Discuss the Ghostbusters movie that was released in 2016.
User avatar
By Bob Wobbaz
#4886323
This may just be me on this, but I've not seen a thread on this section about it so I thought I'd see what others think, I'm interested to see what others opinions are on it.

My minor issue is the tech in the new film. I'm not talking about the aesthetics of the new tech, the look of them I like for the most part and as props they look pretty fantastic. My issue is their use and functional design within the new universe.

I know it's difficult not to draw comparisons and parallels to the old films but I feel this is needed here to illustrate my point clearer. The tech of the old films, each bit had a very specific purpose. PKE, a spiritual divining rod, helps locate a ghost, goggles for seeing invisible ghosts, packs...well we all know what they're for. Even the less used items of Ghostbusters has a relevent and tangible function, Radiacmeter for initally assessing radiation levels when first firing the packs, gigameter to measure the pyschomagnapheric levels etc.

With the new equipment, I just don't feel like each bit of new equipment has a particular function, "this tool for this job". Ultimately, the standard thrower, proton shotgun and the pistols operate the same way and have the same outcome on the spirits. There doesn't seem to be a specific reason for each bit of equipment to exist other than additional wow factor for us the audience and to give each member of the team their own specific piece of kit. We see the ghosts all cut to ribbons and mashed up on the floor after the times square battle and the end result is the same despite the weapon, shotgun, glove, shredder, grenade, pistol, it still ends with ghost carcasses all over the place. We see how easy it is for Holtzmann to weild the proton pistols in the end sequence....which kind of renders the neutrona wand redundant. I mean why have a big gun when a small pistol will do the same job? I think I've come to this point because the ghosts in the time square sequence are more or less of the same classification, sure there's the balloons and the stilt ghost but the large majorty we see dispatched are just, well, ghosts.

One other thing that niggled me was the trap. I don't quite understand the point of having an arm worn remote control to turn the trap on...and then go to a pedal system to actually activate it. Why not have it wireless completely? I'm assuming this is because of the nostalgia factor, the trap HAD to have a pedal. But again, it kind of made the arm control more or less pointless. Kick out the trap, activate arm control, have the pedal spring back towards you....it an added complication.

So yeah, just wondering if anyone else has any thoughts on this? :)
User avatar
By Sav C
#4886325
That's something I noticed, and touched upon a bit in my review:
The last act has a complicated feel to it where lots of stuff is happening at a time. Slimer has stolen the Ecto-1, Rowan has frozen the army, and the Ghostbusters are battling ghosts in Times Square (which is a cool scene where they get to show off all of the new gadgetry, although the gadgetry itself contributes to the more complicated feel since there are so many different devices.)
To me it makes sense that there are many variations of gadgets, often times that's the way it is with tools. For instance when making a movie there are many types of cameras to choose from (film (Super 8, 16mm, 35mm,) digital (HD, 4K,) and at one time tape (VHS, Beta-max,)) even though each has the basic function of capturing light.

It really just goes to show the simplicity of the originals, they only had the stuff they needed, nothing more. I prefer the more simplistic approach, but it's great having both. [Sentence cut as I felt in wasn't in good taste].
Last edited by Sav C on December 12th, 2016, 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
By Alphagaia
#4886338
My takeaway is they have not settled on what is the best way of dealing with a ghost in a certain situation and it's another field run test on what works best.
  • A proton pack seems best to hold a ghost in place and tire them out, so one can move it to a trap or hit it with another device that ( temporarily) neutralizes it.
    The chipper seems like a trap that removes the slime from an ectoplasm if one has no desire to capture it.
    McKinnons hand guns seem to go for protonic reversals. I imagine this eats up the most juice of the pack.
    The shotgun seems best to repel ghosts who come to close.
    The hand grenades are for multiple targets, just like the Protonglove, who blast away the ectoplasm to render a ghost powerless until he reforms.
It's eye candy first and foremost, but there can be some logic behind it.
Sav C liked this
By pferreira1983
#4886565
They went to a lot of trouble in creating new tech which is good however I just found stuff ludicrous like the gloves that allow you to bust ghosts. If ghosts can be turned into puffs of smoke with the proton guns and gloves why need a trap? It just doesn't make sense.
User avatar
By Alphagaia
#4887024
pferreira1983 wrote:
Alphagaia wrote:To study them of course! Or to make sure it cannot reform.
I don't buy it. It makes no sense.
They literally say take this big boy to the lab during the Sparky sequence, so studying is definitely an option.
User avatar
By SSJmole
#4887025
The different pistols and shotgun I feel are like real guns. All shoot stuff but the differences make them best for each person. Like really good aim and shot? Pistols. But if the type to be nervous and not a perfect shot the shotgun covers for you a little.

As for trap yeah its to study they say that during the film.

So I do feel each equipment has its own job like they have the glove for hand to ghost combat. They have trap to trap. Different weapons to serve the individual style. I love the new PKE meter. They even took time to explain the pack tech a little more
By pferreira1983
#4887036
Alphagaia wrote:
They literally say take this big boy to the lab during the Sparky sequence, so studying is definitely an option.
No of course, I'm not saying they shouldn't trap them, I saying I'm totally confused by why they're making ghosts dissipate like puffs of smoke or leaving parts of ghosts on the ground. I mean what happens to those bits? :shock:
User avatar
By Alphagaia
#4887037
According to Ghosts of Our Pasts, and various other sources in GB lore, ghosts use energy and feed of energy (this is also why Erin screams they need to cut of the Power to the City and why Mayhem is drawn toward the concert: it makes him stronger and they explain this). Ectoplasma forms when a ghost has enough energy and can manifest as the slime clings to them and gives them a physical form.
What some of the weapons effectively do is remove the slime from the spectral energy. In a way, they are tiring them out and rendering them harmless untill they find the energy to reform.
devilmanozzy liked this

    Someone ID'd them on Facebook first, there w[…]

    Two specific ideas I have are basically holiday sp[…]

    While waiting impatiently for Frozen Empire to rel[…]

    Make it that pack, sell it for $599. (While I […]