For the longest time, Ghostbusters seemed like a franchise that was nixed before it really got off the ground. The 1984 film was a massive critical and commercial success, but then Ghostbusters II, released five years later, was seen as such a disappointment that the Proton Packs were seemingly put away for good. Then, nearly 30 years later, some life was seemingly being injected into the specter with Paul Feig’s reboot, but it didn’t pan out. Cut to another half-decade later and Ghostbusters: Afterlife succeeded where many felt Feig failed, and while it wasn’t the blockbuster the original film, it seemed to have revived the audience’s interest in busting ghosts.
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The question is, have any of those aforementioned reboots matched the power of the original? Have any of the other four Ghostbusters movies even come close to being as good as the 1984 classic? Let’s find out.
5) Ghostbusters (2016)
Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters never really plays, but its fault isn’t the one that so many trolls yammered on about. Specifically, that the Ghostbusters were now being played by women.
The issue is that it puts so much focus on humor, yet none of it is funny. You have three Saturday Night Live vets and someone who has consistently dominated as a host on that show yet there isn’t one joke that works. The funniest performance comes from Chris Hemsworth, but the script still saddles him with a one-note character. It also has a villain problem, with Rowan North being an uncomfortably creepy presence (all due credit to Neil Casey, who plays what is written quite well).
Stream Ghostbusters (2016) on Hulu.
4) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire received the worst reviews of the franchise, but it’s still quite a bit better than Feig’s reboot. It continues the Amblin-esque spirit of Ghostbusters: Afterlife but suffers from one major issue: overcrowding. It says a lot that the litany of characters shown in the image above only constitute about 75% of all the characters who receive some of the film’s focus.
The result is something that feels stretched far too thin, with an already thin plot becoming a single thread. The characters played by Afterlife vets Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, and, especially, Celeste O’Connor all come across as afterthoughts, as do original franchise vets Bill Murray and Annie Potts. The same goes for franchise newcomer James Acaster and Frozen Empire‘s new big bad, Garraka. But that latter character also points to one of Frozen Empire‘s two edges over Afterlife. First, at least it isn’t replicating the plot of the original 1984 film. Two, those behind it clearly recognized that Mckenna Grace is a phenomenal talent and her Phoebe Spengler was the best new character. Thusly, the put even more focus on her this time around, allowing her to have a fantastic rapport with Melody, played by the also fantastic Emily Alyn Lind.
Stream Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire on Netflix.
3) Ghostbusters: Afterlife
As hinted at, Ghostbusters: Afterlife goes out of its way to replicate the story beats of the original film, but it’s very much at its best when it’s attempting to do its own thing. However, not even its tone feels entirely original.
Oddly enough, it doesn’t feel like the first two films, but rather a mixture of an ’80s Amblin film and Andy Muschietti’s It. Overall, the movie works, especially when it’s focused on Phoebe Spengler trying to fit into her new town and her bonding with Rudd’s Mr. Grooberson. That duo is the heart of the film, and their time getting to know one another in the first half (e.g. when they’re opening the ghost trap) gives the film a palpable sweetness that feels wholly organic. There’s also some space made for Finn Wolfhard’s Trevor Spengler, whose budding romance with Celeste O’Connor’s Lucky Domingo is another highpoint that was sadly disposed of in Frozen Empire. Lastly, while some took issue with the recreation of the late Harold Ramis’ image, it’s hard to imagine him arguing with the way it was used. It’s a touching farewell to the Stripes star.
Stream Ghostbusters: Afterlife on Starz.
2) Ghostbusters II
One of the truly underrated sequels, Ghostbusters II is the follow-up the original film deserved. It kept the spirit intact, it changed up the narrative just enough to stand apart, and it features Veep‘s Peter MacNicol having an absolute field day.
Ghostbusters II doesn’t feel as spontaneous as the original film, be it in terms of tone or, especially, in terms of scripting. However, the chemistry between the five leads is still very much present. It also gives Rick Moranis and Annie Potts a lot more time to shine as, respectively, Louis Tully and Janine Melnitz. Lastly, the whole vibe slime plot received some flack back in the day, but it’s very in line with the hip nature of these movies.
Stream Ghostbusters II on AMC.
1) Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is the perfect mixture of ’80s comedy and widely accessible horror. By widely accessible horror, we mean it functions as a spooky movie you can show kids and see if they can get onboard with the genre as a whole. You can start with this, move on to Gremlins and Poltergeist, then move on to the more straightforward stuff.
The original Ghostbusters will be number one even if they make another eight of these things. As mentioned in the Ghostbusters II entry it just feels so spontaneous. It’s a product of its time yet timeless all the same. Furthermore, while his performance in the sequel was phoned-in, Bill Murray is infectiously all in on this one. It’s clear he (and the remainder) is having fun, and it’s impossible not to find yourself getting wrapped up in that joy.
Stream Ghostbusters on AMC.
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Courtesy of Toei Animation
