Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman, 1984) Review

100th Review!

Here it is. The Big 100! I have already reviewed my favourite film (The Truman Show) and several other in my top ten but there is a film that actually used to be my favourite before I saw The Truman Show...it was this. Ghostbusters is one of the definitive films from the eighties and is a pioneer of mixing sci-fi and comedy together. Does it still hold up though? Let's find out!

Dr. Peter Vankman (Bill Murray), Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) are three unemployed parapsychologist who begin to encounter paranormal activity in their city. When Peter is approached Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) after she finds a demon claiming to be called 'Zuul' in her fridge. The three of them decide to set up a ghost hunting company known as 'Ghostbusters'. After hiring Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson), the four Ghostbusters learn the truth behind Zuul and must stop the evil spirit known as Gozer (Slavitza Jovan) from destroying the world.

This film is funny...yes, even now, the comedy holds up. Bill Murray is the king here. He's the reason you love this film, admit it. Peter Vankman is a great character and one of the main reasons that this film is so great and memorable. All the characters are well designed and the writers of the film (who are Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis) and have become iconic (such as Zuul). The most popular was probably the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Slimer (or at least that's what all the merchandise is based on).

I'm actually surprised that the special effects used in the film has aged well. Actually, they haven't aged. Sure, Slimer looks a bit off but the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and the top half of the skyscraper (seriously, it's fake!) look fantastic. This is truly a timeless film that I have almost nothing but praise for! Do I have any criticisms? I doubt it. All the characters are great and the cast is fantastic.

Ghostbusters is the very definition of classic. The film hasn't aged a day and is still watchable even to this day. This is still one of my favourite films of all time! The cast is great, the acting is fantastic, the humour is still funny (it's not dated or anything!) and even the special effects are pretty good. If you haven't seen this film, you're missing out. Yes, there as a sequel...so...I'll see you on Monday for Ghostbusters 2!

Verdict:
9.5/10
A hilarious sci-fi romp. The acting is great and the writing is witty. A true classic.

Also, did I mention that this was my 100th review? Because it is!