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Ghost Town

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Ghost Town (2008)

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Reviews Counted:171

Fresh:145

Rotten:26

Average Rating:6.9/10

Consensus: Ricky Gervais' consistently sharp performance and beautifully dry execution transform this otherwise mainstream comedy into an endearing, funny, and altogether snappy romantic comedy. With ghosts.

Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references.

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:24-10-2008

Synopsis: Director and screenwriter David Koepp (STIR OF ECHOES, SECRET WINDOW) brings Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, and Téa Leoni together for a romantic comedy with a twist of the supernatural. Dr. Bertram... Director and screenwriter David Koepp (STIR OF ECHOES, SECRET WINDOW) brings Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, and Téa Leoni together for a romantic comedy with a twist of the supernatural. Dr. Bertram Pincus (Gervais) doesn't like people very much. In fact, the antisocial dentist does everything he can to avoid interaction with other human beings. Unfortunately, he gets more than he bargained for when he is released from the hospital after undergoing a standard procedure: he can see dead people, and they can see him. Suddenly, every ghost in New York City wants Pincus to help clean up their unfinished business. Dapper Frank (Kinnear) is the most persistent ghost, badgering Pincus to help keep his widow, Gwen (Leoni), from making a big mistake. Gervais is perfect as Pincus, whose deadpan expressions make obvious his disdain for people. His comic timing is spot on throughout the film. Kinnear makes Frank likable, not an easy feat since he apparently wasn't such an upstanding guy when he was alive and married to Leoni's Gwen. Aasif Mandvi appears as a dentist sharing Gervais's office, and Billy Campbell is Gwen's new love interest. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE star Kristen Wiig is a scene-stealer as Pincus's surgeon, particularly when she is trying to avoid telling her patient what went wrong during his procedure. Dana Ivey and Alan Ruck also appear as ghosts in need of help. [More]

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Téa Leoni, Greg Kinnear, Billy Campbell

Starring: Ricky Gervais, Téa Leoni, Greg Kinnear, Billy Campbell, Kristen Wiig, Dana Ivey, Aasif Mandvi

Director: David Koepp

Director: David Koepp
Screenwriter: David Koepp, John Kamps
Producer: Gavin Polone
Composer: Geoff Zanelli
Studio: Paramount Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Ghost Town

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments; UK critics are listed first)
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It is so nearly a ghost-themed remake of Groundhog Day that you can’t help but think how much more interesting it would have been reworked by Harold Ramis with Bill Murray in the lead role.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment 5 Comments
10/24/08
Karl French
Karl French
Financial Times

Ghost Town is a watchable comedy with several good laughs, but Gervais can't pull off a convincing nice guy act, so the emotional climax falls flat.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment 2 Comments
10/24/08
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

[Makes] the best of its strong cast and attractive New York locations.

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
09/08/08
Screen International

Gervais is funny again. Maybe because this isn’t his script and his ad-libbing has been reined in.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
10/24/08
Sun Online

It’s okay but it’s not half as funny as it should be and the film plays it way too safe.

Full Review Source: Heart 106.2 | comment Comment
10/24/08
Heart 106.2

This is a schmaltzy romcom directed by blockbuster screenwriter David Koepp and held together by Ricky Gervais – an actor best known for cringy dancing arse boss David Brent.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
10/24/08
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Total Film

Romcom of the year.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
10/24/08
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

Ghost Town really is one of those movies that reminds you just how life-affirming a night at the cinema can be.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
10/24/08
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Enjoyable as it is to see Gervais trying (and often succeeding) to make something of the mediocre dialogue, it’s not enough.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
10/24/08
David Jenkins
David Jenkins
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This makes it certainly one of the best American comedies of the year. Belly laughs are hard to come by but the smiles are consistent throughout.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
10/24/08
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

Rises above expectations, even though it never quite shatters the genre mould.

Full Review Source: SFX Magazine | comment Comment
05/12/09
James White
James White
SFX Magazine

Ricky Gervais and mainstream Hollywood rom-com are initially uneasy bedfellows but ultimately, and largely due to co-star Téa Leoni, it's a match made in its star's brand of comic purgatory.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
10/24/08
Leigh Singer
Leigh Singer
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Ricky Gervais has carried off a proper, big Hollywood film; he may not be a natural, but he's done it without any hesitation or cultural cringe or apologetic foregrounding of his Britishness. He's cracked it.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/24/08
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A warm, clever and often very funny film. On this showing, Gervais's assault on Hollywood looks winnable.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
10/24/08
Robert Hanks
Robert Hanks
Independent

And yet the film, while it gets so many of the smaller details right, including an ending that puts the corny closures of so many Hollywood romances to shame, never quite rings true.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
10/24/08
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Ultimately, it achieves that seemingly impossible task – a rom-com where the rom is sweet and poignant and the com is sophisticated and witty.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
10/24/08
Tim Evans
Tim Evans
Sky Movies

Just when the movie seems to be slipping into Hollywood maudlin mode, Gervais deftly tugs it away and into irony or absurdity. It's a relief he has survived Tinseltown sentimentalism.

Full Review Source: Teletext | comment Comment
10/23/08
Victor Olliver
Victor Olliver
Teletext

The film’s premise is high-concept Hollywood at its creakiest.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
10/24/08
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Ghost Town is a non-horror ghost movie dressed up as a comedy...Instead of seeing people hacked to death in formula fashion, they're bored to death in the same style.

Full Review Source: Tri-City Herald | comment 6 Comments
09/19/08
Gary Wolcott
Gary Wolcott
Tri-City Herald

It takes a good while for Ricky Gervais to warm up in Ghost Town; it takes even longer for the audience to warm up to Ricky Gervais.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment 6 Comments
09/17/08
Robert Wilonsky
Robert Wilonsky
Village Voice
 
 
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