Ghostbusters, haunted by spirits of the original, fails to stand on its own

Ghostbusters isn't a referendum on the state of females in comedy, but rather another refried Hollywood reboot and anundercooked one at that.

A little more than 30 years after the events of the original tale,New York City is once again the setting for paranormal pandemonium. Rushing to the rescue is the comedic powerhouse of Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones.

Wiig is nervous and high-strung as a professor clinging to academia. McCarthy is eager and all-in as a ghost researcher. McKinnon appears as a gonzo engineer with the off-kilter rhythms of David Byrne.

The trio are eventually joined by Leslie Jonesin an amped-up version of herselfas a subway worker who knows the city. Considering the others portraytrailblazing scientists, giving Jones's character nothing but streetwise know-howfeels like a missed opportunity, if not just plain condescending.

The fulcrum of the film is supposedly the friendship between Wiig and McCarthy's characters, who once co-authored a book on spirits before having a falling out.

While director Paul Feig and co-writer Katie Dippold may be trying for something subtler, the relationship never quite clicks. If anything,Wiig invests more into her character'scrush on Kevin, the hunky himbo receptionist played by an amusing Chris Hemsworth.

Part of the problem is that Ghostbustersis so busy going through a karaoke-style re-enactment of the original thatthese new paranormal exterminatorshave little time to stand on their own.

Converted hearse as theirGhostmobile? Check.

Sparking proton packs? Check.

Needless explanation of the Ghostbuster logo? Check.

Tortured remake of original theme song by Fall Out Boy? Oh Lord,check.

Stuck in a cinematic limbo between remake, sequel and homage, Ghostbusters movie takes place in a city that doesn't remember what happened, butwhose mayor stillmakes vague references that hint he does.

To add to the confusion, the film is riddled with lifeless cameos. SPOILER ALERT!In particular, Bill Murray turns upas a foppish skeptic named Martin Heiss, lookinglike a refugee from a Wes Anderson film minus the laughs.

In terms offamily entertainment, Ghostbusters adeptlybalances the spooky stuff with the comedy. The ghosts have a Disneyesque, Haunted Mansionvibe and there'slots of glowing green goo. Still, the3D effects might scare the young ones.

It's only in the final act, as the group try to stop a bitter loner from opening a portal to the netherworld (again), that these Ghostbusters finally gel.

Haunted by visions of the original, Wiig, Jones and McCarthy do what they can to make the spectral showdown their own.

But really,McKinnon's riot grrrl take on Jillian Holtzmann is the movie'ssaving grace.

LikeJeff Goldblum or Christopher Walken, she's a performer tuned into her own channel. With wild eyes and a smirk, herHoltzmann cobbles together nuclear power packs with gleeful abandon and ownsher awkwardness. While I couldn't care less about the inevitable Ghostbusters sequel, I can't wait to see what McKinnon does next.

RATING: 3out of 5 stars