Ghostbusters

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Paul Feig/Starring: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Ed Begley, Jr., Charles Dance, Cecily Strong and Andy Garcia

So along comes the Ghostbusters reboot with its mostly female cast. Never has a movie been dissed and hissed more prior to its release. The internet has been rife the last year with anti-Ghostbusters diatribes and hate campaigns, particularly after the trailer became accessible. The question, which seems more rhetorical now, is: does the movie deserve the venom, the vitriol and contempt fans of the original have reserved for this iteration? No. But that doesn't mean it's worth a plug nickel either. At the risk of incurring the scorn and wrath of the internet, I have to say the idea of having an all-female cast wasn't unsound but the original Ghostbusters isn't just any movie. It's a comedy classic and the beloved of millions (including myself), who don't want to see an inferior reboot sully the original's sacred aura. Maybe I'm rhapsodizing, but you get the point.

While this version offers a few chuckles and an okay plot, it is also stands undistinguished among the summer's other bummers. It doesn't hurt that the production featured director Paul Feig; who lent his talents to two terrific comedies featuring female leads: Bridesmaids and Spy. But lots of CGI and some intermittently amusing repartee couldn't free the film from the sticky goo (as we see copiously in the movie) of mediocrity. A simple question might be: did this really have to be made? Does this mean other movie classics with male casts will now be re-imagined with women? What's next, a distaff The Dirty Dozen? Reservoir Dogs? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly? Brothers and sisters, I've learned anything is possible.

Kristen Wiig plays Erin Gilbert; a professor at Columbia hoping to secure tenure though an embarrassing book she co-wrote with a friend on the paranormal has resurfaced on Amazon, which threatens her academic career. Gilbert seeks out her former collaborator and friend, who is head of a scientific research department at a small college. She finds her co-author, Abbie Yates (Melissa McCarthy) in her lab with her assistant; a tech nerd named Jillian (Kate McKinnon). Gilbert scolds her erstwhile friend while Yates dredges up old grievances. As the two women bicker, a visitor interrupts with a request for an investigation into a ghost sighting. Yates and Jillian depart eagerly while Gilbert, ever the skeptic, follows along reluctantly. Though the malevolent apparition makes a believer out of Gilbert, the video of the incident makes its way to YouTube, where it is mocked and derided. Gilbert is subsequently dismissed from her job but joins Yates and Jillian in a new scientific venture investigating paranormal claims.

After the three women find their prospective headquarters in a firehouse too pricey, they settle for a place above a Chinese restaurant. Before long, an MTA worker named Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) arrives at their office; seeking their help in solving the mystery of a ghost who menaces the city subway system. After capturing the ghost, Tolan makes a plea to join the their group, which they accept. Though a proper name for their organization eludes them, a derogatory comment on the television referring to them as Ghostbusters inadvertently provides a moniker. Tolan borrows a hearse from her uncle, which becomes their means of transportation (replete with the now famous logo). The women also take on a beefcake receptionist named Kevin (Chris Hemsworth), who Gilbert can't seem to resist.

Meanwhile, a wacko named Rowan North (Neil Casey) has been busy skulking about the city, involved in his own activities connected to the paranormal. Though we know his agenda, who and what he is is divulged later.

The Ghostbusters first assignment is to investigate a haunted concert hall, which finds them face to face with a large, ectoplasmic, green dragon the audience thinks is part of the show. Using the particle accelerators developed by Jillian, they blast away at it in vain.

It isn't long before the Ghostbusters learn of North and his plans to open a portal to the ghost world, which will bring about a ghost apocalypse. The Ghostbusters are summoned by the Mayor (Andy Garcia) and his assistant Jennifer Lynch (Cecily Strong) to deal with the problem, which leads to a big, CGI-laden showdown.

Though the characters and plot particulars are somewhat different from the original, we still know where the story is headed. In spite of some able comediennes, who are all funny in their own way, they can't make the material more than just a little amusing. This version can't stimulate guffaws the way the original could and did. McCarthy and Wiig shoulder most of the comedic load though they get solid contributions from McKinnon and Jones. Hemsworth is the attractive, bubble-headed receptionist (a character type once reserved for women but now open to men) who fails to generate any laughs.

Why doesn't this movie work? I could spend an afternoon addressing that question but it's just too involved. I've already cited one mistake, which is rebooting something that shouldn't have been rebooted. Another are the gags, which just aren't that funny. And the omnipresent slime, which was used to great comic effect in the original, is wildly overdone here. The scene where Yates first tries the particle accelerator (or whatever it is) and is bounced around an alley is okay but again, it rouses a smile rather than a hearty laugh.

The cameos are fun but rather than just paying homage to the original characters, their presence made me long for the first movie. Some ghoulies from the original make an appearance as does the firehouse the team eventually inhabits. But the familiar faces and places just seem like nostalgia.

In case you're wondering, the question of whether a sequel is in the works can be answered after the credits conclude. Being that movies no longer need be good to spawn sequels, even this flimsy flick can't be dismissed as a one off. Rest assured the public's violent antipathy to the making of this film will hardly dissuade the studio from green-lighting another.

I've already forgotten most of the film, which is a blessing. Can't anyone make a passably entertaining summer blockbuster anymore? Guardians of the Galaxy 2; where art thou?

Spy

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Paul Feig/Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, Allison Janney and Bobby Cannavale

Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids, adds to his comedy credentials with his new flick Spy, which stars Melissa McCarthy; his muse and leading lady. The film is Feig and McCarthy's third collaboration and it's safe to assume their working relationship will continue into the future.

Spy is a James Bond-spoof but rather than casting a glamorous 007, we have McCarthy, who exploits her unglamorousness for laughs. But Feig understands the value of ensemble comedy and he has recruited a supporting cast who are often funny on their own. Allison Janney, Jason Statham, British comedienne Miranda Hart, Jude Law and Bobby Cannavale lend their various talents to the movie and serve as effective comedic support.

Spy-spoofs always work best if the story or plot takes a back seat to the lampoonery. Feig's film mostly succeeds in that respect. The plot imperatives are fairly undemanding, which leaves more room for McCarthy and company to do their funny things.

McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a desk-bound CIA agent who dreams of being assigned dangerous and glamorous fieldwork rather than providing intel for agency operatives. One such operative is the James Bondish Bradley Fine (Jude Law), whose exotic and dangerous missions leave the sedentary Susan feeling envious. After Susan guides the tux-clad Fine through an operation via her computer, he vanishes mysteriously. Her boss, the humorless and no-nonsense Elaine Crocker (amusingly played by the ever-welcome Allison Janney) receives a video transmission from a Rayna Boyanov (the always fun Rose Byrne); a criminal on the international scene. Boyanov informs Crocker, in her haughty manner, that the identities of several CIA agents have been compromised.
We also learn Boyanov is also involved in the sale of nuclear weapons to terrorists.

As Crocker devises a plan to surveil Boyanov, she meets with one of the CIA's top agents; Rick Ford (a very funny Jason Statham). Though Ford is eager to go after Boyanov, he is reminded that his identity is no longer secret. When Crocker suggests they send an agent unknown to the international criminal community, Susan offers her services as a field-ready operative. Her suggestion draws mocking scorn from Ford, who refers to her as a "lunch lady." Though Crocker expresses her own reservations, she decides to give Susan a try. She makes it clear to Susan that she is only to observe and report and not engage the target.

It's a pity Jason Statham isn't offered more comedic roles because he is often very funny in his scenes. He is especially amusing when Ford details to Susan the injuries he's sustained while performing dangerous spy-work. Among the many physical traumas he mentions is an arm torn from its socket, which he claims to have reattached himself.

As Ford defies Crocker's orders not to pursue Boyanov, Susan dons her disguises for her surveillance. Hoping for glamor, she is disappointed to find her disguise is that of a dowdy middle-age woman who is humorously asexual.

Showing initiative and her willingness to also defy orders, Susan comes into contact with Boyanov at a formal gathering. Seeing her drink has been lethally-spiked, she stops her from ingesting it. Her cover almost blown, Susan explains to the prickly Boyanov that she has been hired to be her bodyguard by the she-criminal's father. Because of quick-thinking, Susan is able to stay close to Boyanov and report on her activities. In the meantime, Susan and Boyanov exchange some amusing insults and before long, a bond begins to form between the two.

As Susan's undercover spy-work begins to empower and embolden her, she also begins to earn Ford's respect. She also begins to shed her timid, mild-mannered personality for a more assertive, confidant one.

Susan realizes in time that Boyanov is merely a pawn in a larger plan to acquire weapons of mass destruction, which involves another criminal named Sergio De Luca (an under-utilized Bobby Cannavale). A kind of showdown makes up the last half-hour of the film, which is really the obligatory plot wrap-up we see in every action comedy.

Having worked with McCarthy on several films, Feig understands her comic appeal and wrings every laugh and giggle he can from it. McCarthy manages to be funny in spite of the fact that her character settles into what is fast becoming her trademark: the foul-mouthed tough with a hostile streak. I'm not really complaining, mind you; she does it well but she may want to be careful the character doesn't become shopworn. Nevertheless, she is a fun and funny heroine and can play off her co-stars without overpowering them with her presence. Rose Byrne has already proven to be a gifted, comedic actress and she is no less here. The real surprise is Jason Statham, who almost steals the show with his macho action character send-up. The film's energy always bumps up a notch whenever Statham shows up.

Is Spy worth the time? I think so but only if your expectations are modest. It is entertaining and good for some chuckles. You'd be crazy to expect more.