers more laughs than any of the cast but my favorite was Moranis as the nerdy "Louis Tully." I wish his role had been bigger. All the guys, however, plus Sigourney Weaver, the love interest of the always-horny Murray, are fun. I even liked the sequel because most of this cast was included.

My favorite film as a child and still brilliant today!

[eamon-hennedy · 25 February 2004]

I have special affection for this film. When I was a youngster, growing up between the ages of four and ten, this was my favorite film. I loved the whole Ghostbusters thing. I loved the sequel, the cartoon series, I had to have the toys and merchandise every Christmas, you name it. Strangely, as I have gotten older, I find myself appreciating the film more and more. When I was a child I loved it for the special effects, the gadgets and the ghostbusting especially. Nowadays I love it for the same reasons, but now that I'm older I find myself appreciating the dialog which is some of the funniest committed to a film, the oddball humor, like Venkman's line about dogs and cats living together and the in jokes, like Slimer being the ghost of John Belushi and Venkman rubbing his hand at glee at the thought of the money to be made from the merchandising of the ghostbusters brand. Not only that, but some 80's hairstyles aside, the film as aged remarkably well. My cousin who is five years old has developed a love for the whole Ghostbusters thing, showing that this is truly worthy of being branded one of the most successful films ever made.

Unlike many of today's blockbusters which are humorless and pompous thinking that they are serious films and forgetting about any sense of fun along with the complicated visual effects, Ghostbusters is funny and a fun paranormal movie. The set pieces are superb as we see the Ghostbusters going up against Slimer, Gozer and, undeniably the classic movie moment of the 80's, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. For a film made in 1984 the climax is very well done and looks exceedingly realistic, without any hint of clues as to the fact that it is a special effect. This is what going to the cinema should be all about. Fun with a capital F. All the actors get into it with great comedic aplomb. Bill Murray, one of the finest comedy actors to grace the screen, is superb as Peter Venkmen who gets the best lines in the film as well as the funniest moments. Just check out the "there is no Dana, only Zool" moment. Murray's priceless reaction to Dana Barrett's possession is one of the most side splitting moments I have ever seen. In fact, the casting is pretty much spot on. As well as Murray, we have co writers Dan Akyroyd and Harold Ramis sharing the spotlight as the fellow Ghostbusters, Sigourney Weaver making a wonderful damsel in distress, Rick Moranis is almost scene stealing as her nerd of a neighbor who becomes possessed himself, while Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts both put in wonderfully sardonic supporting roles who get their chances to shine.

Add to this one of the best theme tunes and a truly apocalyptic finale, it is no surprising that this was the biggest film of 1984. A summer blockbuster with humor, trills, spills and some of the best special effects money could buy at the time, this is truly a genuine classic and is one of the best Hollywood blockbusters ever made.

A timeless classic

[cricketbat · 10/10 · 27 December 2018]

There aren't many movies better than Ghostbusters. This film expertly balances itself right between the horror genre and the comedy genre. The chemistry of the main three characters is undeniable, and when you throw in interesting side characters (such as Rick Moranis as Louis Tully), every scene is a delight to watch. The story is original, the effects are impressive and the jokes are funny - in short, Ghostbusters is a timeless classic.

Classic, original, best supernatural comedy's masterpiece!

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 25 December 2015]

This movie is what it is, a perfect 10, because it takes the vision of one of the most imaginative directors on Earth, and realizes them almost perfectly with all the tools that fit the task -- actors, stunts, puppetry, models, and CGI.

Ghostbusters (1984) is the best classic original spectacular supernatural masterpiece from Ivan Reitman! One of if not the greatest films ever! My favorite film of all time! "Ghostbusters" is the film that made me become a fan ever since I was young! It had an awesome cast, cool special effects, hilarious dialogue and a kick-ass soundtrack! The film that can be watched over and over again! I grew up watching Ghostbusters on TV and the animated TV series The Real Ghostbusters (1986 - 1991). Ghostbusters II (1989) actually introduced me in to Ghostbusters. I loved them so much that I even said to my mom, when I grown up I will be a Ghostbuster! It was my fantasy. Watching it yesterday and I still love it. I love this flick to death! I still can't believe it how the world changed and how in the 80's the world was better than today! I always have enjoyed the sequel much better than as a child, it was my first movie but now as an adult, I love and enjoy the original movie to death! It is the only movie I own on Blu-ray disc and I still love it.

This is an amazing movie! Funny, smart, well written and directed. It features an outstanding performance from Bill Murray, great showings by Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis and one of the last documented instances of Dan Aykroyd being funny on film (he was blown by a ghost!). In fact, the film gets a great performances from nearly everyone who appears in it- from Annie Potts, to the guy who played Lenny the Mayor, to the handsome cab driver who calls Rick Moranis an asshole. In addition, they had one of the best "a-hole" guys ever to appear on film, as the film's bad guy- I'm talking of course of the grossly under-rated William Atherton- who played the EPA guy, "Dickless". Atherton, of course went on to play memorable a-holes in Real Genius and of course he was the annoying reporter in Die Hard (1988) but here in Ghostbusters, you really see a solid performance by maybe the best guy to play an a-hole in films in the 80's.

Next Year the reboot is coming out as Paul Feig's Ghostsnuters, Ghostbitches or Ghostflufers./: Ghostbusters (2016) with women now as a Ghostbusters! Why rebooting this awesome supernatural spectacular comedy flick? I know the sequel failed and Bill Murray did not want anything to do with it. But that doesn't mean that they shouldn't have made Ghostbusters III in the 90's, they should have! Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis tried so hard to convince Bill Murray to do it for the third sequel and they couldn't convinced him. They are going to ruin the Original movie! I don't want to see Ghostbusters with a female leads. Come on? The girls are not the Ghostbusters, they are three man a scientists and a one civilian. The Ghostbusters are the only one Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Bill Murray. They were always be the Ghostbusters that will be the case. No one else will be! No one else will replace them! This is like A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) that come out the same year as the Ghostbusters did, they remake it and that remake failed!! It was awful boring! Why remaking or rebooting my classic horror comedy's that I Love?! Ghostbusters (1984) are unique, classic 80's masterpiece! These were the best times for movies ever!!! One of my favorite soundtracks and movie of all time!

They just don't make them like this anymore. This is comedic writing and performance at its peak... with quotes that everyone knows and enjoys. From "This reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole in your head" to "Symmetrical book stacking. Just like the Philadelphia mass turbulence of 1947" to "Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you! " this is a CLASSIC movie! Ghostbusters is a true classic comedy that stands the test of time. The film is funny, awesome and entertaining. It has a lot of laughs. I love the soundtrack Ghostbusters Written and Performed by Ray Parker Jr. I think he did made a great soundtrack in the 80's. If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!!!! A film that can be watched with the various youngest to the very oldest of the family. Wonderful collection of characters. A film that is treasured by just about everyone that watches it. I miss movies from the 80's and this film felt so realistic. Sigourney Weaver was just so outstanding as Dana Barrett after she made the horror flick Alien (1979 and Aliens (1986).

Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis.

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Columbia Pictures, Black Rhino Delphi Productions Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, William Atherton, Ernie Hudson Director: Ivan Reitman Producer: Ivan Reitman Screenplay: Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis Rated: PG Running Time: 1 Hrs. 45 Mins. Budget: $32.000.000 Box Office: $291,632,124

Still pretty good

[smatysia · 7/10 · 20 December 2018]

Many comedies age poorly, but I thought that this one has held up pretty well. Lots of special effects (which have also held up pretty well) but the comedy does not get lost in them. Murray does his absurd deadpan, Ramis his low-key deadpan, and Ackroyd his high-energy weirdness. Sigourney Weaver proves that she has comedic chops. Still pretty good, not great.

Great marriage of comedy and spookiness

[SmileysWorld · 8/10 · 8 August 2002]

Very rarely can you pull off a successful blend of two separate movie genres,but the makers of Ghostbusters were overwhelmingly so.On the one hand,you have the comedic charm of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd,and on the other,a genuine ghostly spookiness that makes you want to hide under a blanket.I recently bought a copy and watched it for the first time in several years,and it's still just as fresh as it was in it's initial release in 1984.It has a great supporting cast for Murray and Aykroyd,including the always great Sigourney Weaver,Rick Moranis,Ernie Hudson,and Harold Ramis,who is just as talented behind the camera as he is in front of it.Watch it with your family,but keep an eye on younger children,as the spookiness may be more than they can handle. Great stuff.

There's something weird, and it don't look good.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 3 October 2009]

After losing their university grant, paranormal scientists Dr Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) set up business as Ghost Busters, professional exterminators for those with supernatural pests, unaware that New York is soon to become plagued by spooks as an ancient Sumerian God named Gozer prepares to enter our realm.

When Ghost Busters was originally released, way back in 1984 (bloody hell, that's a quarter of a century ago!!!), cinema audiences went wild for the supernatural adventures of spook wranglers Venkman and Co.: the film was the definition of an 80s, crowd-pleasing blockbuster, with an impressive cast of hot comedy names, a script packed with witty one liners, bucket-loads of flashy, state-of-the-art special effects, and, of course, a catchy theme song that couldn't fail to please.

So this afternoon, I sat down to re-live the magical experience with my children (aged 6 and 8), but to my disappointment, discovered that the film really hasn't aged that well. Despite some classic moments of dry humour from Bill Murray, the impressive sight of a Godzilla-size Mr. Stay Puft trashing New York, and the even more impressive sight of Sigourney Weaver's lovely, long legs, the film just isn't as great as my memory had led me to believe: it's rather cheap looking at times, with shonky props, unconvincing sound-stage sets, and crowd-scenes of, oh, at least 50 people; the effects that once dazzled now look embarrassingly bad, with iffy stop motion animation, crap matte work, random flashy lights, and Richard Edlund's Oscar nominated 'ink in water' clouds looking just like... well, just like ink in water; and rather than being a roller-coaster ride of laughs and scares, the film is actually pretty dull at times. Sorry kids, but I was so sure that this film rocked; instead, it's just another passable piece of 80s nostalgia for the middle-aged.

Oh well, at least the theme song is still a corker; all together now.... Who ya gonna call?

One of the funniest films of all time. Who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!

[MovieAddict2016 · 9/10 · 20 December 2003]

I have a small posse of favorite comedians. Somewhere towards the top of that list, along with Steve Martin, is Bill Murray. He's been around since the early 80s, getting his start on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" after Chevy Chase left for his own career in Hollywood. Murray worked live for a few years before -- like those prior to him him -- gradually making his way into the film world.

I like all of the comedians in "Ghostbusters," come to think of it. Dan Aykroyd is another great subtle comedian, with a great knack for writing as well as acting. It was Aykroyd, after all, who is primarily responsible for "The Blues Brothers." And Harold Ramis, who later became a director, with an impressive resume of such films as "Vacation," "Groundhog Day," and "Analyze This."

Then there's also Rick Moranis, a meek nerd character who is very underrated and very funny, a sort of Woody Allen Lite. He was Dark Helmet in "Spaceballs," Barney Coopersmith in "My Blue Heaven," and that wacky inventor in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids."

Yes, one could say that "Ghostbusters" is built on a firm base, scripted by Aykroyd, Ramis and Moranis (who is uncredited) and directed by Ivan Reitman ("Kindergarten Cop"). It's a clever little story with a simple premise and lots of laughs -- a band of failing friends unite to make a hoax ghost-busting company, but soon real ghosts do show up and they're in over their heads.

It starts in New York City. Peter Venkman (Murray), Raymond Stanz (Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Ramis) are three Columbia University scientists laid off after their grant expires with no results from the trio in return. Down to nothing, they cook up the brilliant (or crazy) idea to create a "ghost-busting" company.

But they immediately realize that it won't be as easy as it seems to get a little extra cash, because Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) comes to the men looking for help. Her apartment is infested with strange happenings, and her next-door neighbor, Louis Tully (Rick Moranis), is having problems of his own.

They pretend to solve the situation and the men suddenly become a citywide phenomenon, attracting media attention and constant customers at their front door. They become so popular, in fact, that they are joined by Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson), another down-on-his-luck city guy looking for a good-paying job.

However, Walter Peck, EPA (William Atherton) doesn't believe that the Ghostbusters are really ridding any ghosts at all, so he has them thrown in jail. But an ethreal baddie named Gozer (Slavitza Jovan) soon appears in Dana's apartment complex, and weird happenings occur, forcing Peck to free the Ghostbusters once and for all so that they can bust the ghost and send it back to where it came from.

Sounds corny, huh? It's meant to be. Everything about this movie is campy and goofy, and that is exactly what Ramis, Aykroyd and Moranis wanted when they collaborated. And it is very funny.

I don't know, there's something in me that loves "Saturday Night Live" humor. Sure, the show has its dry spots, but I love it. Many people I know don't find it all that funny, and not as consistent as something such as "The Simpsons," but I love to watch it, I love the humor, and I love the actors.

Part of that love, I suppose, is what makes me enjoy "Ghostbusters" (1984) so much. However, believe it or not, "Ghostbusters" is not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as you might expect. It is very funny, but it isn't always a howler. It's more of an intelligent comedy, which is odd, since it is made by a band of guys from "Saturday Night Live" and such backgrounds.

Murray steals every scene he is in. This, along with `Groundhog Day,' is the perfect vehicle for his comedic talents, ranging from the constant wise cracks to the constant dry ironic humor that I love so much. They key to his humor is not that he comes up with it, but the way he does it. Any comedian can use the blank glares, but the way he expressionlessly glares at fellow actors is a joke in itself. When Stanz admits that his one fear has always been the Stay Puff'd man, check out Murray's face. This is classic stuff.

As much a scene-stealer as Murray may be, he is nearly upstaged by Aykroyd and Ramis, who both provide a sort of counter-balance of lunatics and reason to Murray's flippant characteristics. The scene that everyone remembers it the finale involving the giant marshmallow Stay Puff'd Man, and whenever I think of Aykroyd's performance in this film, I think of that scene.

"Ghostbusters" is a very famous comedy, and for good reason. It's light, good-hearted, funny, and actually pretty intelligent, built upon a firm cast and script, which -- considering the majority of the actors' and writers' backgrounds of "Saturday Night Live" -- is almost as surprising as the film itself.

5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

Good

[manitobaman81 · 7/10 · 18 August 2014]

I like all of the comedians in Ghostbusters. One could say that Ghostbusters is built on a firm base. The acting is very effective. This film was nearly perfect, but sadly still not made for everyone. It's an important film, as well as very entertaining. It starts in New York City. A gritty, hard movie about gritty hard people, but it's also intelligent. Sounds corny? It's meant to be goofy. The cinematography is stark and bare, with only the soundtrack adding some effect. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. They do however drive the story, which seemed to be their purpose.

Just a perfect piece of comedic timing and so 80s

[AlsExGal · 10/10 · 29 June 2018]

Ghostbusters was so great because it took the science fiction and fantasy part seriously (considering how Dan Aykroyd IRL is a strong believer in the paranormal this makes sense), so the humor was almost entirely from dialogue and the performance of the cast. It takes the simple concept of "people who start a ghost catching business" and adds things like multidimensional gods and giant killer corporate mascots. These are things you wouldn't expect from a comedy movie at the time. Apparently, Aykroyd's original draft of the story was almost entirely sci-fi action with little humor.

The resulting story was dead serious, and rather terrifying. A woman becoming possessed by a demon just because of where her apartment is? Being transformed into a monster, then into stone while she was unwillingly in service to a dark god? That is scary, not funny. What MADE the movie funny was how the actors responded to the situation. They were just like normal people, put in an abnormal situation, and responded in line with their own personal character, which was mainly to crack jokes so they could handle the fear. It was just four guys, out of their depth, going in with a grin because backing down wasn't an option for them.

Bill Murray just shows outstanding comedic timing in this one. He had me from the opening scene where he is shocking a male subject in an experiment while simultaneously trying to "get the girl" by convincing her she is psychic.

What was 80s about it? Well, the triumph of the private sector over academeia - "I've worked in the private sector, they expect results", and the EPA contributing to the end of the world. Everybody could forget about Watergate, recessions, and nuclear war, and just laugh at the movies for a change. If you've never seen it I recommend it . The comedy is timeless.

Who you gonna call?

[talexander12599 · 7/10 · 1 August 2015]

Ghostbusters is a movie from 1984 starring Bill Murray (Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation, Moonrise Kingdom), Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters Franchise, Trading Places), Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day, Analyze This, Ghostbusters Franchise) and Sigourney Weaver (Alien Franchise Avatar). It was written Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs, Strange Brew) and is directed by Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters Franchise, Up in the Air, No Strings Attached).

Ghostbusters follows three scientists: Peter (Bill Murray), Ray (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon (Harold Ramis) as they start their own ghost catching business and their biggest job yet is in a musician named Dana's (Sigourney Weaver) own refrigerator.

This hilarious movie is carried by is fun characters brought to life by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis. They are each very different and very funny in their own ways. Murray plays a classic, sarcastic Bill Murray character, Aykroyd plays a nervous quiet man who is really excited to be living out his dream and Ramis plays a very smart, nerdy, and odd man. They ad-lib most of their lines which makes this all even better.

I actually think the success of Ghostbusters led to all of this ghost hunter reality show crap we see on TV today. This was the first movie to really have the idea of ghost hunting itself which means it is very original and started a ghost craze and a (not so good) sequel.

Most of the effects in this movie do look quite dated while films like Blade Runner (which came out two years earlier) do not. But all of this adds to the fun of this incredibly fun, hilarious movie from the 80's.

Loved this as a child but wasn't quite as impressed watching it again as an adult

[jimbo-53-186511 · 5/10 · 28 May 2016]

When three parapsychology professors are fired from their university they decide to set up shop as paranormal investigators or "Ghostbusters". Their first client is Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) who approaches the Ghostbusters after witnessing strange visions and hearing the name "Zool" when she opened her fridge. Dr Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) checks out her apartment but finds no evidence of paranormal activity. However, when Dana starts exhibiting strange behaviour, the professors investigate further and discover that the apartment complex that she lives in is a gateway for the occult. With paranormal activity now reaching epidemic proportions The Ghostbusters must now try to save the city against seemingly impossible odds.

I, like many, have fond memories of Ghostbusters as a child and hoped that I would have the same feeling again when watching it as an adult. Unfortunately, I only found moments of this film to be enjoyable rather than finding it enjoyable as a whole.

The beginning of the film is memorable and the 3 professors all seem to be setup as very different characters which generally produces an interesting camaraderie between Aykroyd, Murray and Ramis. The first 20 minutes or so are a lot of fun from Venkman's fraudulent shenanigans to The Ghostbusters chasing Slimer round the hotel. It's explosive and fast-paced, but after these scenes it seems to fall apart slightly and the middle portion of the film bogs down too much with uninteresting and unnecessary scenes (Venkman's creepy stalking of Dana being one example). Rick Moranis' turn as Dana's nerdy neighbour Louis Tully also wasn't particularly funny and was more annoying than anything else. A large portion of their story arc sees them as Gatekeeper and Keymaster in the occult world which was an aspect of the story that wasn't that involving and also one that never really had a particularly satisfying pay-off.

In fact watching this again as an adult I noticed both the plot and the story are extremely thin; there certainly isn't enough of either element to warrant its 2 hour running time. Considering the title is "Ghostbusters" it would have been nice to see more examples of "Ghostbusting" which sadly only seems to feature heavily towards the end. There's also no ignoring how silly the film is for most of its running time, but sadly for me a lot of it was silly in an eye-rolling way rather than being silly in a funny way.

Ultimately with Ghostbusters you're left with a film that has impressive beginning and an impressive ending, but one that has an unsatisfying middle-section which always felt uncertain and at odds with the rest of the film. Older teens (who are prepared to overlook the rather thin plot) may still find this to be quite enjoyable, but as for me I only found some parts of it to be enjoyable and feel that I may have just outgrown it.

Film Has Endured the 80's and Stayed Sharp Through the 90's

[Don-102 · 12 October 1999]

Bill Murray is one of the best wise guys in the business. I was amazed to find out on the GHOSTBUSTERS 15th Anniversary DVD that Murray had little to do with the dialogue his classicly blase, fiercely cynical 'Dr. Venkman' cuts loose throughout this good comedy. Credit Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis with "getting into Bill's mind" as Ramis puts it and presenting Murray with a gag-a-second character. Murray also lends his own comic genius through his delivery and facial gestures (especially with his classic cross-eyed, curled-lip look). Together with a fun premise and above average special effects, GHOSTBUSTERS will never be a relic of the 80's and should always be a refreshingly humorous spook show.

Murray rules the screen, mauling his geeky para-psychologist partners and hitting on a young blonde while conducting shock therapy experiments on her. Aykroyd uses his standard machine gun delivery of obscure (or should I say made up) facts and anecdotes and Ramis is just enough for the ultra-dork 'Egon'. The funniest element in GHOSTBUSTERS happens to be Rick Moranis in a splendid role as a small-time accountant who has parties for clients only and becomes mixed up in some extremely supernatural events. Along with Sigourney Weaver, Moranis has the most difficult physical tasks to topple.

This was a picture I loved when I was a kid. I must have went some 12 to 15 years before I saw it again and I was alarmingly impressed. It has endured. The special effects are not only good, but they are comedic and add even more laughs throughout the 'Busters turbulent jobs. The DVD version has tons of goodies included and is an essential addition to any Saturday Night Live fan's movie library. SNL is the very essence and reason for GHOSTBUSTERS, where Murray and Aykroyd starred. Director Ivan Reitman created his meal ticket here and can pretty much do any comedy he wants now.

It is a shame John Belushi was not around to play one of the 'Busters, for he was originally cast. The movie is already well-paced and engaging so just imagine how frenzied the pace would have been with Belushi. Regardless, GHOSTBUSTERS is one for the kids, teens, and adults alike. It has spanned these phases for me and still works wonderfully.

RATING: ***

35th anniversary in theaters was so awesome!

[UniqueParticle · 10/10 · 7 October 2019]

"We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!" Love that line, such a fun experience and feel good. A monumental masterpiece like Star Wars and Star Trek, nerds/geeks are amazing. Bill Murray is legendary, along with the other remarkable cast, and the soundtrack is one of the greatest things ever! I very much crave the science aspects and many jokes throughout! Ivan Reitman is one of the most remarkable directors, I need to own several of his films.

Who you gonna call?...Ghostbusters!

[stormhawk2021 · 9/10 · 12 June 2017]

Ghostbusters is quite simply one of my most beloved films of all time. The iconic production is a perfect marriage of a special effects extravaganza with spectacular performances to create one side- splitting gem. Bill Murray is the undeniable star and he's in top form as Dr. Peter Venkman a sly, laid back scientist with deadpan delivery that seems more concerned with dating his pretty client Dana Barrett than actually getting to the bottom of her disturbances. Sigourney Weaver nicely straddles the line between exasperated annoyance and charmed love interest. Bill Murray likewise has great camaraderie with his fellow Ghostbusters Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis). Those two are also responsible for writing the finely tuned screenplay. It zips, it pops and it never lets up. Ernie Hudson joins them later as Winston Zeddemore. He delivers my favorite quip after the group is blown away by the lightening bolts of an evil entity from another dimension. There is a slew of funny dialogue and Rick Moranis' nerdy portrayal of Louis Tully delivers a lot of it. He's hilarious. "Okay, who brought the dog?" he grins after hearing the growl from the long horned beast hiding in his closet. The spectacular special effects support the story, but they never threaten to overshadow the actors. The technology was state of the art at the time, even earning an Academy Award nomination. But it lost to the mine cart scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Perhaps time has rendered the optics a bit quaint to a modern audience. The sight of that devil dog leaping from the closet and running around the city is the most dicey. But it's the comedic interactions between characters that hold our focus, not the whiz bang appeal of the visual displays. OK so there's that "monster" near the end that dwarfs everything else. When the Destructor of their choosing threatens the city and their very existence, it's memorable. That's the kind of silly moment of brilliance that make you realize you're watching a work of creative genius. Oh yeah. I adore this film.

A good and entertaining comedy but I find it disjointed and overrated

[illbebackreviews · 6/10 · 3 April 2013]

'Ghostbusters' is a movie that for a long time I had intention of watching but never truly felt like watching. Being a huge fan of the website Flickchart.com, I was more than surprised yet my initial response was, "What the heck, why is it 24th best of all time?" so I decided that I had to see this movie just to see whether its overrated or not, whether it's good or not, whether I'd enjoy it or not.

The main premise to 'Ghostbusters' is quite simple but the film is surprisingly a bit more than just a basic simplistic story. So, we have our three main characters: Peter, Raymond and Spengler who after losing their jobs believe it is time to open their own business called

'Ghostbusters', a service that is available to catch any ghosts reported by anyone. However, a bunch of crazy events that happen throughout the course of the play really change the plot drastically. First of all, the characters in the film are great. Our main trio are great as is Sigourney Weaver's Dana. The acting in this film is undeniably great with Bill Murray again being fantastic at what he does best- making us laugh! The story is definitely one to enjoy and I'm grateful that the plot really turns on your head in this film. The film is well directed with a rather good mix between humor and seriousness. The writing is great and the dialogue is funny however I just find myself rather bored throughout certain parts of the film.

It is hard to believe why I'd be bored at certain parts of the film when there is great humor, great characters and a story but the pacing feels weird and the plot that turns on its head doesn't become as enjoyable. As the plot turns on its head, I found the comedy to really disappear and that certainly disappointed me.

Going into the movie, I had no real high expectations, nor low ones but rather medium levelled expectations and this film doesn't completely deliver. A film that contains as much comedy as this film did early on, loses me in its last act where the plot truly turns on its head and the comedy begins to disappear. A great first two acts followed by a rather disappointing third act make 'Ghostbusters' a mediocre movie that I find, truly horribly overrated. 24th best film ever, according to Flickchart!?!? Really?

great film

[srlanasales · 9/10 · 31 October 2017]

I'd say flawless actually. After seeing part 2, which is enjoyable just to see the original actors in their original roles. I especially appreciate the original more, when you see the disastrous remake.This was capturing lightning in a bottle with the right cast, the right crew, and the right script. Years later with sequels, reboots etc. you just realize you can't recapture the lightning, and we should appreciate this original

Unremarkable

[bunny-68656 · 6/10 · 16 May 2015]

Just watched this movie after having it hyped by all my friends " You have to see ghost busters!" "You gotta see ghost busters!". And I have to say what I got was a major disappointment. In fact I believe it to be highly over rated.

For one thing, none of the characters had any depth. They either spewed one liners like they had a fatal disease, explained the plot, or were sex objects.

SPEAKING OF SEX OBJECTS; This movie is quite sexist. There are two main female characters in this film ,neither of whose names I can remember, ( I watched this half an hour ago) one of whom is pining for one of the male leads, the other who is possessed and gets turned into a sexy goddess dog... Thing.

And just too add to that, ghost busters isn't that... Well, funny. I think I laughed out once in this movie, and that was the first scene where Bill Muray's character is attempting to seduce some woman through his weird physic test... Something . ( I don't really know, it's never explained that well) The rest of it was unfunny one liners or bad situational comedy.

But Ghostbusters worst crime is that it's just kinda... Boring. The plot is unremarkable end of the world stuff with a dumb Bill Murray's character trying to seduce Sigourney Weaver's character subplot thrown in there too.

So in the end, if you like this movie, by all means, go ahead like it! Who am I to stop you? But personally, I thought it to be incredibly unremarkable. Not bad, just unremarkable

(For the record, I love all the actors in this movie. Just not in this)

A funny and well-done film!

[mane-57963 · 8/10 · 28 May 2017]

Ghostbusters is a charming, funny and entertaining film. I initially thought I wasn't going to like it much, but after viewing it, I enjoyed this film a lot. The film is about a 4 men "busting" ghosts. Thats about it for the most part. I can definitely see why people like this film a lot. I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.

Rating: 8/10 (out of 100): 89%

Phallic Phantasms

[Cineanalyst · 7/10 · 30 September 2018]

While the three pseudo-scientists of "Ghostbusters" occupy themselves professionally with the paranormal, their sexual desires likewise are abnormally characterized by paraphilic tendencies. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) takes joy in the sadistic torment of other men, which ordinarily is limited to mere sardonic remarks and poking fun at supposedly less masculine men for their nasal congestion, short height, or what have you, but at its most violent also manifests in his electric-shocking of a male test subject in an experiment of which the validity Venkman jeopardizes in the pursuit of his perverse pleasures. Perhaps, ashamed of his own desires, he also makes excessive displays of his supposed heterosexuality, including flirting with the female test subject and later aggressively, if clownishly, making passes at Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver).

Meanwhile, Ray's (Dan Aykroyd) paraphilia extends to a complete displacement of other people as the source of sexual attraction; instead, his spectrophilia appears as a dream where a female ghost signifies further sexual displacement by disappearing before performing fellatio on him. Later, his fantasizing of another non-human humanoid object is made real in the form of the giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a figure from his childhood, which is the time when all of those Freudian quacks like to locate the origins of sexual feelings. And, of course, there's the obviously-symbolic pole he's so enthusiastic about in their repurposing of an old fire station. Egon, on the other hand, seems to be entirely consumed in his pseudo-scientific pursuits, even seeming to not react in the least to the advances of the Ghostbusters' receptionist Janine (Annie Potts). Rather than being asexual, his interests are displaced in the phallic guns or wands of the Ghostbusters' "proton packs," which they employ to ejaculate energy streams, trapping gooey ectoplasmic matter into a shared box. Perhaps, like Peter, Egon also fears his homoerotic tendencies, though, and insists that the men avoid crossing streams.

But, of course, crossing their streams is what the entire male-bonding narrative is building up to. Being the 1980s, this includes the homophobic government, in the form of the "dick-less" EPA man, butting in, protesting the Ghostbusters' pollution of ejaculating streams and captured slime and even the propagandic effect their activities have upon society. This backfires, however, unleashing the latent desires the Ghostbusters themselves feared and contained in the "closet"--the unleashing of them taking the form of flamboyant streams of light and sparkling stars in a rainbow of colors spreading throughout the city. The Catholic mayor's kissing of the Archbishop's ring and turning to him for approval/guidance also plays into the unleashing of the Ghostbusters' phallic powers, but I'm not going to look into that plot point any deeper than that. Now, freed from the closet, so to speak, and after a stint in jail, the Ghostbusters' antagonist takes the form of Old-Testament Biblical proportions in the form of a heterosexually-coded coupling of ghosts: the "Keymaster" (read "male") and the "Gatekeeper" (read "female"). And reigning supreme is the god Gozer, who takes the shape of the Ghostbusters' gendered "other," a woman. The men's triumph is in defeating this ghastly heterosexual and female gendered possession of their city.

After the men cross streams, resulting in the explosion of white goop from Ray's latent childhood desires pouring over them, the three doctors quickly resort to their prior postures of homoerotic denial: Peter to the rescue of the damsel-in-distress Dana, and Egon and Ray to the safer confines of the short and daft male subject Louis (Rick Moranis), for whom Egon quickly remarks on his desire to perform pseudo-scientific tests upon. The fourth Ghostbuster, Winston (Ernie Hudson), however, the only normal man among them and who, presumably, has a healthy sexual attitude, proclaims with pride, while covered in goo, "I love this town!"

This makes me rethink what may be underlying the outcry over the casting of women in the 2016 "Ghostbusters" reboot, of what is one of the most, let's say, male-centric of classic comedies. Or... "Ghostbusters" is just a silly comedy with the best zingers coming from Bill Murray, a catchy soundtrack and a production design and dated visual effects that remain charming.

THE movie of the 80s

[wampaems · 10/10 · 12 March 2004]

This is the movie of the 80s, plain and simple. It has most of the best and stars of the time (Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, Weaver). The whole concept of 'ghostbusting' is very, very creative and ends up laugh out loud funny seeing people who dont even know who to use equpiment they designed. The dialogue is about as good as it can possibly be, but i felt that some of the deleted scenes should have been left in, most notable the fort scene. It spawned countless toys, 2 cartoon series, and left an entire generation of children born in the mid/late 80s (including yours truly) thinking they were their favorite ghostbusters and used the various kid-sized toys to catch imaginary ghost. Its sad that some people :shakes fist in murray's direction: dont want to make another, even though this ghosthead like the sequel a lot.

Ghosts Busted!

[v_haritha_in · 7/10 · 24 August 2014]

Ghostbusters has all the ingredients that go into the making of a good comedy. Subtlety, wit, good performances and a smart and crisp story. Three out-of-work, oddball scientists found a company that gets rid of ghosts from haunted places. They encounter myriad spirits and are put to test when they have to face the mother-of-all-ghosts in a riveting climax.

The movie is just a cascade of one comedic situation after another and at the same time, we are also interested in the big picture. Bill Murray is one of the ghostbusters and his character is unusual for a scientist; he appears bored throughout the movie, when he is chasing ghosts or courting the Sigourney Weaver character. Weaver herself is brilliant as both the cynic and the temptress, before and after she is possessed respectively. All the supporting characters are memorable. They all have their own weird personalities. Heck, even the ghosts, big or small, cute or fierce, have personalities. Top it up with some witty dialog and you have a thoroughly enjoyable film.

Must have worked better in the 80s

[neenahhh · 4/10 · 2 May 2011]

"Ghost Busters" is a 1984 comedic film that follows the jobs of 3 parapsychology scientists as they capture and destroy ghosts from their town.

While searching for good comedy films to watch, the recommendation of "Ghost Busters" (1984) kept on coming up. I then remembered vaguely that there was a TV show version of the series. I never really watched even an episode, but I do remember seeing the opening credits and tidbits of the show here and there. So I thought I'd give it a try. I was in the mood for some laughs, after all.

The film worked well in the first half. Though I never really laughed out loud, I could see that it was entertaining. But after the actual plot took place, I lost all interest. It became too boring and took away the movie's charm. The jokes started to get old, too. The visual effects didn't help keep my interest, either. I found my eyes drooping!

I understand that this movie is pretty old, so it may have been amazing for people who watched it first when it came out in the 1980's, but when you watch it in the late 2000s, it doesn't really do anything for you.

Viewed on: May 3, 2011