Ghost Team (2016)

Number Rolled: 81

Movie Name/Year: Ghost Team (2016)

Tagline: Paranormal investigation. No experience necessary.

Genre: Comedy

Length: 84 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Production Companies: Tandem Pictures, Mott Street Pictures, East 2 West Entertainment, Preferred Content, Tale Films

Producer: Aleksey Ageyev, Tyler Ben-Amotz, Marc Bortz, Julie Christeas, Burr Dodd, Kenneth Filmer, Oliver Irving, Kevin Iwashina, Jeremy L Kotin, Jaime Marsanico, Clem McIntosh, Alex Sagalchik, Tagir Saydkhuhin, Schuyler Weiss, Ekaterina Yarotskaya

Director: Oliver Irving

Writer: Peter Warren, Oliver Irving

Actors: Jon Heder, David Krumholtz, Justin Long, Melonie Diaz, Amy Sedaris, Paul W. Downs, Tom Schiller, Joel Marsh Garland, Martin Barabas, Veronika Dash

Stunts: Seth Andrew Bridges, Drew Leary, Asa Liebmann, Brandon Alan Smith

Blurb from Netflix: With help from his best friend and a public-access psychic, a nerdy young man assembles his dream team of like-minded ghost hunters.

Selina’s Point of View:

I was expecting a relatively typical parody film, but this caught me by surprise. I wouldn’t actually categorize Ghost Team as a parody.

Sure, there were a few things they were making fun of, but this movie was a film with a real storyline and more than just a bunch of jokes thrown together. It was a comedy that stood on its own… and I really enjoyed it.

I’m generally not a fan of ghost hunter shows. This film made fun of those kinds of shows while still telling its own story. It was fun to laugh at the ridiculousness while still enjoying the entertainment aspect.

Jon Heder (Pickle and Peanut, The Tiger Hunter, Legend of Kung Fu Rabbit) was really good in his part. I’m not his biggest fan, but I believed him here. In the beginning, there was a scene that was meant to the exhibit the monotony of his life working at a copy store. I think that scene was very well done and was more successful than some entire movies can be. Oliver Irving (How to Be), the director, did a great job there as well.

I’m reeling a little. This is simply not the kind of film I expect to enjoy. I sat down ready to be disappointed, and I wasn’t. It did make my Top 20 for the month it came out, but it probably should have been higher on the list.

I’d recommend this film to comedy lovers. Don’t steer clear just because you think it’s a full-on parody. It’s not.

Cat’s Point of View:

I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to get a little skeptical at the outset with Jon Heder (When in Rome, Walt Before Mickey, Star vs. the Forces of Evil) projects. It’s partially lingering from Napoleon Dynamite (2004). I honestly don’t understand why that movie is so loved. It’s one of my least favorites of all time. We’re not talking about that hot mess, though. We’re talking about Ghost Team.

Point blank – I was really digging it. This was likely one of the least annoying roles that I’ve seen Heder in – live action, at least. (I absolutely adore some of his voice-over work.)

Also, they totally won cool points from me by involving my favorite paranormal investigation show team in the cast. Jason Hawes (Ghost Hunters Academy, Ghost Hunters International, Destination Truth) and Steve Gonsalves (Infanity, Ghost Hunters Academy, The World Within) were two of the core members comprising SyFy’s Ghost Hunters (2004-2016) at the time this movie was filmed.

I have long been fascinated with the paranormal, and have watched pretty much every episode of the Ghost Hunters series – including its spin-off shows. I’m sad that it’s no longer airing new episodes. All the same, it made this movie a little nostalgic for me as well as giving a giggle for poking at the paranormal television show genre. 

Thankfully, it stops shy of going full-on camp.

The good news is that you don’t really have to be a fan or even have watched any paranormal reality television to understand what’s going on and enjoy this movie.

All told, this isn’t the most original movie ever, and there are a few things a bit over the top; but it’s generally forgivable. The characters feel like they have some substance to them (even if that substance is wackadoo). Then, of course, you have exceptional performances sprinkled through – one of which is by Justin Long (Idiocracy, Drag Me to Hell, Planet 51).

This film might not have your standard horror movie gore or nudity, but it does have a few elements such as language and innuendo that might give parents of young children pause. I’d gladly recommend this movie to fans of the genre and anyone just in the mood for a few good laughs.

Languages

Speech Available: English

Subtitles Available: English, French, Spanish

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 11%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 33%

Metascore – 22/100

Metacritic User Score – 3.7/10

IMDB Score – 4.6/10

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5

Trust-the-Dice’s Parental Advisory Rating: R

P.S. Short scene after the beginning of the credits.

Movie Trailer: