Film Preview: Ghostbusters (2016)

Page Revisions:

(February 21, 2016) Original
(May 22, 2016) New Trailers (#2-#4)
(June 26, 2016) New Trailer (#5) / New Posters (#6-#7)
(July 10, 2016) New Posters (#8-#10)

Release Date:

July 15, 2016

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “The plot is unknown at this time.”

Poster Rating: B / B (4) / C / C+ / C / C- / D

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) The original, two-dimensional logo has been refurbished in a fancy, shiny 3D version. It will please rapid fans, but looks a bit like a cheap ploy to everyone else. (#2-#5) These four character posters are more inventive than many designs. While this style has been employed before, it adequately teases and entices those who are curious about the potential end product.

(#6 & #7) There’s something inherently disappointing about a series of posters that lack creativity and excitement. The creators seem to be struggling to find something that looks cool and is informative at the same time. They aren’t having much success.

(#8) This isn’t too dissimilar from design #6, which isn’t really surprising for this poor marketing effort. (#9) A blurry, presumably moving Ecto-1 doesn’t exactly breed familiarity. (#10) Another patently uninventive design that shows how poor Sony’s marketing efforts are, even internationally.

Trailer Rating: C+ / B- / C+ / B / B-

SEE ALL TRAILERS BELOW
Review: (#1) We see no ghosts. We see no Ghostbusters. We see almost nothing that makes the film feel like one of the most anticipated sequels of the year. These scenes could literally belong to any other film and no one would be the wiser.

(#2) The first full trailer wasn’t nearly as exciting as it needed to be. Some of the comedy was a touch tone deaf and ultimately, the film didn’t look that impressive, especially for a Paul Feig movie.

(#3) Some say this trailer was better, but the comedy doesn’t seem to land nearly as well as its predecessor, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the effects are much more interesting here.

(#4) This a significant improvement over the prior. It adds some of the creepiness back into the film that was a hallmark of the original film. A touch creepy, a touch funny and a whole lot of fun. This does a far better job in promising those things for the reboot.

(#5) With a couple of interesting additional scenes in this foreign trailer, the film continues to look like it’s not nearly as good as its pedigree suggests it to be. To some that’s just fine. To others, it’s detrimental.

Oscar Prospects:

I’m sure it will be in the hunt for several nominations, but the prior two films weren’t exactly Oscar magnets. The first film earned two nominations: Best Original Song and Best Visual Effects. While the former doesn’t seem likely, the latter is its best shot, but this will be another heavy effects year, so getting a nod will be challenging.