'Ghostbusters' - Official Trailer Review

As someone who has only watched the original Ghostbusters for the first time last year (and admittedly I wasn't enamored with it - sorry 'bout it), the prospect of a re-boot/sequel did not have me demanding the head of whoever was responsible for the decision whilst many others were appalled by the notion of an all-female Ghostbusters team.

The film's director Paul Feig seems to have assembled the perfect comedic cast to assume the mantle of Bill Murray and co, including; Bridesmaids star Kristen Wiig, Feig staple Melissa McCarthy and Saturday Night Live! darlings Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. Feig has delivered with every film he has directed (most recently Spy) so he seemed like the natural choice to revive the franchise. Needless to say, my expectations for the first trailer were high.

The trailer begins on a more somber and mature note, with a piano lead score and title cards that read, "30 years ago, four scientists saved New York. This summer, a new team will answer the call." Nostalgia continues to be reignited whilst simultaneously incorporating modern elements as we see a glimpse of the famous Ghostbusters logo graffitied on a Subway wall. Unfortunately, the trailer fails to sustain the promising opening.

After Wiig's character gets a royal soaking of ectoplasm by a rather mardy ghost, she bemoans how the substance found its way in "every crack" - is it me, or has the joke been done, oh I don't know, a thousand times before? The rest of the jokes throughout the trailer are sadly just as derivative and often fail to coerce even the slightest smirk, despite the strength of the comedic talent delivering them.

Returning to the aforementioned nostalgia factor, the CGI supernatural terrors are very reminiscent of the 1984 classic (even the Slimer makes an appearance) which leads me to question whether a younger audience, who perhaps aren't familiar with the original, will find the CGI creations charming and feasible, especially when you consider the stellar visual effects in blockbusters such as Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

For a first introduction to the new Ghostbusters team that people already had reservations about, this first trailer doesn't give naysayers much reason to doubt their concerns. However, I still maintain hope that Ghostbusters will be just as great as all of Feig's other outings. Who you gonna call? Hopefully a superior second trailer.

EB