[SPOILERS for Ghostbusters ahead.]
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After months of buzz and controversy, Sony’s reboot of Ghostbusters opened to largely positive reviews from both critics and fans alike. The movie's cast of comediennes is delightful and the film itself pays homage to the original Ghostbusters by delivering plenty in the way of fan service. Director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy) and co-writer Kate Dippold (The Heat) created a great paranormal-fightin’ squad by suiting up some of the best funny-ladies in the biz with next-gen proton packs and slapstick humor.
The new Ghostbusters team starts with Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy as scientists Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates. Gilbert is an uptight particle physicist at Columbia University, while Yates is a self-proclaimed expert in the paranormal; both are good friends and share a special childhood bond. As ghost sightings start to surge, they team up with Kate McKinnon‘s Jillian Holtzmann, a bizarre nuclear engineer who designs and builds the team’s new gadgets and is just a bit...eccentric. Leslie Jones‘ Patty Tolan, a sassy New York native, shows up with the updated Ecto-1 and a ghost problem, in hopes of joining the team to act as the Big Apple’s tour guide.
Oh, and we can’t forget about Kevin the receptionist, played by scene-stealing Chris Hemsworth, who tries as hard as he can to answer telephones back at headquarters, even if they are in the aquarium. In fact, Hemsworth and McKinnon easily steal the show by embracing their quirky characters head-on.
In short, Ghostbusters is funny and enjoyable, giving us some hilarious moments and a great cast of characters, making for a great summer movie. We’ve compiled a list of the best moments and scenes (in no particular order) to share with you below.
10. Zach Woods' Guided Tour
The film starts out with a solid, clever opening sequence. Garret (Zach Woods), is a tour guide at the Aldridge Mansion where the first ghost is eventually spotted. While he takes a group of tourists on an informative trip through the house, he nonchalantly spits out facts about the mansion being the first to have a "face bidet" and an "anti-Irish security fence." He goes on to tell the group that, "Right here, in this very room, is where P.T. Barnum first had the idea to enslave elephants."
Garret stops dead in his tracks before an old, locked door to explain that one morning when Sir Aldrich woke up for breakfast, all of his servants were missing. It was soon discovered that they were stabbed to death overnight by his daughter Gertrude, who was locked behind the door and fed through a small slot until she died. “I know God makes no mistakes, but he must have been drunk when he made Gertrude’s personality,” he explains. The door hasn't been opened since the new owners cleared out her bones. A candle stick falls in the distance, scaring the tourists. But Garret was just playing a trick of his own with a harmless gag... that is, until the locked door opens on its own, dragging Garret into the depths below.
9. Meeting Holtzmann
Hotlzmann, a truly bizarre yet genuis "lab assistant" is introduced when Erin pays a long-overdue visit to her former friend's lab. While Abby and Erin are butting heads over the question of ghosts being real, the camera pans over to Hotlzmann, whose been sitting there silently the entire time, "Come here often?" she asks. Abby explains that Holtzmann is her new partner (after being abandoned by Erin) and they've been working on gear to track ghosts, which are definitely real.
"I've heard terrible things about you, now they are substantiated," Hotlzmann goes on speaking to a stressed-out Erin about how they have recorded proof of paranormal communication, which ends up being...a fart. Throughout the rest of the film, McKinnon is full of dead-pan one-liners, catching the audience off-guard with things like bringing along a can of Pringles and a video camera to document the first ghost sighting, but ends up interviewing Erin on her tired clothing, "Where did you manage to find the world's tiniest bowtie?" When she's not delivering silly remarks, she's speaking in over-the-top technical language that no one can understand at all...or dancing and lighting the lab on fire.
8. Mansion Ghost
Speaking of Hotlzmann's Pringles, she brings them along to snack on at the Aldridge Mansion, where the curator and tour guide have reported a ghost sighting. The three ladies eagerly look for clues in every antiquated room using a PKE meter, until Erin steps directly into a glob of green slime, and Gertrude's door opens up behind her. Erin calls out Abby and Holtzmann for the hilarious gag, "Nice try guys!" just as the PKE meter starts spinning like crazy.
The most beautiful lady ghost appears before them, as they stand there awe-struck not knowing what to do. Abby tries to make a connection with Gertrude's ghost by complimenting her gorgeous outfit, but Erin cautiously approaches, reaches out her hand in the most gentle manner, and says "Hello" as if she's speaking to a small child. Gertrude turns violently terrifying, screams and spews goo (astral projection) all over her Erin's face before escaping down the street. The three run outside screaming, "Ghost's are real!" with pure excitement.
7. Kevin's Interview
After Erin gets fired from Columbia for being a kook, Abby and Hotlzmann also get kicked out of their school's lab. They steal the equipment and end up renting a small, used to be dining-room above a Chinese restaurant so they can continue the ghost hunt by starting their own bustin' business. But they need some help around headquarters, perhaps a receptionist to perform daily tasks so the ladies can keep up with the increasing ghost sightings around NYC. Enter Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) a large, dumb, but beautiful man to interview for the position. Erin is basically speechless and can't stop drooling over his...pecs and hires him on the spot, but Abby and Holtzmann would like to ask some real job-related questions.
Abby explains the to the girls that Kevin is a web and graphic designer and she asked him to come up with some logos for the new business. First he shows them a rather voluptuous lady ghost, "Is it the boobs you don't like? Because I can make them bigger." Then he shows them the logo for Seven One One (7/11 gas stations), and finally he shows them a drawing of a hot dog floating over a house, "Well, I figured it was implied that a ghost is holding the hotdog," he explains in all seriousness. After the most ridiculous interview, they ask him to step away while they discuss. Kevin walks around aimlessly, poking and prodding everything he can when he hits a gong and covers his eyes because it's so loud.
If Kevin happens to be in any scene for the rest of the movie, he steals the spotlight. Who knew Chris Hemsworth was such a comedian?
6. Subway Ghost
Patty, an MTA worker, is sitting in her booth at the subway station minding her own business when a disturbed man (who we later find out is Rowan played by SNL's Neil Casey) walks up to her spouting nonsense about the "Fourth Cataclysm" as he jumps onto the tracks and runs off into the tunnel. Patty grabs her flashlight and chases after him, but instead finds a "weird, sparky thing" on the wall the explodes in her face. Suddenly, she sees red eyes in the distance and a blue-hued ghost appears. Patty calmly says, "Nah, I'm cool." drops her flashlight and makes a run for it.
After she seeks the help of the Ghostbusters, they return to the subway tracks to find the ghost, which looks like a crazed murderer in a jailhouse suit strapped to an electric chair. Holtzmann straps a prototype proton pack onto Erin's back and tells her to go for it. Needless to say, they don't catch the subway ghost, because the stream wasn't strong enough. The ghost does manage to catch the next train to Queens though.
5. Gear Testing
The ladies head out to a back alley to test out some of Holtzmann's tech (her table of treats) for the first time. Abby is dressed in a padded chest guard, ready to try out the stronger proton pack. Holtzmann, wearing a lovely plum-colored silk robe warns her, "You have to bend your knees a little bit." She aims for the evil ghost target and lets the stream flow...too much power sends her up in the sky, crashing into the walls, slamming her onto the ground, all while the rest of the crew deduces, "She must not be bending her knees enough," and "She's doing a marvelous impression of a deflating balloon."
A bit later in the film, after the tech is repaired and upgraded, they return to the same alley. Only this time they are better prepared wearing matching jumpsuits that Patty took from her job. Erin receives a special Swiss army knife just for her because, "Every woman should have one." They toss a ghost grenade, practice using the ghost chipper, and end with a hand-held ghost puncher. All very impressive ghostbusting gear that they later use in the battle against Rowan.
5. Patty v. Mannequin
No one likes faceless mannequins, especially when there is a room full of them in a creepy hallway in an old theater. When the girls are called to handle a ghost situation at a Metal Music Festival, they spread out in search for the paranormal problem. Patty is on her merry way down a secluded hallway when she discovers the mannequin room, she leaves right away shuffling to find the rest of the team, mumbling, "I thought this would just be like a book club type of thing...I had a great job at the MTA...why did I leave my job for this...I just walked into a room full of nightmares."
She turns around and spots a plastic person that definitely wasn't there before. Cue creepy head tilt. Patty runs off eventually finding the girls in another room and locks the door behind her. Well, until the mannequins foot comes crashing through...
4. Slimer's Joyride
After Rowan (a totally sad little man) sacrifices his human body to power the lay lines and create a portal into another realm (releasing every single ghost from the past few centuries), the girls stop at a hot dog cart with a green light emitting from the bin of wieners. Slimer pops out slobbering all over them with a mouth fool of food and devilish grin on his face. He jumps behind the wheel of the Ecto-1 and speeds off into the night, taking down everything in his path. Slimer clearly doesn't have his license or maybe just learned to drive in New York City. They can't stop the spud because the equivalent of a nuclear bomb is on top of the Ghostbusters' (stolen) ride.
In the midst of the big battle, Slimer drives by again blasting music, this time with Lady Slimer in the front seat and a bunch of ghosts hanging onto the hearse like it's the best party bus in town. Little does Slimer know that his joyride plays an important part in defeating Rowan.
3. Holtzman Brings Out the Big Guns
When the ladies finally make it to ghost central, Hotlzmann brings out the big guns exclaiming, "Oh, I forgot my new toys!" And with a lick of her gun, she jumps right into the middle of the action in slow-motion Matrix style, taking down every ghost in her path with effortless ninja moves with a skilled combat style. Pulling out each sidearm and not missing any targets, she slides through a gaggle of ghosts and clears the area screaming, "You just got Holtzmann'd!" This is easily the most impressive action scene in the film; with neon colors and exploding paranormal energies around her, Holtzmann busts 'em with pure pride creating a fun, exciting moment.
2. Ghostubusters' Logo Gone Wild
When Rowan frees himself from possessing Kevin's body (poor Kevin), he zooms around as a burst of light asking the ladies what form they would like him to take, since they can't seem to catch him. Patty instantly replies with, "How about a friendly, cute, little ghost?" Their own animated Ghostbusters logo appears and the "cute little ghost" pops out of it, growing into a very large menacing ghost with a nasty snarl and even sharper teeth. "That is not exactly what I meant!" the ladies scream as they attempt to take him down for good.
Rowan stomps his massive feet through the streets, smashing the tops of buildings like he's playing the bongo drums. He destroys everything in his wake, tossing full-sized taxi cabs out of his way like little matchbox cars. He's so big that he towers over the tallest...well, tower. The team tries their hardest with every ounce of power they've got to control him with their streams, but he is just too darn strong. At that very moment, Slimer drives by again and the ladies come up with the perfect plan to defeat Rowan and close the portal...
1. Post-Credits Scene
The post-credits scene starts with a sense of camaraderie as the entire team plays with new toys and tech, one of them being Hotlzmann's "nutcracker for walnuts." Patty is sifting through paranormal recordings when she announces that she hears something weird asking, "Who's Zuul?" Now, we know who Zuul is, but the new Ghostbusters don't. In reference to the original 1984 Ghostbusters, Zuul is the terrifying demigod that first appeared in Dana Barret's (Sigourney Weaver) fridge, took possession of her body, and became The Gatekeeper. This scene was either just another callback or a possible hint at a sequel...maybe with the return of Gozer?
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Ghostbusters is now playing in theaters.