Ghostbusters

Many funny characters throughout this movie add to the comedy. Dr. Ray Stanz opens up the movie with a bogus psychic scam that invites giggles and shows off his womanizing personality that remains present throughout the flick. Ray is a pessimist and doesn’t even believe in ghosts, while his partners, Dr. Peter Venkman and Dr. Egon Spengler are the geeky scientist types who take their work very seriously.

The three struggling scientists in New York City become an over night sensation trapping ghosts and raking in some major cash after starting their own business. This movie is obviously completely fictional, but some scenes such as showing the office set up like a fire station, complete with a pole and emergency car while a theme song plays in the background, singing, “we aint afraid of no ghost,” makes it almost animated.

Although the ghosts should seem scary, they are funny and even cute, (i.e. green slime). The animation of the ghosts and the lighting while big budget in the eighties comes across a bit cheesy now, but adds to viewing of the movie on a more comedic level.

Eventually the team is faced with a huge challenge and must save a client (and love interest of Ray) from being possessed. As the movie progresses, the Ghosts and goblins seem to get harder to kill. The roof top scene gets very dramatic and shows off the movie's special effects to the max with witty comments from the team while trying to kill the ghosts. The dooming music suggests something of a horror movie, but it is nothing close. In the end, the Ghostbusters save the city and their client from Zuul, a demonic figure.

Everyone has to enjoy Ghostbusters at one point in their life. I remember watching it for the first time as a kid. Shortly after it was released, everywhere I turned around paraphernalia from the movie were featured in every kid meal at restaurants and toy stores. I can see how the producers could hype up the ghostly characters, because although they should be horrific, they are actually funny and just as likeable as the other human characters.