Ghostbusters 2016 (Ghostbusters: Answer the Call)

 Released Year: 2016

Directed by Paul Feig

Casted by:

Melissa McCarthy as Dr. Abigail "Abby" Yates

Kristen Wiig as Dr. Erin Gilbert

Kate McKinnon as Dr. Jillian Holtzmann

Leslie Jones as Patty Tolan

Chris Hemsworth as Kevin Beckman

Andy García as Mayor Bradley

Bill Murray as Martin Heiss

Dan Aykroyd as Taxi Driver

Ernie Hudson as Bill Jenkins

Sigourney Weaver as Rebecca Gorin

 Story:

Physicists Abby Yates and Erin Gilbert are co-authors of a book which posits the existence of paranormal phenomena such as ghosts. Gilbert has disowned the work and become a professor at Columbia University, while Yates continues to study the paranormal at a technical college with eccentric engineer Jillian Holtzmann. Gilbert learns Yates has republished the book, threatening her bid for tenure at Columbia. She reunites with Yates and, in exchange for Yates removing the book from publication, reluctantly agrees to assist her and Holtzmann in a paranormal investigation.

The group witness a malevolent ghost, renewing Gilbert's belief in the paranormal. However, a video of their investigation is posted online, and Gilbert is denied tenure. She joins Yates and Holtzmann's project, but when a new institute director learns its nature, he fires them. They open an office above a Chinese restaurant and call themselves the "Conductors of the Metaphysical Examination." They build equipment to study and capture ghosts, and hire dimwitted but handsome Kevin Beckman as a receptionist.

MTA worker Patty Tolan witnesses a ghost in a subway line and contacts the group. They document the ghost and successfully test Holtzmann's proton containment laser, but their findings are again dismissed. They continue to develop their technology and advertise their services as what pundits have dubbed the "Ghostbusters". Tolan joins the team, providing historical knowledge of New York City and a repurposed hearse, "Ecto-1".

Unbeknownst to them, the ghosts are being summoned by devices built by Rowan North, an occultist and mad scientist attempting to bring about the apocalypse. When Rowan plants another device at a live music venue, the Ghostbusters are called in and capture the ghost in front of the audience. When supernatural debunker Dr. Martin Heiss challenges the Ghostbusters, the incensed Gilbert releases the ghost as proof; it throws Heiss out a window before escaping. The Ghostbusters are brought to see Mayor Bradley, who reveals that the city and the Department of Homeland Security are aware of New York's ghost problem. While privately supporting the team's work, the mayor's office and DHS publicly denounce them as fraudsters.

The Ghostbusters realize Rowan is planting his devices along ley lines which intersect at the Mercado Hotel in Times Square, a site with a history of paranormal activity, and discover Rowan building a portal to the ghost dimension in the hotel basement. Rowan deliberately electrocutes himself and Holtzmann deactivates the portal. Gilbert discovers a copy of her and Yates's book among Rowan's possessions, and realizes that he planned to become a ghost and command a spirit army. Rowan returns as a powerful ghost, possessing Yates and then Kevin. As Kevin, he opens the portal and releases hundreds of ghosts. The police and DHS are quickly subdued, but the Ghostbusters fight through the army of ghosts to reach the portal.

Rowan takes the form of the ghost in the Ghostbusters' logo, grows to enormous height, and attacks the city. The team devise a plan to use Ecto-1's nuclear reactor to close the portal and return the ghosts to their own dimension. The plan succeeds, but Rowan drags Yates into the portal with him; Gilbert leaps into the portal and rescues her. The mayor's office agrees to secretly fund the Ghostbusters' research while continuing to publicly denounce them as frauds. With new funding, the Ghostbusters move to a better facility, a disused fire house. Despite the mayoral smear campaign, New York lights up with thanks and tributes to the Ghostbusters. Tolan listens to a recording of a ghost encounter and asks the others if they have heard of Zuul. 

L² Scored: 5.5/10 

L² Comment: 

Hmm, i'm not sure how to say about this, but i feel that the trailer of this movie is probably better than the actual movie. Or maybe because that i'm a big fans of the cartoon version and i'm putting too much hope into this movie, but i remember the previous 1984 & 1989 version are nice to watch as well, but this 2016 version is kinda a bit boring on the story wise...

Its a good idea to change the 4 main ghostbusters from guy to girl and the blondie secretary is replaced by the macho Chris Hemsworth, but the draginess of this movie is simply making this movie walks toward a dead zone for me. Why not make more different kind of ghost appear and how they try to catch them instead? I'm quite happy to know that a lot of the previous version actors & actresses are back in this movie for cameo purposes :) But will there be another sequal after this? Seriously not sure but finger cross and hopefully they got another chance to prove us wrong again...

Garfield: The Movie

 Released Year: 2004

Directed by Peter Hewitt

Casted by:

Bill Murray as Garfield

Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz Wilson

 Story:

Garfield is a fat cat who lives with his owner, Jon Arbuckle in a middle class American cul-de-sac who live in the Ferndale, MI a suburb of Detroit. Garfield passes his time by harassing Jon and mocking a neighbor Doberman Pinscher, Luca. Aside from Jon, Garfield maintains an unlikely friendship with a mouse, Louis. He also interacts with and occasionally manipulates his fellow neighborhood cats, including the dimwitted Nermal and Garfield's romantic interest, Arlene (who are both seen as live-action cats).

Meanwhile, a local television host, Happy Chapman, known for his cat "Persnikitty" is introduced as supposedly a happy man, but in reality he is jealous of his brother Walter J. Chapman a news reporter, and wants to outwit him in success wise by performing on TV show Good Day New York. Jon has made a habit of bringing Garfield to the veterinarian, hoping to woo vet Dr. Liz Wilson. Jon tries to ask her out, but due to a misunderstanding, he is given custody of a stray dog, Odie. Regardless, Jon and Liz begin dating. Garfield is displeased at having to share the house with a dog, of whom Jon grows fond. Odie is brought to a canine talent show, where Liz is a judge. Garfield gets involved in a ruckus there with other animals, which moves Odie to the center of the ring, where he begins dancing to "Hey Mama" by The Black Eyed Peas.

His impromptu performance is a hit. Happy Chapman, who also is a judge of the dog show is impressed with Odie, and offers Jon a television deal for Odie, but Jon declines leaving Happy to apparently be envious of Odie. After Garfield causes a mess inside Jon's house, Jon puts him outside, where Odie comes to comfort him. Garfield reacts by running inside and locking Odie out. Odie runs away, and is picked up by an elderly woman named Mrs. Baker. A distraught Jon works with Liz to search for him, while the neighborhood animals ridicule Garfield for what he did to Odie. Meanwhile, Chapman and his assistant find a "lost dog" found poster Mrs. Baker created, of Odie and recognizing the lucrative possibilities, claim Odie as Happy's own. When Garfield sees Odie on television and hears Chapman announce he and Odie are going to New York City by train for a big performance on Good Day New York, Garfield, realizing his selfishness, vows to intervene. Garfield leaves his house on a rescue mission for Odie. At Chapman's studio at Telegraph Tower, Garfield finds Odie captive in a room; Chapman enters and secures a shock collar to Odie, which, when activated, releases an electric discharge that forces him to perform tricks.

Chapman heads for the train station, with Garfield in pursuit. However, an animal control officer snags Garfield as a runaway before he can reach Odie. Meanwhile, Jon contacts Mrs. Baker through her poster, and is told Odie's real owner had already retrieved him. Garfield is sprung from the pound by Chapman's abandoned feline star, Persnikitty who turns out to be actually named as Sir Roland. At the train station, while the P.A. saying that the Texas Eagle is going to Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, Chapman boards the train, with Odie in the luggage car. Garfield arrives only to see the train depart. As the train speeds away from the station, and seeing a child with a toy train engine (probably the Flying Scotsman in a different shape and size) makes Garfield remembers that his train set at home is similar, so he sneaks into the control room and attempts to stop Odie's train. The tracks get rearranged, leading to an impending train wreck. Garfield hits an emergency control and causes Chapman's train to return, and Garfield frees Odie and they exit the train. However, Chapman notices them walk out and gives chase. Chapman corners the two, and threatens Odie with the shock collar, but is greeted by Garfield's friends and animals from the pound, led by Sir Roland. They swarm and attack Chapman, allowing for Odie to escape.

Chapman gets up to find the shock collar has been placed on his own neck, from which he receives two powerful jolts. Jon and Liz arrive to reclaim the animals and find Chapman off-balance. Jon punches Chapman for stealing Odie, and leaves with Liz and the two animals. Chapman is arrested for his supposed involvement with the trains, as well as for abducting Odie and Wendall gives chase to the cops. Garfield regains the trust of his animal friends. Back at home, Liz kisses Jon, while Garfield seems to have learned about friendship, love and not to envy others. He then shoves Odie off his chair repeatedly, and the film closes with Garfield singing and dancing to James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)". He does a split and can't get it back up without help.

As the credits roll over the pics from the movie, Garfield is heard in the background asking Odie for ice.

 L² Scored: 6/10

L² Comment:

Garfield is one of my favorite comic character, but its not really look tat good in this movie. Beside Garfield, the rest of the animals are real including Odie. I would prefer to see Odie in the animation version, but well, the smart dog presented well enough and i love it so much~

Lost In Translation

Released Year: 2003
Directed by Sofia Coppola

Casted by:
Bill Murray as Bob Harris
Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte
Giovanni Ribisi as John
Anna Faris as Kelly
Story:

Bob Harris, an aging American movie star, arrives in Tokyo to film an advertisement for Suntory whisky, for which he will receive $2 million. Charlotte, a young recent Yale graduate, is left behind in her hotel room by her husband, John, a celebrity photographer on assignment in Tokyo. Charlotte is unsure of her present and her future and about the man she has married as she believes he takes more interest in his celebrity models, most notably a young and popular American actress named Kelly, than he does in her. At the same time, Bob's own 25-year marriage is tired and lacking in romance as he goes through a midlife crisis.

One night, after a long photo shoot, Bob retreats to the hotel bar. Charlotte, sitting at a table with John and friends, notices Bob and has a waiter bring him a bowl of peanuts from her table. Later, Bob and Charlotte have brief encounters each night at the hotel bar, until Charlotte invites Bob to meet up with some local friends of hers. Bob accepts and arrives later at her hotel room dressed in an outfit for a young appeal style. Meanwhile, the two begin a friendship bond through their adventures in Tokyo together while experiencing the differences between Japanese and American culture, and between their own generations.

On the penultimate night of his stay, Bob attracts the attention of the resident vocalist. The next morning, Bob awakens to find this woman in his room, having apparently slept with her. Charlotte arrives at his room to go out for breakfast only to find the woman in his room, leading to conflict and tension over a subsequent lunch. Later that night, during a fire alarm at the hotel, Bob and Charlotte reconcile and express how they will miss each other as they make one more trip back to the hotel bar.

On the following morning, Bob is set for his departure back to the United States. He tells Charlotte goodbye at the hotel lobby shortly before checking out and sadly watches her retreat back to an elevator. While riding in a taxi to the airport, Bob sees Charlotte on a crowded street and he gets out and goes to her. Bob embraces Charlotte and whispers something (substantially inaudible to the audience) in the tearful Charlotte's ear. The two share a kiss, say goodbye and Bob departs.

L² Scored: 6.5/10

L² Comment:

Bill Murray + Scarlett Johansson is a brand new team and it definitely created some good sparkles for this movie. Johansson was so young that time, but i dont feel that she's pretty actually, but no doubt that she can act.

Coppola, Murray & Johansson has been nominated in multiple awards and they did won a few but all three of them failed in the Academy awards. Coppola is really a talented female director, really hope can see more of her movies coming up soon :)