GB84 and GB89 were my first favorite movies, and I could quote them extensively before I turned 10 years old. I am in the prime demographic to feel "betrayed" by a reboot, but I adored this movie. Paul Feig and Katie Dippold have written for two of the shows closest to my heart (Freaks & Geeks, Parks & Recreation), so it makes sense that they would ace this seemingly impossible challenge: Make a film that both honors and respects the original, but is also fun and original in its own right. The homages - cameos, quotes, similar scenes - are an absolute joy for their nostalgia AND imaginative reinvention; this is a film that only a die-hard fan could make. Like its source, it expertly blends silly, scary, and the genuine triumph of four friends bringing out the best in each other to save the best city on earth. The leads are terrific, they have their own wonderfully weird humor and rhythm, with only superficial similarities to the characters who came before. This film clearly exists not to replace the original, but to celebrate it and bring something new to the universe. Well-freakin-done, you guys! I have the 80's cartoon action figures, the film figures that (finally) came out in the 2000's, and I will proudly display Abby, Erin, Jillian, and Patty beside them!
Review of Ghostbusters: Answer the Call
