If you see something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters, right?! But, do you want to call the original ones who came bursting out on our cinema screens in 1984, or do you want the all-female ensemble cast who came out busting ghosts in 2016? After having seen the rebooted version last night, I am pretty sure I want the old group back to bust any ghosts out there, including the Marshmallow Man!

Not that there is anything wrong with the all-female cast, in fact, if anything, they were witty and hilarious and made for a good watch. The movie follows pretty much the same format as the predecessor, and there are definitely moments when you wish you were watching the older one.

We follow Erin Gilbert (a very funny Kirsten Wiig) who is drawn back to the world of ghost busting after her co-author Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) starts selling their book on paranormal activity online. Working with Abby is Dr. Jillian Holtzmann, and soon enough all three of them encounter their first ghost, leading them to start  ghost hunting. Patty Tolan (the very controversial Leslie Jones on Twitter), a subway worker, reaches out to the group to kill a ghost seen on the tracks. No sooner is that done when Patty herself is part of the group.

There is some excitement as the group find the perfect office space (it’s the same office as the original movie) but they can’t afford it. They take a place above a Chinese restaurant, where they hire Kevin Beckman (Chris Hemsworth, capitalizing on his good looks and stealing all the scenes from the women). The movie is set in motion when a ghost debunker is not convinced the girls have captured a ghost, and when the said ghost is released, the entire city somehow awakens, courtesy of a mad man who is setting devices all over town to create a ghost apocalypse.

How the girls get together and fight a plethora of ghosts, and encounter city officials who want to keep the matter shut, to encountering all the original cast members from the original movies forms the crux of the movie.

What did I like?

The comedy was witty. The two lead actresses, who I really enjoyed in Bridesmaid, did a fabulous job. Their comedic timing is brilliant. They don’t go over the top yet are still hilarious.

The ghost hunting part was fun to watch. Whether it’s their weapons, or the kind of ghosts, it was indeed an enjoyable experience. There was Slimer ghost as well asther Marshmallow Man.

The references to the old movie was fun, especially with the cameos of many actors from the original movie. Which was slightly worrying because I was enjoying these cameos more than the movie itself.

What didn’t I like?

With a movie that’s a reboot, the predictability factor sets in. With the same city, same car, same uniform and the same method of capturing the ghosts, the surprise element goes away. I could also sense a feminist angle to the whole movie: all men are just bad men and evil, or just dumb.

Though it was somewhat different and refreshing to see a gang of girls bust ghosts, somehow I was missing the original movie a lot. That movie has been ingrained in the mind of every child of the 80s. They are the original Ghostbusters, not to mention that awesome title song.

Having said that, Ghostbusters 2016 is a good one time watch, not necessarily in the cinema, but will soon be forgotten as it doesn’t have that charm to  out-spook the original.

Oh, also, please stay till the end of the movie, while the credits rolls, as there is one last surprise cameo that was my favorite. Don’t leave the cinema like the so many oh so ignorant ones who left early!

2.5 out of 5