Return of the Ghostbusters Movie Review

Hey folks, Valkor here. So I was perusing some Myspace vids that fall between the lines of really funny or really, really lame. I mean the stuff people film themselves doing is just well... yeah. So, there was a trailer for a fan film called "Return of the Ghostbusters", which had a damn good looking trailer. And I was thinking "wow I'd love to see this". Sure none of the original cast members are involved, but it's a Ghostbusters flick, so it can't be all that bad right? Well, thanks to the mind of Hank Braxtan the film does exist, but is it bad? Well for a fan made Ghostbusters flick, it's actually pretty damn good.

Set in the city of Denver, "Return of the Ghostbusters" focuses on a new crew, lead by the son of one of the original Ghostbusters, Ed Spengler (Tim Johnson - his character's father is Egon Spengler for those who don't know), as they continue the Ghost-busting biz. However their efforts don't come easy as a new threat comes to town in the form of Archeologist Klaus Konstantin (Ron Vischer), who is fresh from his excavation in Egypt; he has found an amulet that unleashes hell in Denver and it's up to Ed, the wisecracking Neil Anderson (J. Michael Weiss), and Russian comrade Pavel (Joel Hanson) to put an end to this new threat. The plot is pretty solid and direct. And while the acting isn't up to snuff, there is enough here to keep you interested until the very end.

The Good

The story of "Return of the Ghostbusters" is what keeps the movie afloat as it's a true Ghostbuster tale that easily compliments what Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis has done. I mean it's not great but it certainly fits. The film gets plus points for tossing in some references to the first film and there are plenty, mostly with the jokes. The special effects, for a fan film, are pretty impressive. The proton pack effects are here and the effects on the ghost are done quite well especially the end Ghost Dragon. I can see that if there's going to be a second film, the effects would only get better. The acting from some of the cast meshes well with the overall film. J. Michael Weiss as Neil Anderson does a great job of being the Peter Venkman of the bunch; his jokes are so-so but he comes across as comical and really makes the movie enjoyable. Pavel definitely steals the show... when he's on screen. He definitely needed more screen time. And the evil that is Klaus is a bit over the top but he's the best baddy I have seen in a good while. The music also deserves mention; again it's stuff from the first film as well as a new score which is pretty kick ass. Nice job on adding the Ray Parker Jr song to the mix, but the metal track at the end is garbage. Overall this is top notch stuff.

The Bad

Well, it's not all good. For instance, there's stuff that happens that either takes to long to get to the point or is just pointless. Case in point the scene where April, Ed, and the cops discuss the validity of "Batman and Robin" (The George Clooney Version). Soon after they run away to chase after a protester, leaving Ed with the body of a homeless guy who's soul was sucked out of him, just after they made the call for an ambulance. HUH? Another negative - not enough Ghostbusting. I know this is a fan film and the budget has to be plenty tight, but they could have tossed in one extra scene where the guys take down a baddy ghost. And when they do bust a ghost, things are kinda neat. Where's the senseless destruction? Yea, at the end you get some hole punching in the buildings with the dragon chase (I loved it when they took out that Qwest sign), but with the actual busting we get Neil writing his name on the movie screen. Bleh. Lastly, the acting with the exception of Weiss and Hanson, it ranges from bad to just UGH!! But I can still sit through the film, even with the bad acting because I love the story.

The Ugly

Donte Eissen. Out of the entire film and of the entire The cast, he is the one character I truly hated. I understand that his original purpose was to replace Ed from his TV show and that's well and good and things should have ended there. But he's the protester who the cops chase and then he joins the Ghostbusters at the end making him the Winston Zedmore of the group. It's a little obvious, but also pointless. It's great you wanna follow in the footsteps of the original, but it doesn't have to always be that way. Lose Eissen and bring in a stronger, more Sam Jackson-esque type character to replace him.

All in all, I gotta give it up to the cast and crew of "Return of the Ghostbusters" and I do appreciate all of the hard work put into the film. Everyone has done a fine job bringing new life into a franchise that was long thought dead in the water. I insist you click the link above and give this movie a shot. It's a solid story followed by average acting with some great music and effects to make it worth the download. Plus it's a lot of fun to watch. So out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving "Return of the Ghostbusters" 3.5 stars.