Another film that did not need to be remade, re-booted or re-anythinged is Ghostbusters.  The surprisingly massive hit from 1984 has aged pretty well thanks to its wit, its goofy charm, Sigourney Weaver’s spectacular legs and a terrific use of popular songs to create and sustain mood (the bouncy title tune; “Savin’ the Day'”).  An attempt to recapture that magic — with the original cast intact — fell flat just five years later, so why would anyone try again?  Because in Hollywood, as the old song says, “everything old is new again.”

Paul Feig, a director who right now is probably the biggest comedy hit-maker in Tinseltown, has taken on the Herculean task of finding a fresh angle on this cultural touchstone.  His answer was role reversal; he cast women in the lead roles.  To a large degree this works.  Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon are the paranormal scientists who discover something sinister in the Big Apple, with Leslie Jones joining the team a little later.  McCarthy, who has become a breakout comedy star, has the least to do, comedy-wise; she’s almost the straight man (forgive the pun) to the others.  Wiig is the “normal” one who connects to the audience and lures us into the world of the paranormal, while Kate McKinnon is hilarious as a scientist who invents or improves gadgets at an alarming pace.  Leslie Jones provides the broadest comic tone, loud and sassy, but she fits right into the mix.  Feig wastes some opportunities for real laughs in his desire to make his premise believable and convincing, but ultimately that might be the correct decision.

The first half of the film is more entertaining than I would have thought.  It is well paced, amusing and even creepy at times, especially when the faceless mannequin begins to move.  I was into it.  Then comes the big destruction scene, reminiscent of the original film — with a funny reappearance by the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man — which is interminable, unconvincing and irritatingly scored by Theodore Shapiro.  The whole “Kevin” subplot is inane, ultimately threatening to derail the whole movie.  But the girls get it back on the tracks near the end, along with cameos from most of the major 1984 players.

This movie did not need to be made, and a sequel looks unlikely.  It may be considered a failure by Hollywood insiders, a caution to stay away from female-led ensemble projects in the future.  That would be a mistake.  Women can handle these projects just fine, and can bring the funny with gusto.  This particular movie misses the mark not because of its role reversal but because it simply cannot match the charm and nostalgia of its predecessor.  The original movie is beloved; this one could never hope to match that.  Had they made a comic version of, say, the Patrick Swayze hit Roadhouse, they might have made history.  Leave the classics alone; try to find something that can be adjusted and improved upon.  This Ghostbusters is not an improvement.  ☆ ☆.  23 August 2016.