8 Movies From 2016 That Deserve A Second Chance

Paul Feig’s movie would’ve had an easier birth if it wasn’t, you know, called Ghostbusters. After all, nobody threw eggs at John Sturges when he Americanized Seven Samurai as The Magnificent Seven nor at Roger Corman when he sent Robert Vaughn into space in Battle Beyond The Stars. Perhaps they should’ve called it Troll Baiters?

Anyway, those who’ve actually seen Feig’s previous efforts will know what to expect: a sliver of (somewhat familiar) plot used as a launchpad for a never ending series of puns, pratfalls and punchlines as Melissa McCarthy and co attempt to save the day. The formula worked well enough in Spy and The Heat, but the studio must’ve expected Feig to throw in a bunch of references to the 1984 original without informing us where this version stands in relation to it.

From Bill Murray to Sigourney Weaver, the gang’s all here (even the late Harold Ramis gets a sly cameo), but the movie really takes off when it detaches itself from its inspiration and does its own thing, something it isn’t allowed to do often enough. If you didn’t care for the finished film, don’t blame Feig or the cast, blame the studio.