Since its announcement, the long-awaited third Ghostbusters film has been the source of near infinite worry and debate. After decades of aiming to continue the story of Peter Venkman, Egon Spangler, Winston Zeddmore and Ray Stanz, a new generation of ghostbusting was born instead from a reboot - a new cast, directed by Bridesmaids’ Paul Feig. Since day one, many eyes have been on this project - and finally, the 2016 edition of Ghostbusters is here.

The movie starts with physisist Dr. Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig). Working at Columbia University and seeking tenure, a blast from the past comes into her life, as a book she wrote with her estranged friend Dr. Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) leads the owner of a haunted mansion to ask for her assistance with a particularly aggresive poltergiest. Erin - having long tossed away her interest in the paranormal - is agast, as the ghost world is everything that physics is not, and she’s worried that the publication of the book (with the brilliant title Ghosts From Our Past) will cause her to lose her tenure.

Gilbert goes to visit Yates - now continuing her studies of the paranormal alongside gadget guru Jillian Holtzmann (Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon) - and tries to get the book scrapped. Gilbert is not successful - but Yates and Holtzmann want to check out the haunted mansion. The story grows quickly from there, with a new group of ghost hunters defined (including MTA employee/New York history lover Patty Tolan - played by Leslie Jones), and a gigantic paranormal event discovered, triggered by creepy loner Rowan North (Neil Casey) - who is trying to make up for years of torment and disgust by taking over the Big Apple with countless angry spirits.

The movie which follows is a great time at the movies. Big action, big laughs, and pure blockbuster storytelling. Unfortunately - the same as with his prior hits Bridesmaids and Spy - a Paul Feig movie has been let down by its marketing, with Ghostbusters (or is it Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, as it’s titled in the end credits?) being a far greater film than advertised. The humor is filled with the great awkwardness and crass gags seen in Feig’s prior films (with a PG—13 slant), and the ghosts are incredibly freaky and well rendered. Ghostbusters in 2016 is simply a blast. Hell - they even find a way to make the Fallout Boy remake of the theme work well…in context. And only in context.

Performance wise, Wiig and McCarthy stabilize the film with new variants of their beloved film personas (pent-up awkwardness and brassy sass, respectively). The real strength of the film, however, lies in two supporting performances - McKinnon’s Holtzmann, and Thor himself - Chris Hemsworth - as the Ghostbusters hunky yet incredibly stupid receptionist, Kevin. Kevin is dumber than a box of rocks, but Hemsworth’s 100% commitment to the character makes him a comedic force of nature, full-stop. Every moment with him is full of laughs. But he is nothing - and I mean nothing - compared to the comedic tour-de-force of Kate McKinnon in this film. Her Holtzmann is the stuff that genre comedies are made of. She does more than chew the scenery, she absolutely annihilates it. She is routinely the most captivating, most funny, and most unhinged character in the film, and for Holtzmann alone, the entire reboot project is 100% worth it.

In terms of what doesn’t work, shockingly enough, it’s the moments where the 2016 Ghostbusters pays homage to the 1984 edition. Their heart is in the right place, but the callouts to the original film feel hamfisted, and the cameos (with 2 exceptions) call a little too much attention to themselves. But honestly, these do not derail the film - they just make me hope for a sequel where this new crew gets a story entirely their own. Additionally, the CG in the last act can get a little overdone and wonky. Not enough to ruin the film, but I was taken out of it a bit.

Fans wondered for decades when we’d see a new Ghostbusters - and when it arrived, they rung their hands with worry and issue. I’m pleased to say it was for naught. Ghostbusters has been given new life with a great cast, brilliant humor, and some absolutely incredible ghost effects. This is what the Summer movie season is all about.

Additional notes: my viewing of Ghostbusters was in 3D, which proved to actually be worth the upcharge for once. The movie frequently plays outside the frame, and some of the spookiness is upgraded by the extra depth of the film. Additionally, there are a number of extra scenes within the credits (including a moment that appears to have been removed from the film), and there is a post-credits scene. Stay in your seat, it’s all worth it.

Ghostbusters is in theaters now, and is available for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon.