Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/709569
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 31 JULY 2016 This Week 33 IN CINEMAS TODAY Embassy Cinemas Valletta Tel. 21 227436, 21 245818 Ghostbusters (12A) 10:25, 13:30, 16:00, 18:30, 21:00 The Secret Life Of Pets (PG) 10:30, 15:55, 18:40, 20:50 Central Intelligence (12A) 10:25, 13:40, 16:10, 18:25 Now You See Me 2 (12A) 18:05, 20:55 Jason Bourne (12A) 10:15, 13:15, 15:55, 18:30, 21:10 Ice Age: Collision Course (U) 10:00, 12:15, 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, 21:15 The Legend of Tarzan (12A) 13:30 , 16:00, 20:55 Valletta Living History (U) 10:00, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15, 13:00, 13:45, 14:30, 15:15 Eden Cinemas St Julian's Tel. 23 710400 The BFG (PG) 14:00, 16:25, 18:50, 21:15, 23:40 Independence Day: Resurgence (12A) 14:00, 16:25, 18:50, 21:15, 23:45 Ghostbusters (12A) 14:05, 16:25, 18:45, 21:10, 23:40 Central Intelligence (12A) 14:05, 16:25, 18:45, 21:05, 23:30 Colonia (15) 14:05, 18:30, 23:00 The Legend of Tarzan (12A) 14:05, 16:30, 18:50, 21:10, 23:30 Ice Age: Collision Course (U) 14:10, 16:20, 18:25, 20:30 The Secret Life of Pets (PG) 14:15, 16:20, 18:30, 20:40 Now You See Me 2 (12A) 14:20, 18:00, 20:45, 23:25 Jason Bourne (12A) 14:25, 18:15, 20:55, 23:35 Star Trek Beyond (12A) 14:30, 18:05, 20:50, 23:30 The Conjuring 2 (15) 14:30, 17:55, 20:45, 23:30 Precious Cargo (18) 16:25, 20:55 Empire Cinemas Bugibba Tel. 21 581787, 21 581909 Star Trek Beyond (12A) 10:40, 13:15, 15:55, 18:30, 21:05 Ice Age: Collision Course (U) 11:05, 13:25, 15:45, 18:00, 20:35 The Secret Life of Pets (PG) 11:00, 13:45, 18:00 The Legend of Tarzan (12A) 15:45, 21:05 Jason Bourne (12A) 10:30, 13:05, 15:40, 18:15, 21:00 BFG (PG) 10:40, 13:15, 16:00, 18:30, 21:00 Now You See Me 2 (12A) 10:20, 13:05, 15:45, 18:30, 21:15 Ghostbusters (12A) 11:00, 13:35, 16:05, 18:35, 21:05 THE much talked-about – and all- female – Ghostbusters reboot is not a revolutionary act of pop culture sabotage, and neither is it – simply – a particularly exceptional film. But it's a workable sci-fi comedy that both recognizes what its predeces- sors did to secure their vaunted position in the cinema canon, while still keeping its finger on the pulse of what contemporary American com- edy is all about. And we're introduced to its world through that scion of contemporary American comedy, Kristen Wiig. Here playing the formerly ghost-ob- sessed, now tenure-chasing 'serious' scientist Erin Gilbert, her plans for a cushy career within the hallowed halls of academia are dashed when her former friend and collaborator Abby Yeats (Melissa McCarthy) in- advertently barges back into her life. Back in the day, Erin and Abby had co-written a book about the supposed science behind 'real-life' ghosts – an endeavour which Erin has since disowned as she (rightly) fears it would discredit her with the scientific community she so desper- ately yearns to be part of. But as she discovers when an elderly fan of the paranormal visits her before a lec- ture, it turns out that Abby has put the book on Amazon without con- sulting Erin. Paranoid that this move would jeopardise her shot at academic tenure – something well within her grasp at that point – Erin marches to Abby's ramshackle office at New York's 'Institute for Science', where her former colleague is found still tinkering away at notions of ghosts, aided along by the eccentric engi- neer Dr Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). Though Abby eventu- ally agrees to remove the book from all online listings, the meeting is not a happy one, with Abby clearly hurt about Erin 'abandoning' their project – and subsequently, their friendship – in favour of advancing her career. But the possibility of a real-life ghost in their native New York changes all that. And following that first fateful encounter, the trio – Abby, Erin and Jillian – decide to set up their own ghost-hunting ser- vice, also recruiting the New York- trivia savvy metro clerk Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) and the devastatingly handsome but hopelessly dumb sec- retary, Kevin (Chris Hemsworth). However, the authorities – repre- sented by a genial Andy Garcia as the city's Mayor – are none too keen about their special effects laden and attention-grabbing efforts, and the team will have to go underground if they are to face a very real threat to the city. Much online bile and counter- bile was unleashed online in the run-up to this particular reboot, directed by Paul Feig and penned by Katie Dippold and Feig, with the original Ghostbusters direc- tor Ivan Reitman stepping into the role of producer this time around. The very fact of a Ghostbusters reboot was bad enough news for many, but throwing in the all- female cast into the mix lent the whole story another edge of ugli- ness. Hardcore misogynists com- plained about the simple fact of it all, less hardcore misogynists saw it as a cynical ploy, while on the other side of the spectrum there were those willing to forgive any and all of the film's shortcomings due to the progressive advocacy assumed in its casting. Well, suffice it to say that this fun, but not remarkable, piece of franchise re-jigging merited very little of all that advance-plug 'dis- cussion' ahead of release. Though it's no doubt a cool thing that girls will now have their own Ghost- busters to look forward to – with McKinnon firmly establishing herself as a fan-favourite – the film does a good enough job of deliver- ing an enjoyable couple of hours of comedy fluff, but it shouldn't be taken as anything else. The presence of Reitman within its crew, along with a clutch of fun cameos from Ghostbusters stal- warts, is a smooth-enough way of passing the baton to the newbies, but this is still very much Feig's movie, and that of its stars. And both Feig – a veteran of Wiig and McCarthy-starring 'fe- male Hangover' comedies such as Bridesmaids and The Heat – and the actresses in questions are very much in tune with the contem- porary comedy vernacular. Less about the organic, improvised vibe that made the first Ghostbusters so special, in the new mode the in- dividual gag is king, and stringing a bunch of them together is how Feig makes his films work. Per- haps this is a logical step forward in the age of YouTube (or better still: Vine and Snapchat) and it certainly explains why McKinnon is being singled out for adoration above all. She's great at practiced weirdness, and her one-liners and visual gags could easily be trans- posed into another film – or com- edy skit – with very little being lost in translation. Go in with little expectations of continuity from the former franchise, and you'll find the new Ghostbusters to be an enjoyable diversion. I ain't afraid of no girls ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ GHOSTBUSTERS ★ ★ ★ ★ GHOSTHUNTERS ★ ★ ★ GHOSTTRAPPERS ★ ★ GHOSTCHASERS ★ RUNNING SCARED FILM By Teodor Reljic GHOSTBUSTERS (12A) ★ ★ ★ ★ Who you gonna call? These girls, apparently (from left): Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones Kate McKinnon