>>9542794It wasn't really a retread until the third act. Even then things were different enough I felt. Don't get me wrong, I'd still have had Shandor rip Gozer in half and then become the wielder of its power thus still requiring the basic gist of what went down. After 2016 they likely felt forced to ride the first movie like they did to get people to actually give it a chance. I don't think this is a bad thing, just handled poorly.
Like why not have Egon afraid of some unknown entity? I'd buy the guys not believing Egon if all of their work had dried up and Egon started worrying about an unknown entity that even he wasn't sure of what it was. So all the spooks are busted, Egon is raving about something he isn't even sure of what it is, takes his pack, all the traps, fuel, and Ecto. Gozer shows up and gets greeted by Shandor who due to all the various rituals and what rips Gozer in half instead and attains its power. While JK Simmons is standing there talking to himself about how it actually worked and that he is now a god, Phoebe shows up. He actually gets a laugh out of her jokes since he's a crazy goofy morbid genius and they catch the terror dog. Finale at the dirt farm they guys show up and they ask who the hell that is. As a callback to the game Winston says its Ivo Shandor and mocks Pete for still never studying.
I do think Murray phoned it in but Aykroyd was trying and Winston felt like Winston. They just needed a bit more of a hint that they were coming or making an effort to. Like Ray hanging up after Phoebes call then going to pick it up again before cutting to the next scene. I agree there could have been more jokes but I still had some decent laughs. They were different than the originals, but not bad. I've also always felt the films needed more ghosts either to bust or just run in to. So the mini pufts I didn't mind since they were cute and made for minor spectral annoyances.
