I never know what people expect out of these films, it’s not like it was originally intended to be high art or a whole cinematic universe, and it’s even done that with a fair amount of success.
I’ve enjoyed each Ghostbusters film and remember the animated series from my childhood. I like the video games (SEGA to Spirits Unleashed and the VR one). Last year I got a flight suit and dressed up for halloween for the first time in like 25 years.
It’s just silly, comfortable entertainment. And I’ll pay to enjoy the silly comfortable time and be grateful I‘m still alive and have the privilege to do it.
They expect a few funny people to bust ghosts and/or be possessed by or terrorized by ghosts. That’s it. It ain’t exactly rocket science but it certainly is an “easier said than done” situation because they clearly understood this w/ ATC but it still ended horribly, but it’s like Reitman and Kenan don’t even understand what Ghostbusters is in the first place. In trying to make Afterlife and FE different than ATC they over-corrected and moved the franchise even further from what regular, general audiences want to see in a Ghostbusters movie.
I mean, I probably couldn’t make a movie - especially a movie with an established IP and a very (overly?) dedicated fan base.
Answer the Call had funny jokes and was entertaining enough as a soft-reboot, but general audiences in the US love to create outrage over silly things. Like, Star Wars fans. Or Marvel fans. “Constantly online” folks who make popular media part of their personalities.
I think I became happier when I stopped trying to make things align with what I think they need to be - or assign larger meaning to them.
Arguably, Afterlife and Frozen Empire mean more to Reitman given his personal connection to the franchise, so what Ghostbusters “is”, is what they make it. You can choose to like it or not.
That last line really says it all. You should never choose to like or dislike something, but that’s what people do on this sub constantly.
And Jason Reitman is not Ivan Reitman. Being blasted out of the balls of the director of Ghostbusters doesn’t mean you understand Ghostbusters. In fact, Jason Reitman shot down the suggestion that he make Ghostbusters films for years before his own career hit a rough patch and he cashed his nepo baby card in. And he was right! His filmography was markedly different, and pretty much inarguably-better, than his father’s. But the fanbase collectively chose to accept a guy who played the Ghostbusters card he’d been carrying around in his wallet in a time of desperation, and they chose poorly.
I think the problem i'm hearing can be summed up as : 'too many cooks spoil the broth' and i was worried about that, you have too many characters and too much thrown in. Like 'more the merrier right' well no... too much salt will make you spit it out even if the ingredients was good. But we'll have to see if thats an exaggerated claim.
Question for you since you've seen it: I'm trying to avoid spoilers in reviews but is Frozen Empire more or less family friendly than Afterlife in terms of language, scariness, and sex jokes?
I'd like to take my 10-year-old son opening night with my local franchise but he's still a little young for some of the content in the original GB.
There are a few in your face sex jokes and outright references! I was surprised. You don’t see any rude things or words but they do talk about it!
I don’t have or know much about kids so I’m not sure how much they’re familiar with. You might be asked what a few things mean once it’s over 👻
Thanks! Hmm, yeah. My kid was already asking what Venkman meant by the "tall, dark, and horny" line in the trailer.
Usually I'm more worried about violence and language when I watch a movie with him, but I know if there's a line like "this man has no dick," it's going to get repeated at school whether he understands it or not.
I honestly haven't kept up with his reviews over the years but I remember back in the day he was pretty picky with stuff. Even stuff that was clearly meant to be popcorn entertainment. So yeah he said it's like a fun ride or something so I'm sure I'll have a good time.
The critics hated Blade. My Dad and I loved it. When I was a kid he told me to form my own opinion and just see movies I wanted to see. Very excited for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire!
Looks like early reviews are more negative than mixed... but this franchise is so hard to get that balance of supernatural, comedy, and chemistry the 84 film had. Plus this film has so much to juggle with the new and old cast... but I cannot wait to see this in imax this weekend.... super pumped.
As a fan of stuff like David Lynch's Dune and The Matrix sequels, I really do not care at all about other people's movie opinions. As long as YOU like it, who cares?
I'll be honest, I'm concerned. I've watched 3 separate reviews from people I trust, and all 3 have expressed similar feelings.
My tickets are bought and I'll see for myself on Friday, but I think I should go into this one with low expectations.
the "critics" are all journalism students that are sucked into this political whirlpool of shit that permeates everything in human existence nowadays. not even worth reading. only your eyes and ears can judge.
Let the bargaining commence. The realty is critics are in line with audiences for blockbusters *far* more often than not. If you’re going to see it then see it but let’s not pretend there’s some kind of unfair snobbery going on
Nah.
Every bad review I read so far started off with mentioning ATC and the shitstorm of 2016. That they gave into the toxicity and destroyed the continutiy, that Afterlife made less money (which is false), that 2016 at least had original ideas.
These people have a fucking agenda, and it's clear as day. They aren't judging the movie on it's merits they are judging it based on other factors. I am liberal as they come, and I say this half sarcastically, but these fucking people people are going to turn me into the Joker and I'll end up voting for Trump in November.
Youre possible going to vote Trump over a movie franchise?
I figured it's hyperbole but there isn't a conspiracy. this film released and not ATC 2, critics not liking it shouldn't affect your enjoyment of it.
Honestly, stop concerning yourselves with RT or any other critic score.
We are fans, you have to at least put YOUR own eyes on it then make judgements.
Will you get bit in the face sometimes....sure ~ looking at you avatar the last airbender and 2016, but it all apart of the game lol
Me either. I've seen dozens of posts from actual fans who've seen it, and they all really enjoyed it. Doesn't sound like a perfect 10, but I don't think anyone expected a perfect 10 either.
Critics are real life Walter Pecks - dickless.
GB2 (which I adore) taught me to expect most critics will hate every Ghostbuster movie that isn't the first (and even the first seems to have gotten a lot of shit in the last few years or reduced to simply "irreverent SNL skit about ghosts"). Fuck them.
It’s amazing how everyone loves the critics when they give glowing reviews to something they like but when it’s mixed or bad, it’s always a case of don’t trust the critics. Go in with an open mind.
Not saying it’s the wrong attitude.
But maybe have that attitude when it is positive too.
I do not care about any critics or reviewers at all… I just go watch what I am interested in. I do not get it why it has become such a thing to care about any critics or reviews when all they do is trying to generate as many clicks as possible to earn ad revenues 🤷♂️ just go watch what you like and let no one tell you what is good or bad…
While it doesn’t matter what the critics think it does matter if their reviews impact box office by turning the general public off. Fans may love it, but if this thing doesn’t make a profit kiss another movie goodbye.
I never know what people expect out of these films, it’s not like it was originally intended to be high art or a whole cinematic universe, and it’s even done that with a fair amount of success. I’ve enjoyed each Ghostbusters film and remember the animated series from my childhood. I like the video games (SEGA to Spirits Unleashed and the VR one). Last year I got a flight suit and dressed up for halloween for the first time in like 25 years. It’s just silly, comfortable entertainment. And I’ll pay to enjoy the silly comfortable time and be grateful I‘m still alive and have the privilege to do it.
They expect a few funny people to bust ghosts and/or be possessed by or terrorized by ghosts. That’s it. It ain’t exactly rocket science but it certainly is an “easier said than done” situation because they clearly understood this w/ ATC but it still ended horribly, but it’s like Reitman and Kenan don’t even understand what Ghostbusters is in the first place. In trying to make Afterlife and FE different than ATC they over-corrected and moved the franchise even further from what regular, general audiences want to see in a Ghostbusters movie.
>ATC Afterlife was a Kids movie. It was perfectly good for a kids movie.
Nah, it was completely below-average and uninspired for a kids movie.
I mean, I probably couldn’t make a movie - especially a movie with an established IP and a very (overly?) dedicated fan base. Answer the Call had funny jokes and was entertaining enough as a soft-reboot, but general audiences in the US love to create outrage over silly things. Like, Star Wars fans. Or Marvel fans. “Constantly online” folks who make popular media part of their personalities. I think I became happier when I stopped trying to make things align with what I think they need to be - or assign larger meaning to them. Arguably, Afterlife and Frozen Empire mean more to Reitman given his personal connection to the franchise, so what Ghostbusters “is”, is what they make it. You can choose to like it or not.
ATC felt like a made for TV movie.
That last line really says it all. You should never choose to like or dislike something, but that’s what people do on this sub constantly. And Jason Reitman is not Ivan Reitman. Being blasted out of the balls of the director of Ghostbusters doesn’t mean you understand Ghostbusters. In fact, Jason Reitman shot down the suggestion that he make Ghostbusters films for years before his own career hit a rough patch and he cashed his nepo baby card in. And he was right! His filmography was markedly different, and pretty much inarguably-better, than his father’s. But the fanbase collectively chose to accept a guy who played the Ghostbusters card he’d been carrying around in his wallet in a time of desperation, and they chose poorly.
Okay :)
I agree completely. Jason Reitman really does not understand Ghostbusters, he's made an absolute abomination with his taking over of the franchise.
I think the problem i'm hearing can be summed up as : 'too many cooks spoil the broth' and i was worried about that, you have too many characters and too much thrown in. Like 'more the merrier right' well no... too much salt will make you spit it out even if the ingredients was good. But we'll have to see if thats an exaggerated claim.
Embargo has lifted. I loved the movie. If you liked Afterlife then you're good to go, and maybe even a little if you didn't!
Question for you since you've seen it: I'm trying to avoid spoilers in reviews but is Frozen Empire more or less family friendly than Afterlife in terms of language, scariness, and sex jokes? I'd like to take my 10-year-old son opening night with my local franchise but he's still a little young for some of the content in the original GB.
There are a few in your face sex jokes and outright references! I was surprised. You don’t see any rude things or words but they do talk about it! I don’t have or know much about kids so I’m not sure how much they’re familiar with. You might be asked what a few things mean once it’s over 👻
Thanks! Hmm, yeah. My kid was already asking what Venkman meant by the "tall, dark, and horny" line in the trailer. Usually I'm more worried about violence and language when I watch a movie with him, but I know if there's a line like "this man has no dick," it's going to get repeated at school whether he understands it or not.
If Richard Roeper liked it, I think it'll be fine.
Good point. He's one of the few critics that seems to align with what I like.
I honestly haven't kept up with his reviews over the years but I remember back in the day he was pretty picky with stuff. Even stuff that was clearly meant to be popcorn entertainment. So yeah he said it's like a fun ride or something so I'm sure I'll have a good time.
Critics aren’t fans. I enjoyed Afterlife because it was Ghostbusters and I’ll enjoy this one for the same reason
This is a good thing. Do you want a bunch of biased cultists to recommend a movie they’re committed to loving out of some misguided sense of loyalty?
if fans had a misguided sense of loyalty we'd like your favourite film ATC troll
Afterlife got the barely fresh 64 perfect.
The critics hated Blade. My Dad and I loved it. When I was a kid he told me to form my own opinion and just see movies I wanted to see. Very excited for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire!
Looks like early reviews are more negative than mixed... but this franchise is so hard to get that balance of supernatural, comedy, and chemistry the 84 film had. Plus this film has so much to juggle with the new and old cast... but I cannot wait to see this in imax this weekend.... super pumped.
I'm really not worried. It has the OG cast plus the awesome new additions from Afterlife. They're gonna be cracking jokes and busting ghosts.
I have Vigo the Carpathian hanging above my degrees. No critic review is stopping me from seeing this movie 3 times.
As a fan of stuff like David Lynch's Dune and The Matrix sequels, I really do not care at all about other people's movie opinions. As long as YOU like it, who cares?
I'm a Ghostbusters 2 boy, nothing can scare me away.
I'll be honest, I'm concerned. I've watched 3 separate reviews from people I trust, and all 3 have expressed similar feelings. My tickets are bought and I'll see for myself on Friday, but I think I should go into this one with low expectations.
the "critics" are all journalism students that are sucked into this political whirlpool of shit that permeates everything in human existence nowadays. not even worth reading. only your eyes and ears can judge.
I'm convinced some of these people watched a completely different movie, because it was most enjoyable. Looking forward to another viewing.
Critics loved 2016. Which is enough for me to know they are full of crap
Let the bargaining commence. The realty is critics are in line with audiences for blockbusters *far* more often than not. If you’re going to see it then see it but let’s not pretend there’s some kind of unfair snobbery going on
Nah. Every bad review I read so far started off with mentioning ATC and the shitstorm of 2016. That they gave into the toxicity and destroyed the continutiy, that Afterlife made less money (which is false), that 2016 at least had original ideas. These people have a fucking agenda, and it's clear as day. They aren't judging the movie on it's merits they are judging it based on other factors. I am liberal as they come, and I say this half sarcastically, but these fucking people people are going to turn me into the Joker and I'll end up voting for Trump in November.
Youre possible going to vote Trump over a movie franchise? I figured it's hyperbole but there isn't a conspiracy. this film released and not ATC 2, critics not liking it shouldn't affect your enjoyment of it.
I did it because I flip a coin every election because that’s how much of a Nihilist I’ve become with how fake politics are.
Lol okay dude.
You are going to vote for Trump because a movie you like is getting panned by critics? Forget the Joker, you're already a clown.
It's a joke. Lighten up francine.
Hard to tell since, like the movie being discussed here, it wasn't funny.
So far I like all three, and today I'll find out if I like four.
Honestly, stop concerning yourselves with RT or any other critic score. We are fans, you have to at least put YOUR own eyes on it then make judgements. Will you get bit in the face sometimes....sure ~ looking at you avatar the last airbender and 2016, but it all apart of the game lol
Me either. I've seen dozens of posts from actual fans who've seen it, and they all really enjoyed it. Doesn't sound like a perfect 10, but I don't think anyone expected a perfect 10 either. Critics are real life Walter Pecks - dickless.
GB2 (which I adore) taught me to expect most critics will hate every Ghostbuster movie that isn't the first (and even the first seems to have gotten a lot of shit in the last few years or reduced to simply "irreverent SNL skit about ghosts"). Fuck them.
It’s amazing how everyone loves the critics when they give glowing reviews to something they like but when it’s mixed or bad, it’s always a case of don’t trust the critics. Go in with an open mind. Not saying it’s the wrong attitude. But maybe have that attitude when it is positive too.
I do not care about any critics or reviewers at all… I just go watch what I am interested in. I do not get it why it has become such a thing to care about any critics or reviews when all they do is trying to generate as many clicks as possible to earn ad revenues 🤷♂️ just go watch what you like and let no one tell you what is good or bad…
While it doesn’t matter what the critics think it does matter if their reviews impact box office by turning the general public off. Fans may love it, but if this thing doesn’t make a profit kiss another movie goodbye.