Ghost

Rating:
Summary: Good Supernatural Romantic Comedy
Review: Credit has to go to director Jerry Zucker for carefully balancing all the themes of "Ghost" into a satisfying piece of popcorn entertainment. Best known for directing film parodies like "Airplane", Zucker juggles the supernatural, romantic, and comedic elements successfully. To co-opt the tagline of the film, if you do not believe in this story it wouldn't work. Patrick Swayze has to be cited for giving a good performance as Sam, the investment banker who is shot dead in his prime and left to wander on Earth in limbo until some lose ends are tied. Whoopi Goldberg is a comic marvel as Oda Mae, the phony medium who Sam utilizes to set things straight. Tony Goldwyn is excellent as Sam's slimy colleague. Demi Moore, on the other hand, gives an unconvincing performance as Molly, the lover that Sam left behind. It seems that her sole function here is to mourn the loss of Sam, but she doesn't even do that well. Every time she was having one of her crying jags I wondered how much glycerine the make-up department utilized. That quibble aside, "Ghost" is excellent entertainment that still holds up some 15 years on.

Rating:
Summary: I still cry when I watch this movie
Review: I love this movie. It's one of my all-time favorites. And no matter how many times I see this movie it still makes me cry. Patrick Swayzee and Demi Moore are the perfect couple in this movie. And Whoopee Goldberg does a great job too.

Rating:
Summary: Metaphysical Overload. . .
Review: Whoa. GHOST is a good flick, but I'm having a hard time coping with all the metaphysical implications. That spinning clay pot reminds me that my load of laundry is neither dry--nor clean. And when spinning is accompanied by the Righteous Brothers, that's a recipe for supernatural confusion.

Kind of like Dolly Parton serenading Hannibal. Sure, it could happen, but who would believe it?

Patrick Swayze, all four-eleven of him, steals our hearts as the lovable "ghost." He can do it all: from raking a penny across a door to disrupting a money-laundering scheme. And Demi Moore--even when she's up to her elbows in mud--is hotter than Hades. She loves, she cries, she grieves, she believes (and now I'm out of "i" before "e" comparisons). Yet Whoopi Goldberg provides both comic relief and clairvoyant clarity as the metaphysical agent for Swayze to extract his revenge and save his honey from the mob-hungry hordes. Whoopi's good, she's funny, she wrinkles her nose and spits out her punch lines--but she needs to lose the hats and the Patti LaBelle outfits.

Again, this is metaphysical stuff.

But as I've said, I like GHOST. Just don't understand all this supernatural stuff. Like, when a bad guy dies, these Warner Brothers cartoons come floating out of the floor to capture said bad guy's "soul." The noise reminds me of my cat choking on a chicken bone. Is all of this metaphysical? Well, my cat doesn't think so.
--D. Mikels

Rating:
Summary: Ghosts galore
Review: I've read all the other reviews and am a bit surprised at such mixed reviews. Seems people are either really nauseated by "Ghost" or really love it. Well, I own it. I neither hate it nor love it. I just plain like all movies with believable ghosts, and I really don't care who's in them!

I used to have a love-hate relationship with Demi Moore, and now I just plain hate her. She was in way too many '90s movies, way too miscast, way too horrible characters/roles/parts ("Scarlet Letter," "Butcher's Wife," "Disclosure," "Indecent Proposal," "The Juror"--aaacckkkk to all of 'em!) But "Ghost" really isn't one of those. She's not too bad in this, but not great either. (As in "A Few Good Men," she plays a similar role and does it well enough, so maybe that's who she really is?) Patrick Swayze is such gumby milk-toast, but that works in this I-love-you-over-the-top role.

The elements that really makes this ghost movie worth watching are (1) The sheer numbers of ghosts portrayed and how they interact and how they are "greeted" at their deaths by those spiritual beings already passed on; and (2) "the psychic lady," played by Whoopi Goldberg. If you have any of these abilities, you'll know this is way overdramatized and necessarily so for entertainment's and explanation's sakes, but nevertheless, it is believable! And hysterical! I think my favorite scene is where Oda Mae Brown (Goldberg) is in the bank at Sam's (Swayze) behest, signing the signature card and says, "Can I have another one...I signed the wrong name." And then, to the bank lady's surprise, Oda asks, "Can I keep this pen?!" Very, very funny.

Tony Goldwyn (of Metro Goldwyn Mayer fame) plays Sam's buddy (or is he???) His performance is so very good, because if you don't find this character a driveling piece of disgust who deserves anything he might get, then you're not paying attention!

All in all, it's a romping good ghost story, only slightly teary, because really, doesn't death suck for everyone! ;) I actually find the ending to be rather freeing for everyone. But seriously, it's a good flick, now and again, especially if you have a ghost story addiction and are having a hard time finding many good ones...out there.....

See also: "Ghostbreakers" with Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard, "Ghostbusters" with Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd.

Rating:
Summary: this puts the terror in terrorble
Review: this whole movie was a mistake.its really a love story between demi moore who once played a lesbian and patrick swayzee who dresses up like a girl and dances.one of them gets killed.its ol pat and then whoopi goldberg lets them make out and god knows what else using her medium body.itll probably scare the kids.there are no sequels thank god.i dont understand how anybody could like this movie.its stupid.its emotional if you forgot your meds.theres 2 chicks.demi moore whose rather overated as a sex symbol and the extremely racistand hateful whoopi goldberg whose not at all attracvtive.on a up note,all whoopis movies are worse.all patricks movies are worse and demis got gi jane and a small part in batman returns that outrank this autrocity.