10 Bad Signs That Spell Doom For Paul Feig's Ghostbusters

Why you should be very afraid of this reboot.

Ghostbusters Bill Murray
Paramount

Ghostbusters remains, to this day, one of the most beloved films of all time for multiple generations. If you were an 80s kid, or a 90s kid, chances are you've seen it. Millennial? Yeah, probably. 

Even today, kids sport Ghostbusters t-shirts, and many have seen at least the first film, thanks to their enthusiastic parents. Ghostbusters launched a sequel, tons of merch, video games, a comic book run, and a fantastic cartoon version in The Real Ghostbusters (the "real" in the title being necessitated due to an earlier cartoon using the name Ghostbusters, though it was not related to the more popular franchise).

It's an untouchable film, right? The perfect cast, the perfect tone, more than a handful of quotable lines ("when someone asks if you're a God, you say YES!"). Well, there's something strange in the neighborhood - and it's not a giant twinkie.

No, it's a remake, the most dreaded of all terms when it comes to classic film properties. For every Cape Fear, there's a Total Recall, Nightmare on Elm Street, and RoboCop. And while remakes are always a risky venture more prone to disappoint fans than entertain, this particular remake has been dreaded since its announcement. Worse, as more and more material gets out there, things look increasingly bleak.

Why? Well, all the early signs spell doom for Paul Feig's beleaguered film.

10. The Ecto-1 Looks More Like An Old Station Wagon

https://twitter.com/RD80s/status/618762633202806785

Technically, it's a hearse with ambulance doors, but regardless, the new "Ecto-1" - and that's using the name lightly, as it's not the Ecto-1 at all - looks pretty much like an old station wagon. Something that should come in two colours: ugly blue and faux wood paneling. If you grew up in the 80s, you probably remember those just as vividly as you remember the Ghostbusters franchise.

The thing is, if there's one thing that Paul Feig should not have changed for his Ghostbusters film, it's the Ecto-1. It's an iconic part of the series that was recreated as a collectable toy several times, and that was a big part of the cartoon series. You've got people in real life driving replica Ecto-1s as well, and if you absolutely must do a remake, it would have been easy enough to fit the original car in as a nod to the classic film.

Sadly, that's not happening. Instead, you get a watered down Ecto-1, which might be symbolic of this production thus far: everything feels watered down to this point.

Remember, this isn't the Batman franchise, where the Batmobile has been done over and over again. Fans are a little more resistant to change in this case.

Contributor
Contributor

Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.