Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy pick up their proton packs and give 1984's beloved supernatural comedy an enjoyably goofy, girl-power reboot
Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy pick up their proton packs and give 1984's beloved supernatural comedy an enjoyably goofy, girl-power reboot.
The new team comprises Wiig's tightly buttoned-up university physicist, her estranged childhood friend and ghost buff McCarthy, geeky tech genius Kate McKinnon and subway worker Leslie Jones, plus their hunky but dim PA (a hilarious Chris Hemsworth).
As before, the story finds a gathering storm of paranormal activity threatening to overwhelm New York and they are soon up to their necks in ectoplasmic slime.
The plot sags in places, some of the gags are pretty lame and sometimes the CGI effects threaten to swamp the stars. Yet for the most part, this movie really does work and is an awful lot better than you might have been led to believe.
There are plenty of in-jokes and affectionate nods to the original – such as the scene in which the ladies find they cannot afford the rent on the iconic original firehouse office, plus a fun cameo from original star Bill Murray – and there are more pointed jabs at sexism.
The overall mood, though, is one of good-humoured, warm-hearted fun and the stars gel beautifully.
