Reviews

This is a movie that looks promising from its description (a ghost story. How can you mess that up?) but is so poorly made that it's literally unbearable to watch. The acting is practically nonexistent (only Harold Perrineau has a go) and the dialogue is as lifeless as the spectre in the museum. There's so much filler and nothingness going on that, most of the time, you feel like you're watching a boring, family home video playing out. The attempts at humor totally miss the beat and become yet another reason to cringe uncomfortably. Also, there's no explanation for the main character's offbeat persona - you assume he's recovering from some family tragedy, or perhaps living with the effects of past substance abuse. Nope he's just naturally like that, so it's actually pointless when his wife accuses him of acting distracted and distant after seeing the ghost, as he is perpetually in that state, even before the ghost appears! Forget suspense and surprises, as they are in short supply, too, which for a ghost story seems to somewhat defeat the point. Oh dear. The only thing I can take from this movie, is that literally anyone should have a go at making movies! It will never be this bad!...But, please, invest some time in a decent story, screenplay and acting lessons.

I watched this on Google Play, and I'm glad that I didn't waste my cash on a cinema ticket. Like 'Marmite', you will either love or hate this movie. I came to it with an open mind, but ultimately felt disappointed by the unrealistic and confusing plot. In fact the premise of the story was so silly, I found it impossible to suspend my disbelief. Was the item simply mislaid on the desk, or should you bizzarely criss-cross the world in an attempt to find it elsewhere?

Many reviewers here claim that this film is 'life-changing' and will possibly make you re-evaluate some aspects of life. While it has some brilliant moments, such as the magazine cover reveal at the end, that's really a bit of a stretch. There are some movies that genuinally move you and inspire you to challenge yourself in your own life, but, due to the weak story and execution of it, this just isn't one of them.

As in the original movie, Stiller's character is shy and prone to daydreaming outlandish tales, but even with his obvious shortcomings, he bizzarely chooses to monitor his love interest through an expensive (and highly product-placed) dating agency rather than ask her out face-to-face. Obviously the writer's don't know women, who would most likely find that rather creepy, particularly as he seems quite capable of talking to her daily within his workplace.

Given the cast, you might also assume that the movie includes some moments of humour, but ultimately such moments fall flat, totally wasting the brilliant comedic talents of Kristen Wiig. It's a love story, but there is such little chemistry between the two characters, that you don't honestly feel that they would ever really make a lasting connection. Other characters are clichéd, and Greenland is portrayed as a remote place, devoid of civilisation and inhabited by sad, drunken, lumbering misfits.

To summarise, the intitial story had promise, but ultimately it's diminished as the real-life escapades of the character become ever more outlandish and ridiculous than his actual daydreams. Sean Penn adds nothing special, and the way that Stiller's character just casually stumbles across him up a vast mountain range is a clear example of just how silly the story is.

I like Ben Stiller, and I look forward to seeing more of his directorial output, but, sorry, this just has too many negatives for me.

It's all been done before, even the de-aging trick. I had high hopes for this film, but it fails to deliver in just about every way - you never feel connected to the characters, the story is cluttered and messy, the dialogue bland and the use of green screens throughout many of the shots are quite obvious. At times the shots seem quite mismatched too - individual characters delivering dialogue in a long-shot, making them look disconnected from the very people they are supposed to be talking to (perhaps they were all shot on different days/locations/continents?) Anyway, save your money. I hope that Will Smith gets a decent film soon.