With only weeks to go before director Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters hits theaters, even the most cursory of glances at the lead up to its release is fraught with negativity. The backlash that the unreleased film has received has been one of the worst cases of disdain for a reboot seen in quite some time.
Throughout the ongoing campaign of resistance by some fans of the original film, both Paul Feig and his Ghostbusters cast have remained strong – even when some turned to online personal attacks against them. This isn’t to say that either Feig or some of the new cast haven’t taken the odd opportunity to fire back at detractors, but for the most part, the new Ghostbusters and their director have weathered the storm of criticism with composure.
Ever confident that their film will please audiences, the new ghostbusting crew got a recent bolster of confidence after one of the original Ghostbusters himself took to Facebook to pass on his review. Dan Aykroyd, a.k.a. Dr. Raymond Stantz, and one of the original creators of the entire Ghostbusters franchise, recently saw the film and as you can see from the statement below, quite enjoyed himself:
“As originator of the original: Saw test screening of new movie. Apart from brilliant, genuine performances from the cast both female and male, it has more laughs and more scares than the first 2 films plus Bill Murray is in it! As one of millions of man-fans and Ray Stantz, I’m paying to see that and bringing all my friends!”
Aykroyd has been pushing the return of the franchise for years, originally attempting to get a Ghostbusters 3 off the ground, but Bill Murray’s continuous refusals to take part in another sequel halted those plans. When the announcement came that a new Ghostbusters would be made with an all female cast, Aykroyd was overjoyed, calling the concept “a beautiful development.” Though his original storylines weren’t used for the reboot, he did come on as producer and also makes a cameo appearance, along with two other original Ghostbusters, Ernie Hudson and Bill Murray. Unfortunately, Harold Ramis – who co-wrote and starred in the original films as Dr. Egon Spengler – passed away in 2014. Ramis had worked alongside Aykroyd for some time to get a third Ghostbusters film made.
Of course, Aykroyd’s review can easily be interpreted as an attempt to sway some of the negative reactions that both the film and its trailers have been getting – given what the actor stands to gain from a hit. But it’s also been clear that over the years he’s remained loyal to the franchise he helped to create, so it isn’t beyond the scope of credibility that his praise for the new film is legitimate.
Whatever anyone’s verdict on Aykroyd’s opinion ends up being, there’s really no reason to believe that this film couldn’t be well worth its admission price. Featuring some of the best current names in comedy with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, Ghostbusters might just end up surprising more than a few people this summer – if only it’s given the benefit of the doubt.
Ghostbusters opens July 15 in US theaters.
Source: Facebook (via Nerdist)
