Review Detail

9.4 29 10
FanFix December 08, 2016 17040
(Updated: October 09, 2022)
Overall rating
 
8.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
7.0
Enjoyment
 
8.0
After all the bad press for the original, I opted to avoid it. Not for any male dominance boycott, but mostly, because it seemed like a hollow polished Hollywood nostalgic reboot with humor that doesn’t necessarily vibe with me, essentially not my type of movie.

When I saw an improved fanedit had been released, one that had largely favorable reactions, I opted to watch that instead.

I can’t speak for the original theatrical cut, but based off of the more streamlined fanedit material that opts to remove a lot of the lengthy improv, it’s exactly what I thought it would be, a nostalgia fueled Hollywood blockbuster, that instead of going inventive new places settles for rehashing the original.

And to see so much money and talent put on the screen from main cast to supporting cast, (Michael C. Williams, Charles Dance, Andy Garcia, and the absolutely hilarious Chris Hemsworth), CGI and effects including a hefty amount of practical effects, and set design, only for it being a disappointment.

Admittedly, from what I’ve seen of the cut list, the fanedit achieves its goal, letting the jokes here breath and removing some of the worst offenders of the improv, the amount of toilet humor removed is astonishing. The script itself actually isn’t bad, with a core emotional point on the friendship between the two leads, and thankfully the edit keeps the movie moving at a quick clip. The main cast stick to their characters well, even if I'm not fond of the cast by and large.

One thing that bugged me was there’s just way too many, “mount up” scenes, so much so that they lose impact by the end. Compare that the originals confrontation with Zuul in the climax, they're a team, for real and you feel it. This new film spends way too much time spent on gadgetry and gear, while that was the least interesting part of the originals, certainly it's important because it pays off in the climactic fight, it's just not that interesting.

The film as a whole missed its mark, and while there’s clearly a lot of homages and fun cameos to the original films, it missed the inventive spirit of the original, the wit and assholeness of Bill Murray’s Venkman as a guy who doesn’t take this absurdity seriously compared to his colleagues, who spout random techno-babble nonsense. There's far too much scientist here and not enough everyman asshole wit.

As for the fanedit itself, it’s clearly excellent work technically. I barely noticed any cuts, outside of two instances that felt off, the transition of the proton pack testing with Melissa McCarthy to the next scene that features the team, and a line that feels cut, where possessed Hemsworth says, “ Women…”

It did have the usual problem I have with the sound mixing in blockbusters in that the music is really loud drowning out dialogue.

Overall, while I can't compare this to the theatrical, I can give the edit a thumbs up for making a bad movie watchable, but the film as a whole is just another hollow Hollywood nostalgia cash grab, unfortunately and I continue to learn that an edit can't make a bad movie great.

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Format Watched?
Digital
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