Ghost Town

Posted Sep 19, 2008 by Ryan Bauer

Updated Sep 19, 2008 at 10:09 AM

Welcome to Reel People. It’s a place where, you guessed it, real people like yourselves spout off on new movie releases. It works best if you - yes, we mean you - jump into the forum link below and tell us what you think of the movie, too.

This week, we’re watching Ghost Town.

What I Liked: “Ghost Town” is a hilarious comedy about a people hating dentist who, after a funny but disturbing turn of events at the hospital, suddenly has the ability to see dead people.  And he soon realizes he hates them as much as the living.  Ricky Gervais (from the original “The Office” from the UK and also as Ben Stiller’s Boss in “Night at the Museum”) will make you laugh out loud at his quick wit and smart-alec one liners. His time on “The Office” has really helped him as he plays the goofy but lovable jerk in this film.  Greg Kinnear plays Frank, an obnoxious ghost harassing Ricky Gervais’s character for help so he can move on.  Kinnear does a decent job at his role but it isn’t anything we haven’t seen him play before.  The dialogue is so funny it keeps the film moving.  The physical jokes tying the spirit world and the human world together is also well done.  The film also adds that touching thought about saying good-bye to the ones we love and reminding us to do the r ight thing for them and ourselves.

What I Disliked: Some of the holes in the plot are a bit bothersome. Like many of the ghosts, some of the story plots just seem like they are not finished.  Just as we start to learn the reason why Ricky Gervais’s character hates people so much the scene just ends and we learn no more.  And what we have learned makes you question if the situation would really make you hate EVERYONE as much as he does.  Also if he hates people so much why would he move to Manhattan from London?  We are told it’s complicated but get nothing more.  Obviously the writers thought it was VERY complicated and decided to leave explanations out.  For that matter, why would a people hater be a DENTIST… in Manhattan?  Another hole in the plot is after the dentist confronts the hospital about why he is suddenly seeing dead people, a short explanation is given, and we just move on.  Does the main character just accept what has happened to him?  Or is he going to take action?  Lastly, the ending leaves us wonde ring if he will continue to see ghosts in need.  We are never told.  The ending leaves you wondering.

Would I Recommend?: Sure the plot has several holes in it but Ricky Gervais is so enjoyable and the laughs are so often that you can forgive the writers… this time. Check out “Ghost Town” because it is an enjoyable film for everyone and has just enough heart to make you remind you to be thankful for those in your life.

Score: 6 out of 10

- John T. McMillin

What I Liked: I liked how funny this film was. After viewing some really awful movies in recent weeks such as Burn After Reading, I was looking forward to a comedy that was actually funny! Ghost Town had the perfect blend of comedy, good feelings and emotion. The characters were just fantastic! I absolutely loved Ricky Gervais. I feared he would annoy me in the movie within the first few minutes, but he came off as surprisingly human.

What I Disliked: I didn’t like the idea of being able to see the dead. That is obviously a personal issue for me, but I’ve always been terrified of ghosts. I think if I ever had the ability to see them I would just have to be locked up. Hallucinations and things of that nature just freak me out!

Would I Recommend?: I would recommend it even though the premise of the film bothers me. The humor and the heart of the story display the importance of getting done today what needs to be done because you never know when your time will be up. Hug your loved ones and keep all of your business finished so that they won’t have to ever ponder what could have been.

Score: 7 out of 10

- Ashley Grant