Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

            Three bumbling scientists and an average Joe run around New York as supernatural exterminators, and comedy ensues. Ghost Busters stands up after more than twenty years because that brand of comedy was, and still is, universally funny. Boiled down to its core, the film is about a relentless cad, an absent-minded intellectual, an innocent buffoon, and a straight man coming together to fight ghosts. Of course, the story itself acts almost like a secondary straight man in that this seems more like the setup for an action/horror film than a comedy.

            Speaking of which, the film really does have its scary moments. Scenes that most modern comedies wouldn’t touch because they aren’t “laugh-a-minute” type shtick. When Dana (Sigourney Weaver) opens her fridge to find it inhabited by an ancient Sumerian God, we are purely in the realm of horror. Tobe Hooper may as well have directed that scene, but Ivan Reitman handles it well. There is a sense of dread concerning the woman we’ve just met, and audiences, especially kids, are still freaked out by it today. The characters, though comedic archetypes, come off as ordinary people dealing with extra-ordinary situations. The humor is not forced, it’s natural, and we laugh in the same vein that we would if we were having a pleasant conversation with friends.

            This brand of humor is often absent from modern comedy, or at least ignored. Ghost Busters manages to be hysterical and family friendly all at the same time because it does not rely on humor that appeals to the lowest common denominator. The slapstick elements are not over-the-top, and work because, like all good comedy, they are well timed. I know I sound like an old man, but a constant barrage of pratfalls wears itself thin rather quickly. The recent one-man comedy vehicles simply aren’t as funny as this film because they rely on an individual for their jokes. Ghost Busters, on the other hand, utilizes a full arsenal of comedic talent, keeping audiences rolling in their seats while continuing to tell an interesting story.

            In fact, story is the most important aspect with concern to the success of this film. Audiences always like well-told ghost stories, mysteries, romances, and adventures. This film has it all, but is never overbearing with any of these facets. Instead, Reitman weaves a tale together from seemingly disparate elements and it works well. Oh man, does it work well. I recently sat down to watch this movie with my own son, and the jokes were still funny, even if I could quote them. My son jumped in all the places I remember jumping at his age and laughed when I remember laughing. The adventure kept his attention and he even made it through the romantic bits without needing the father-son sex chat. All of this stands as a testament to the power of a good film. Like many Buster Keaton or Cary Grant films before it, Ivan Reitman’s Ghost Busters is, simply, a classic.