BIG SCREEN: Ghostbusters Revieux (PG-13)

Man, there was a lot of online smack talk going around about this Ghostbusters remake long before it was released. From the nerve of filmmakers to (gasp!) cast women in the lead roles, to the placement of minor player/token male Chris Hemsworth at the center of publicity photos, to the sort of goofy but -- gimme a break -- harmlessly fun Fall Out Boy/Missy Elliott theme song, I felt like I needed to cut it some slack and go in with very low expectations.

Turns out, that was unnecessary.

In this installment, much like the original, a trio of scientists (Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Kate McKinnon) teams up to investigate a spate of frightening paranormal activity in New York City. A subway worker (Leslie Jones) with historical knowledge of the city -- and information that helps lead to the source of problem -- soon joins the team, as does a really attractive, but dimwitted male bimbo (Hemsworth), who is inexplicably hired as the worst receptionist of all time. When everything escalates and thousands of mischievous ghosts descend on Times Square, they load up the proton packs, fire up the hearse, and go kick some serious phantom fanny.

I honestly can’t figure out why critics have been so hard on this movie. The cast is fantastic (they mesh together seamlessly as an ensemble, and as many called it, Kate McKinnon is a total scene-stealer), the special effects are super cool (we saw it in IMAX-3D, totally worth it!), the writing is funny, and the plot remains just faithful enough to the original (with some fun cameos peppered in) to maintain familiarity, while allowing plenty of room for the new characters and storyline to fully develop. Best of all, they let the women be strong, smart, cool, and witty -- how’s that not a recipe for a good movie?!

As you may have noticed, it earned a PG-13 rating. The first ghost encounter might be a little scary for younger kids, and there’s a handful of bad language (just your basic curse words, nothing overly hardcore) and rude humor (gestures and references) scattered about. It’s not excessive, but it’s certainly present. Every parent sets their own specific limits for their kids, but I felt completely comfortable letting my 10-year-old watch it. Partly because I have a strict “emulate what you see or hear in the movies, and you’ll be demoted back to baby rated-G movies pronto” policy, but also because, thankfully, the most cringe-worthy reference went way over his head.

Ghostbusters, which opens this Friday, July 15, is probably the most fun I’ve had in the movie theater all summer. And we’ll definitely see it again as a rental!

Click here to see where it’s playing locally.

BIG SCREEN: Bridesmaids Revieux (Rated R)

I’ve heard a lot of people describe Bridesmaids as The Hangover for women. This did not sound encouraging to me. Seriously. There’s certainly a time and place for raunchy dude flicks, but do women still feel like they have to act like men to transcend the stereotypical chick flick and be riotously funny? Ugh, Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) is sort of an over-the-top comedian, anyway – so, I had visions of extreme desperation and hammy performances dancing obnoxiously in my head. But, I’m pleased to say, this was not the case.

Wiig plays Annie, a down-on-her-luck 30-something who’s lost her business, boyfriend, and entire life savings all in one fell swoop, and is now eking out a pretty pathetic existence. Her job stinks, her car’s a junker, and her “friend with benefits” (Jon Hamm) is a serious jerk. But her relationship with her childhood best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), is a ray of sunlight and it brings out the best in her. When Lillian gets engaged and asks Annie to be her maid of honor, however, Annie’s whole rickety house of cards pretty much gets blown to smithereens, thanks to her own insecurities and a really competitive/overly perfect fellow bridesmaid. And we watch her total deconstruction play out with cringe-worthy, but hilarious results.

Quite contrary to my expectations, Wiig and Rudolph (and a great supporting cast) actually turn in some truly authentic and funny performances. And even if I didn’t tell you that Wiig wrote this movie with a girlfriend, you’d still be able to tell it was written by women. Why? What makes it NOT The Hangover for women? Heart and soul (we women like a little substance, right?). Not enough to make it super sappy and ruin the comedic aspects, but enough to give it some weight and to balance out the bawdy humor and crazy sight-gags. And there’s plenty of both, don’t worry.

As I watched, I imagined that most women will find it amusing, but I wondered how many will actually identify with Annie. While many women married their college sweethearts or dutifully worked their way up the corporate ladder, there were many of us—er—many women out there, I'm told, who made terrible choices and maybe partied a bit too much and told each other lewd jokes and dated the wrong people for the wrong reasons. We--I mean, they give themselves away by laughing the loudest in the theater. Busted!

Although, yes, dudes directed and produced it – Bridesmaids is a movie written by women, about women, with an uncensored sense of humor. Hallelujah! How refreshing! Perfect for a girls’ night out!

For New Orleans-area movie theaters and showtimes, visit...
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