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Parents' Guide to

Ghostbusters (2016)

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Fun update on classic has lots of ghosts + girl power.

Movie PG-13 2016 116 minutes
Ghostbusters (2016) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 57 parent reviews

concern parents
concern parents Adult
May 15, 2020
age 15+

terrible

it's just lame. the so called humor isn't humorous, the script is bad. What's worse is the line that insults God, saying "that God must have been drunk". That's blasphemy. All around just a terrible movies.
3 people found this helpful.
K L.
K L. Adult
April 2, 2017
age 13+

Way More Language than Anticipated

I wish I'd have read all the reviews before I let my 8 and 10 year olds watch this movie. Common Sense says that language is infrequent and the words they list are mild. However, I would estimate that there are well over 20 curse words in this movie (probably more) and they say some that are not listed in Common Sense's review, including "F**K", "B*tch", and "G-D". They also have one guy flipping his middle finger and multiple instances where they use God's name in vain. There is also a very disturbing scene where a guy commits suicide by electrocuting himself. This movie definitely earned it's PG-13 rating.

This title has:

Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
See all 57 parent reviews

What's the Story?

New York City is under attack from an army of the undead -- who you gonna call? That's right, the GHOSTBUSTERS. But in this update of the the 1984 comedy-action classic, the quartet of supernatural scientists is an all-woman team: paranormal experts Abby (Melissa McCarthy) and Erin (Kristen Wiig), nuclear engineer Jillian (Kate McKinnon), and subway worker Patty (Leslie Jones). They bring scientific rigor and plenty of pluck to their battle against the paranormal. Watch out for slime!

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (57 ):
Kids say (129 ):

The original Ghostbusters -- a near-perfect cocktail of brash irreverence, scares, and big laughs -- is a tough act to follow, but this reboot comes decently close. Chemistry is paramount when assembling a team to follow in the footsteps of Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson, and the good news is that McCarthy, Wiig, McKinnon, and Jones are equally inspired and awesome. (McKinnon is especially suited for the franchise.) More raves: Chris Hemsworth shows off his comedic skills to great effect, and fans of the first Ghostbusters will be thrilled by the cameos of the previous ensemble, giving the film a feel-good vibe that's hard to shake. Even the sight of the old firehouse elicits a pang of glee. The story feels of the moment and even amusingly self-referential, with jokes aimed at online trolls who've been quick to condemn the reboot.

Nonetheless, this new Ghostbusters lacks the element of surprise that even remakes should have; the "scary" CGI-dependent scenes lack the spark and fright of that "library moment" in the original, which provided a welcome counter-weight to the rollicking laughs. Strangely enough, the reboot's biggest triumph is that it makes us hope for a sequel, one in which the women can stake their claim on the franchise on their own terms, no longer so strictly compared to the 1984 version. See it -- it will definitely make you laugh -- but you'll have to wait for it to find its own footing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether Ghostbusters is scary. It's packed with angry ghosts, but are they intended to be scary or funny? How can you tell? Why is it sometimes fun to be scared?

  • How does this version of the movie compare to the original? What's similar, and what's different? Do you think one is better than the other? Why or why not?

  • How do the characters demonstrate teamwork? Why is that an important character strength?

  • Does it make a difference that this team of Ghostbusters is all female? How does that affect the story (if it does)? How does it affect the way you feel about the flirting scenes and the way Chris Hemsworth's character is treated?

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