Ghostbusters Review: 6 Ups And 4 Downs

1. The Cameos And Throwbacks Are More Than Blind Nostalgia

There’s a lot of cameos in Ghostbusters 2016 from the original 1984 cast, which, unlike the trailers, I won’t spoil, but will say are all brilliant; each actor gets a fitting appearance that honours them personally and their place in the canon. Although what's so interesting is that they don’t just pull you out of the movie – they strengthen the viewing experience.

Likewise, the film is full of throwback references, but they’re not really all that cloying or distracting; they're obvious, but fitting. It’s not just blind nostalgia; the film is using them to push the gender and bully stuff from earlier.

That’s what so interesting here. Ghostbusters isn’t a legacy-quel like Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Independence Day: Resurgence, but neither is it just a straight-up do-over. It’s using things that you know to tell something new that exists by itself.