The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

As far as remakes are concerned, Paul Feig’s reboot of the 1984 supernatural comedy classic, Ghostbusters, is one of the better ones out there. Arriving twenty-seven years after the release of the first sequel, the Bridesmaids director has been given the honours of reintroducing the story to the modern audiences of today.  The result? An entertaining and an admittedly funny reboot which, although nowhere near as spunky as the original, still has its own charms to lean back on.

The story begins with Dr. Erin Gilbert (Wiig); a respected physics professor who is only days away from receiving tenure at the Colombia University. However, she is soon pulled back into her previous life as a paranormal investigator when her old friend Aby Yates (McCarthy), who has decided to re-publish the book about ghosts they wrote together many years ago without her permission, returns to her life.

Worried what the release of the book might do to her academic career, Erin decides to confront Abby. However, she soon finds herself joining her old friend – and Abby’s new  research partner, Jillian Holtzmann (McKinnon) – on a paranormal investigation at a reportedly haunted-house, during which they experience their first ghost-sighting.

Unfortunately, their encounter is labelled as a publicity stunt, forcing the three ladies – who soon welcome MTA employee, Patty Tolan (Jones) into their team – to create a plan of capturing ghosts as proof they exist. Meanwhile, creepy hotel janitor, Rowan (Casey) has been busy planting devices around NYC with the intention of opening the portal between the living and the dead.

Those who were not exactly on board with the idea of the all-female remake might not be completely taken in by Paul Feig’s latest attempt of bringing a modern twist to the beloved ghost-chasing franchise. However, the story’s amusing and refreshing stance, as well as its energetic vibe and slick special effects, are, overall, strong – the sum of its parts are, at least.

Stepping in for an all-male lead cast are four undeniably funny female comedians who show the willingness and the confidence in carrying the movie. Offering plenty of laughs and ghost-ass-kicking skills, McCarthy – delivering a pleasantly reserved performance – and Wiig are the strongest of the bunch with Jones and McKinnon falling as a close second. Unfortunately though, pointless cameos from the original cast never really resonate and actually distract and Casey’s villain is not as, let’s say, villainous as the story demanded him to be. In addition, the running gag on Hemsworth’s version of a dumb-blonde secretary is funny but, wears out thin pretty early on.   

Nevertheless, Ghostbusters still manages to deliver. Embracing the spirit of the original whilst playing with its own modern bearings, the story serves to be a solid and thoroughly enjoyable take Ivan Reitman’s supernatural classic that even most of its hardcore haters might find hard not to love.