This movie felt to me like a really long SNL skit, but I enjoyed it.  The mixed reception this movie has been getting doesn’t surprise me—I imagine diehards are probably split between appreciating the cameos and other Easter eggs to perhaps resenting that it doesn’t capture the spirit of the original movies to their satisfaction.

I remember watching the original movies when I was younger, but they’re movies I would definitely need to revisit to remember whether I enjoyed them or not (I was in elementary school when I watched them and both were initially released before I was even born).  If anything,  The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991) animated TV series is more fresh in my mind.  I think they used to air that on Cartoon Network or something?  Not sure.  I just remember watching it at some point.

I’m not sure if others feel the same, but while watching this, some of the humor had a Bridesmaids (2011) feel to it for me, which I personally liked.  I also really enjoyed Chris Hemsworth as the goofy male receptionist.  I don’t know why I was surprised to learn that Hemsworth can dance, but I was, haha.  He shows off some of his moves while the end credits are rolling.

I appreciated the cameos of characters from the original movies that I immediately recognized, like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Slimer.  (Harold Ramis took me a minute.)  There were a few others from the original cast that I didn’t remember at all, my memory of the movies being so fuzzy since I watched them so long ago, but others who were in the audience with me caught them right away and seemed to appreciate the nods. I can see how a fan of the originals might not like this one as a sequel/remake, because  it definitely gave the feel that it was a parody of the originals at some points, rather than trying to capture the essence of them.

If you haven’t yet heard, there’s a short scene after the credits are finished rolling that is worth waiting for, especially if you’re very familiar with the series.  As to whether there will actually be a sequel, I’m willing to bet that yes, it will happen.  This is Hollywood, after all.

Final Thoughts: Lots of cheesy/lame humor, which is great for someone like me, but might not be most people’s cup of tea.  I didn’t mind watching this in theaters, but if you’re a huge Ghostbusters fan that’s concerned about feeling disappointed that this movie might not live up to expectations, you may want to err on the side of caution and wait for this to become available as a rental.