20. Melissa McCarthy as Abby Yates (“Ghostbusters: Answer The Call”)
We’re huge fans of McCarthy, and it’s good to see that in her fourth collaboration with Feig that she’s continuing to push outside her comfort zone, as she did with “Spy” (McCarthy was originally set to play Jones’ character, before taking the more central, quieter Abby role). But it’s hard not to feel that she’s a bit muted here, playing the straight woman even more than Wiig is, and though she has a few memorable moments, the film’s comic highlights almost entirely come from others. After her towering turn in “Spy,” it’s a bit disappointing she didn’t get more to play here.
19. Jim Fye & Tim Lawrence as The Scoleri Brothers (“Ghostbusters II”)
Among the hot mess that is “Ghostbusters II,” there are a few highlights, including the mink coat coming alive, and even the Statue Of Liberty moment. But one of the best set pieces is the attack on the courtroom by the Scoleri Brothers, two convicted and executed murderers out for revenge. It’s one of the more effective action sequences in the films, in part because of the design of the beasts, which come across as a more malevolent Slimer and his leaner, meaner brother. It’s tempting to see a comparison between these guys and the Dave Gruber Allen ghost in the new film.
18. William Atherton as Walter Peck (“Ghostbusters”)
Another “Ghostbusters” actor who’d go on to appear in “Die Hard” (you can also spot Reginald VelJohnsen in the first “Ghostbusters” in a brief role as a cop), Atherton in retrospect feels like he’s warming up for his signature role as Thornburg in John McTiernan’s film here. It’s not that he isn’t good —Atherton absolutely nails the spineless bureaucrat archetype and is a hugely entertaining stick-in-the-mud— it’s just that he’d go on to better stuff down the line.
17. Zach Woods as Tour Guide (“Ghostbusters: Answer The Call”)
He’s been killing it consistently for a while on “Silicon Valley” and elsewhere, and had a nice little cameo in “Spy,” but Woods unexpectedly turns up at the very beginning of the 2016 “Ghostbusters” and damn near steals the movie before it begins. The lanky comic actor plays the tour guide at the Aldridge Mansion, and gets in a few of the movie’s best lines (the “anti-Irish security fence” to name but one) before the title appears. He plays beautifully off Ed Begley Jr. later on: it’s about time someone gave Woods a movie of his own.
16. Kate McKinnon as Jillian Holtzmann (“Ghostbusters: Answer The Call”)
Bit controversial, this one. Our expectations were that McKinnon, who’s the best performer on SNL right now, would be a highlight of the film. And she’s indeed been pinpointed as such in many of the reviews. But her turn has been a little bit more divisive for Team Playlist, hence this mid-list placement. It’s certainly distinctive and bold stuff, and when one of her moments lands, you can see what she was trying for. But for all the anarchic energy, it only feels like one in three of her bits works as intended, and McKinnon grates and is a little try-hard. We may be in the minority and we’re delighted she’ll break out regardless, but we were brutally disappointed by her Holtzmann in the end.
15. Ruth Oliver as Library Ghost (“Ghostbusters”)
The existence of the whole franchise owes an awful lot to the first proper ghoul we see in the first film, the Library Ghost as played by actress Oliver (and some effects). Without the sense that the spectres pose a real threat, it’d be a very different proposition, but more than in any of the first two movies, she’s genuinely eerie, in part because Reitman sensibly spends a big chunk of the movie building towards the reveal and the eventual jump scare.
14. Zuul & Vinz Clortho (“Ghostbusters”)
The thing about 1980s-era practical effects is that they’re likely to age much better than some of the poorer CGI examples from a decade or two later: such tangibility gives a level of suspension of disbelief that not all computer-generated characters are able to capture. Take the Gatekeeper Gozer and Keymaster Vinz Clortho, the dog/gargoyle creatures that herald the arrival of Gozer. When not inhabiting the bodies of Louis and Dana, they’re brought to life with practical effects, but they’re impressive and iconic over 30 years on, in a way that we wonder will still be the case for some of the effect of the 2016 movie.
13. Neil Casey as Rowan (“Ghostbusters: Answer The Call”)
It’s not like the bar was high, but the 2016 “Ghostbusters” villain Rowan (played by comedian Casey, another “Other Space” veteran) is easily the best human bad guy in the series to date. In part, it’s because Feig and Katie Dippold had some real-world perfidy to draw on as soon as their project was announced: it’s surely no mistake that Rowan is a bitter, angry, misogynist white dude looking to take revenge on humanity. It’s a little richer than we were expecting (given that he fits the profile of school shooters and such), and Casey’s really good in the role, belying that he’s a relative unknown with an assured presence that makes him menacing while still sustaining some humor. Though he’s better in human form than as a giant logo.
12. Kristen Wiig as Erin Gilbert (“Ghostbusters: Answer The Call”)
Compared to McCarthy, Wiig’s a little bit more in her comfort zone as Erin Gilbert, the film’s nominal lead, but the former SNL-er is still playing a little straighter than usual. That’s not necessarily a bad thing —Wiig’s becoming a dramatic actress of real force, as anyone who saw “Welcome To Me” or “Diary of A Teenage Girl” will attest— but as likable as she is, the moments where her awkward persona becomes legitimately funny, mostly when she’s flirting badly with Kevin Beckman, are too few. As with several of the main characters, Erin feels a bit underwritten, with Wiig left to carry the plot too often, which isn’t putting her to the best use.
11. Ivan Reitman as Slimer (“Ghostbusters” & “Ghostbusters II”)
One of the most iconic creations of the series, up to the point that it’s become almost as recognizable as the film’s logo (he even became part of the team in the “Real Ghostbusters” cartoon), Slimer should be a cynical exercise, a merchandise-friendly blob that’s always gross rather than scary. But perhaps because he was created in part as a tribute to John Belushi, the character (voiced by director Reitman, until the reboot at least) always feels like something that comes from love, his gluttony and grossness being oddly endearing. The creature’s return in the new film isn’t ideal, but it’s still good to see Jabba the Hutt’s little brother back.