When the announcement hit that Paul Feig remake was going to helm a “Ghostbusters” reboot and that the all-male cast of the original was going to be replaced by an all-female ensemble, the internet freaked. On one side of the aisle was definite praise for a step forward in Hollywood’s never-ending battle with gender equality, but on the other side of the spectrum there was the massive backlash from fans of the original. The latter didn’t want to believe that some of their most beloved movie characters were about to replaced by, shock, women! The massive social media trolling campaign that ensued damaged the film, with even some taking to IMDB and purposely rating the film the lowest score possible despite not having seen the film. The 5.3 IMDB rating it currently has is unfair and part of a the malicious campaign to destroy the film. It was harsh, and showcased the negative consequences that can arise from militant movie fandom.
However, with all that said, Melissa McCarthy wants to blame sexism for the movie's poor success. “I just don’t know why people are so afraid of women. It’s fascinating to me,” McCarthy said in an new interview with Yahoo. She continued by jokingly saying, “If a movie 35 years later is ‘ruining your childhood,’ don’t blame us — you’ve got your own issues.”
Feig’s “Ghostbusters” reboot was not deserving of the hateful backlash it received, but it was also not as good if taken as an actual movie. The cast was mostly spot-on, but there was nothing above-average about the film. Kristen Wiig was her usual awkward self, Leslie Jones did a great job with what was essentially a thinly written part, but, if there was a clear-cut standout in the film, it was Kate McKinnon, who stole the show as weirdo Jillian Holtzmann. The fact that McKinnon barely had any lines and still ended up being the funniest, most inventive character spoke volumes about not just her talent but the movie itself, which felt like a missed opportunity from Feig and company.