I haven’t been writing around here these days because the weight of the world has just been too much. The relentless beating the world is handing us in 2016 has left me without much to feel extremely happy about, and the little things that are giving me some joy seem too trivial to be writing and posting about in the midst of all the chaos and sadness.

The new Ghostbusters is something I finally feel like writing about. So I decided to write (a mostly non-spoilery) review of it. I have a memory of seeing the original Ghostbusters movie in the theater and my sister freaking out at the beginning at that ghost in the library, but then I also see based on the date that I would have been six and my sister would have been five so I highly doubt my parents actually would have taken us to see that movie. I may be having some false memories about this one. At any rate whether it was in the theater on VHS a few years later when I first saw it, I have seen and loved the original Ghostbusters movie many times. I own it on DVD and when it was re-released in theaters the other year for the 30th anniversary we went and saw it. For our birthday the year Ghostbusters II came out my sister and I each invited a couple friends for lunch at Pizza Hut and to see the movie as our “birthday party”. So what I’m saying is I have a long relationship with this movie franchise.

I’m generally tired of the constant rebooting and remaking of every movie ever made, but for some reason the thought of this one never bothered me probably because of it being with women Ghostbusters. It’s not even that I’m so rah, rah women, it was more that it at least makes the movie something different in some way and gives it somewhat of a reason to exist. Although don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate having good female led movies too. As they announced the cast for this movie it definitely made me even more excited and hopeful that it could be something good.

The new Ghostbusters came out this weekend and I went to see it with a bunch of my lady friends last night so that we could go out and support seeing a female led comedy on it’s opening night. The movie did not disappoint at all. I haven’t actually read a full review of the movie, but based on headlines and commentary on Twitter I’ve seen about reviews it seems like they’re generally positive, but basically call it nothing special but a fun summer romp. I guess that’s accurate, but also in my mind Ghostbusters is meant to be a fun summer romp. It’s not high art and was never meant to be. I don’t think anyone could claim that about the first movie either even though it’s deemed as a beloved classic now.

I will say that the plot in this one is weak and it’s a good thing it’s not what the movie is hanging it’s hat on. The plot of the original Ghostbusters isn’t crazy deep, but it definitely hangs together a little bit better than this one and there seems to be a bit more there, there than this one. No matter because the new Ghostbuster is a joke machine. I laughed delightedly throughout the whole thing. It was so joke dense that I expect that should I see it again I will pick up on even more stuff. I feel like it’s even more of a comedy than the first Ghostbusters, which seems darker than this one. There’s not really any scary in this movie like there was in the original. I’m okay with that though. It makes this movie more of it’s own thing rather than an attempted beat by beat remake of the original but with women. I think there were a few too many winks and nods to the original. I appreciated that there were some, but after awhile it felt a little bit like lazy joke writing. Oh hey look it’s just like such and such and so and so from the first one. Kate McKinnon as everyone has said is a revelation in this movie. She is just pure joy to watch and really gives the stand out performance in this movie. She alone is worth the price of admission.

It really was a delightful movie and if you’re looking for something fun to divert you from all the horrors of the world as of late I would highly recommend it. I already told my husband if he wants to see it I would happily go again.