What made this so good? Honest Answers please, not Trolling.
I watched this for the first time and I didn't hate it, but have no idea how it became what it is.
shareI like the movie a lot. I'll do my best.
1. The concept remains fresh. Something like the discovery of the paranormal/afterlife should elicit top scientists and global reform. In this film, they're exterminators. That's inherently funny because of the unexpected reaction.
2. It's an adult comedy. It uses dry humour, wit, and only occasional slapstick stuff. It treats the story seriously. It keeps a solid tone throughout. It takes its time to build the plot and finds time for the cast to be funny in the context of that story. It isn't just sketches or jokes for their own sake. It's rare to find a grown-up comedy. The laughs are the biggest thing for me, but it's not just quantity, it's quality.
3. The world, look, and feel is cool. It's got a great aesthetic.
4. The cast are dynamite together, each bringing some fierce talents into play.
5. This might be the second most important element, actually: it bears rewatching. Every time I find something new to love. Not a lot of movies can do that, and it's particularly difficult for comedies where the element of surprise is crucial. But they packed it with so much love of the art that it works on more views.
Aside from that, I think it's just the legendary status it achieved. Some of that does have to do with the release time. These effects were a lot cooler in '84. It was fresher. And sensibilities were different. The Ghostbuster actors were more famous than they are now, so it was a bit more of a thrill to see Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd than it might be now. So, for whatever reason (all of the above?) Ghostbusters hit that pop culture tipping point and became part of the zeitgeist, the lexicon, the "cool", and cemented itself as an "it" movie, basically for all-time.
Great answer, I could not have said it better.
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