To be fair, that's also the reason a lot of their TF and GI Joe comics fall flat for me, in addition to most of their Doctor Who, Judge Dredd and ALL of their Angel and Star Trek comics. With only a few bright exceptions, IDW has a horrible track record for art on their licensed comics. The art I'm seeing here is actually a pretty large step up from a lot of what they've given us in the past.

 

What, you don't like the Shoening's artwork? It's amazing. Gets across the attitude of the movie characters so well, and then amps it to 11. It's vibrant and expressive and lively.

 

Here's the thing, Shoening has some FANTASTIC art and I love his aesthetic. The creature designs are phenomenal and the dude listens to fan critique. For an example, when he first started the comics, the first four issues had RADICALLY different looking proton packs. After some minor backlash, he changed the packs back to how they looked in the films/game and explained away his original design in canon and hilariously so.

 

I'm the opposite. For the most part I like the look of IDW's artwork. For example, I'm really enjoying their new Star Trek on going title.

To each their own, but to me it looks like a lazily drawn cartoon. Especially the way they design the characters.

 

For the fans dedicated enough to track down comic books this is good news. But comic books aren't the juggernaut business they used to be so we will need something else if we want to see something like Kate McKinnon return as Jillian Holtzmann on screen.

 

I know, I know. Best shot there is at seeing Holtz or the others again is maybe an SNL sketch.  

 

Your definition of lazy must be different than mine. It's stylized, yes, but it's incredibly detailed. He riddles practically every scene with easter eggs.

 

Eh not willing to tune into that. I don't know what the hell it is but I am just so in love with this movie. I have said numerous times it's not perfect but I just had so much damn fun with it that the reality that it won't get a sequel and I won't see these characters again hurts.

What the hell guys?   I can't even watch an online review. But then again the only that I semi-regularly read/watch are IGN and Nostalgia Critic. I know it's childish of me to not want to watch a review because I am anxious about the potential negative backlash within but.. geez. I don't know what it is. That's not to say I won't hear any criticism of the movie, I certainly have some criticisms myself, but man. What the hell?  

 

If nothing else, I really liked the design of the proton packs, and uniforms that the Busters wore in this new movie.

 

It's actually a pretty healthy attitude. All the negativity gets to us sometimes, cherishing the good is a must.   *thumbsup*




Although I'm happy it does not get a sequel  

 

I hated this movie when it was first announced for not being Ghostbusters 3 and am still burned by it. But my daughters and wife loved this movie, and I enjoyed just having a new Ghostbusters movie at all. My youngest daughter was excited about playing the Lego dimensions pack of the new movie with me and she asks when the new Ghostbusters will get another movie or cartoon series. So for that reason, I want to see more Ghostbusters happen. I almost think a weekly hour long tv show might be better than another movie though.

 

I do appreciate that! I was wondering if it was healthy or not.  

A weekly show doesn't sound so bad. More breathing room and all. Maybe on Netflix since I'm pretty sure the ratings will be bad on-air unless it proves to be like, I dunno, Stranger Things/Breaking Bad level good or something.

 

I haven't watched this film. Maybe if it comes on HBO.
But a half hour animated form of this show might be what's in order.

 

There's a few animated projects coming out. There's Ecto Force coming out that's set in 2040 (though no word on which continuity it's based on or if it'll be it's own thing), but is geared for younger kids. There's also an animated movie in the works, but that's really all we know. It's heavily rumored to be starring the classic team and might be based off of one of the IDW story arcs. Of course there's the new Ghostbusters 101 coming out in February/March that brings the new and classic team together and is rumored to either blend the two universes together by the end or spin off a comic line starring the new crew in their own comic series while also continuing the current Ghostbusters team (well, teams... they have a Chicago branch now) after Ghostbusters 101 finishes it's 6 issue run.

 

Even if they somehow decided to go ahead with a tv series, expect a new cast (or at least different actors). Wigg and McCarthy have movie careers and probably aren't going to commit to a TV show. Yes, McCarthy has Mike & Molly but that started before her movie career took off. She has been good about not jumping ship on it but once its done, I doubt she'll want another show.

 

Yeah I'm looking forward to GB 101. I'm a broken record but I love the characters!

And Kate and Leslie are two of the most prominent SNL cast members (if not Leslie then certainly Kate). I guess they could try filming a season in the summer when they're at least not having to do SNL rehearsals during the week, but yeah Melissa and Kristen are still certainly busy.

Maybe an animated series a la Avatar/Korra and Voltron, where they do the voices? Less time-consuming.   I dunno, just brainstorming.

 

I actually think a toned-down (no queef jokes) cartoon would rule.

 

After getting the Lego Dimensions Story Pack and completing it, I decided to watch the movie. Yeah, I'm pretty late to the party here.

If I had to choose a word, it would be dispiriting (pun intended). It's a bit of an odd duck; it's not bad, but it's not good either, very "meh", on virtually every level. Every time there was a chance at real characterization or natural plot developments, they went the other way with the cheap and unfunny joke instead. There didn't seem to be any rising or falling action, just stuff that happened and it felt very flat. I thought the last act was fairly bad from a plot perspective. The only joke in the entire movie I laughed at was at the end when Kevin had a drink and a muffin tossed at him when he requested them, causing Patty to ask if he was a wizard. As colorful as the ghosts were, their CGI "Fakeness" was detracting, especially in the last act, along with the undefined and odd powers that Rowan had being whatever they decided he should have. Which is a symptom all over the plot; the plot happens because it was decided it would happen that way; there's no rhyme or reason. Like the Mayor and his attitude, the Chinese restaurant for the first location, etc.

Which is a shame, because I can see a pretty decent movie here, buried under all the crap and poor decision making.

I have no complaints about either the female ghostbusters or the actress' playing them, it was clear they were doing their best with what they had and they executed a lot well. I liked the proton packs had a more "visual" cyclotron on them. While I thought it was out of place in the commercials, in the movie (and after playing the game), I actually liked some of the special weapons they had.

If I had some say during production, I would've made some changes:

1. Turn them into a startup franchise rather then a new startup unconnected to the past. That way it's a sequel without being a sequel and you can adopt some easy shorthand without seeming out of place. (I'd also consider setting them up in another city, not NY)

2. Have some degree of practical to all the ghosts. Being all CGI just didn't look good; had there been some degree of realism to them via practical work and melding the two, you could've gotten a really creepy effect, which is what you want for ghosts.

3. Characters and plot come before cheap jokes that are just there to make people laugh and forget why they laughed afterwards. Build some tension and develop the plot into a real story.

4. Use the good ideas you presented and flesh them out further. Even the game did that more then the movie did. Imagine if all the years of the tour guide creeping out guests had made the Aldridge ghost more powerful and thus there's a homicidal mass murdering ghost now on the loose and exploring what that means.

But whatevs.

 

^ I want to say that at least the army of ghosts at the end (the Pilgrims and humans and such) were played by live actors. I swear I remember seeing that in an article before he movie came out, but I dunno, I still agree that you can never go wrong with more practical. I thought the tall circus master ghost looked the coolest and the most imposing. Also that shot of the subway ghost from a distance, where you can mostly only see its red eyes? That was kinda intimidating.

I'm glad you mentioned the color too. Honestly with neon lights and Tron ish lights, I will lap that shit up, no exceptions. Like the final fight with Holtzmann where the red-pink of her proton whips were clashing through the neon blues, almost giving it a neon cotton candy look? I was lapping it up.

And yeah, the plot is certainly one of if not the biggest weak point of the film. Like do you remember when they were testing weapons in the alley, then it cut to them having lunch and laughing? Awkward to say the least. Agree that there wasn't much rising or falling action as you put it. Things just sort of happened. Like okay, now we know why these machines are here. Now we go catch Rowan. Now Rowan comes back. Now climax. Felt like the wheels were being spun a lot of the time. I enjoyed the spinning, granted, but even on repeat viewings I'm surprised by the lack of pace.

They also missed a great opportunity to expand on Rowan and Erin, even in the extended cut. Rowan made his shit with Erin's book, and like the team he was also a social outcast who got mocked by everyone. He was easily what any one of the team could've become, but especially Erin given her childhood trauma and bullying, and crappy adult life too. I had in my head a scene where Erin of all people tries to talk him down instead of the soup joke (which I did giggle at), saying "you could be one of us, you really are a genius." And Rowan is too far gone, too wounded from his own lifetime of bullying, despite being touched, and refuses.

Also I know several people have questioned why Erin is suddenly in a hotel between Rowan's death and the climax, but it's actually her own apartment. It makes sense for someone as uptight and rigid as Erin to have a perfectly plain, boring apartment, if you ask me. But that came about because of a deleted subplot where Erin punches a heckler, then the ensuing media scandal causes her to retreat home for a while to lick her wounds for more public humiliation. Why didn't they keep that? Yikes.