Ghost Town
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: September 19, 2008
6.9
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 110 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
74
Mixed:
24
Negative:
12
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
9
RMSep 20, 2008
RG is hysterical! Very funny and enjoyable film. Great cast.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
ashleesJun 9, 2009
This movie was boring and typical. It is basically the sixth sense of comedy or Ghost, which stories have already been perpetuated throughout movie land more times than deserved. The ending is left open with endless possibe outcomes, when This movie was boring and typical. It is basically the sixth sense of comedy or Ghost, which stories have already been perpetuated throughout movie land more times than deserved. The ending is left open with endless possibe outcomes, when the movie needed some sort of closure: which man did she choose? We will never know?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
RichardW.Oct 1, 2008
Ricky Gervais is terrific (until he morphs into sweetness) as he, Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear carry the day
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
jeffoFeb 5, 2009
Very funny and touching, not perfect, but very good!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
LauraFOct 1, 2008
This movie was stunning. It causes you to shed buckets of tears - whether because you're laughing your face off or because of the touching humanity portrayed in the characters.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
TFoxSep 21, 2008
It has been a while since I laughed so much!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
JohnSSep 21, 2008
Great movie. Really took advantage of Gervais talent. Best movie so far this year.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
ChadS.Sep 22, 2008
Dead man calling on a dead Blackberry; no minutes for a smartphone in purgatory, but its purgatorial owner still insists on trying to get through. To who, though: Gwen(Tea Leoni), his wife, or the other woman? As seen in the trailers for Dead man calling on a dead Blackberry; no minutes for a smartphone in purgatory, but its purgatorial owner still insists on trying to get through. To who, though: Gwen(Tea Leoni), his wife, or the other woman? As seen in the trailers for "Ghost Town", Bertram Pincus(Ricky Gervais) feels nothing but disdain for humankind: colleagues, patients, and strangers alike, in equal measure. And when he meets the ghosts, they're not spared the impetus of his utter contempt for their undead corporeality either. But Frank Herlihy(Greg Kinnear) matches the dentist's old-fashioned misanthropy with his own technologically-advanced misanthropy. While Bertram stares at people with open contempt whenever somebody makes an overture towards friendship, a one-on-one connection, Frank uses a hand-held device to keep people at bay. The Verizon guy who says, "Can you hear me now?" in the popular ad campaign for the American broadband and telecommunications company, works as a subtext in "Ghost Town", which finds perfect form in the ghosts that haunt the unsmiling oral surgeon. It's Bertram's comeuppance that he's forced to recognize the dead, in lieu of not acknowledging the living on a daily basis. And then there's Frank, a cell-phone user, who walks and talks in self-absorbed oblivion to the people who sidle up beside him during the course of a typical conversation, a typical day of communion with technology. Barely cognizant of other people's existences, in essence, he and other serial cell-phone abusers render these background ciphers as ghosts. "Can you see me now?" Even with a defunct Blackberry, the tuxedo-cladded man seems more interested in his phone than his unearthly comrades. Frank needs Bertram because he can't reach Gwen by phone. It's an irony he can't talk to his wife face-to-face either, and needs a new go-between(Bertram) to replace the old go-between(the Blackberry) as a facilitator of intimate communication. "Ghost Town" is so much more than a romantic-comedy. In an early scene, Bertram exits a room without stopping to fawn over a colleague's baby photos. Now imagine this scene if the dentist had a Blackberry stuck to his ear. "Ghost Town" is about cell-phones. It's about how the cell-phone usage breeds a more subtle brand of misanthropy.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
EdM.Sep 23, 2008
Very funny and original. The trailers do not do this movie justice.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
BllS.Sep 27, 2008
Very funny movie. Well written and acted. Laughter brought tears to our eyes.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
DanE.Sep 28, 2008
Definitely worth seeing this movie! Enjoy!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
MattS.Sep 29, 2008
Pretty darn funny. Definitely worth watching.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
FantasySep 30, 2008
Okay but not very memorable. Forgotten the minute you leave the theater. Could have been so much better with just a little imagination. Acting so so but the movie bogs down early on and basically treads water as it is telegraphed where it is Okay but not very memorable. Forgotten the minute you leave the theater. Could have been so much better with just a little imagination. Acting so so but the movie bogs down early on and basically treads water as it is telegraphed where it is heading. Wait for DVD.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
GinoCJan 20, 2009
A great all around movie. Very funny, but also humor with a big heart and Gervais, once again, excels at being a bit harsh and making you like him at the same time. Tea Leoni and Greg Kinear do their roles great justice. A genuinely funny A great all around movie. Very funny, but also humor with a big heart and Gervais, once again, excels at being a bit harsh and making you like him at the same time. Tea Leoni and Greg Kinear do their roles great justice. A genuinely funny and touching film. As ironic as it may seem, those who think the film is unfunny are probably a bit too misanthropic to let their guards down to enjoy this it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
AllanP.Nov 11, 2008
Very poor, old fashioned, boring and crucially, UNFUNNY. I didn't laugh once - and I had seen all the mildly amusing bits in the trailer. Getting really bored of Ricky Gervais now too. Stick to writing Ricky!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
MarkB.Oct 17, 2008
Screenwriter (and sometime director) David Koepp not only makes amends for his beyond-pedestrian work on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and demonstates a comic facility that nobody would've previously credited him Screenwriter (and sometime director) David Koepp not only makes amends for his beyond-pedestrian work on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and demonstates a comic facility that nobody would've previously credited him for, but has crafted a thoroughly charming, touching and frequently uproariously funny supernatural comedy-romance that can stand proudly with many of the classic fantasies of yesteryear, as an Ebenezer Scrooge-like misanthrope is reformed by ghosts--or, to put it another way, a Tin Man gets a heart. British character comic Ricky Gervais is an acquired taste I haven't acquired until now (I couldn't get through Extras, and vastly prefer Steve Carell's Americanization of The Office) but he's a real treat to watch her as the world's meanest (and most miserable) man, a loner who dislikes his fellow humans so much that he seems to have chosen the profession of dentistry for the express purpose of getting paid to make them squirm and suffer. The movie's opening half hour (during which Koepp displays a peculiar but real talent for transforming inanimate objects into hilarious supporting players) in which Gervais temporarily dies on the operating table during minor surgery, an event that enables him to see and communicate with dead people, comprises the most consistently amusing 30 minutes seen onscreen this year, with special props going to Kirsten Wiig, who plays an overly lawsuit-conscious doctor/ hospital administrator and who -- here as in last year's Knocked Up -- manages to make sheer, aself-serving duplicity seem almost adorable. And speaking of huggable actresses, Tea Leoni, playing a winsome, soon-to-be-married archaeologist whose dead husband (Greg Kinnear at his caddish best) employs Gervais to break up the engagement, is as usual wonderfully natural and appealing. A modern-day Carole Lombard equivalent, Leoni may not be able to buy a box office hit with someone else's money, but like Lombard she unerringly blends razor-sharp comic timing with effortless on-screen warmth; she's simultaneously glamorous and down to earth. (In 2004 Leoni delivered what was perhaps the decade's most underrated comic performance; many viewers and critics hated her as Adam Sandler's perpetually driven, insecure high-maintenance wife in James L. Brooks' Spanglish, but I spent most of the picture wanting to put my arm around her and tell her that everything would turn out OK and that she didn't have to try so darn hard.) The best movies of ANY genre, including the least strictly realistic ones (horror, SF, fantasy--and romantic comedies) almost unanimously display or reveal truthful insights about human nature, and one of the elements that makes Ghost Town so special is that Leoni's intended is not at all a bad guy or a buffoon, but the movie knows that in choosing him, Leoni is overcompensating for what a heel Kinnear was, but that to be truly happy Leoni needs a good person who's also a lot of fun to be with, and shouldn't have to choose between one or the other. If Ghost Town has any flaws at all, it's that it focuses on its central quadrangle -- compelling as it is -- at the expense of the OTHER ghosts' needs, which in some cases are even more vital (the stuffed squirrel scene late in the picture is not only incredibly moving, but yields some truly stunning character revelations). Perhaps all will be revealed in the deleted scenes portion of the DVD, but just what was it that the naked dead guy wanted Gervais to do anyway?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
SMJan 25, 2009
It was fun and worth watching once!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
TFeb 7, 2009
Refreshingly good movie with excellent performances.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
SteveH.Mar 13, 2009
Schmaltzy sentimental tack.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
stevenrMar 24, 2009
Rates an 8.9, just short of excellent. This is Mr. Gervais movie and he is up to the task. Crisp, funny dialogue and interaction with Ms. Leoni, Mr. Kinnear, and especially the Surgeon (Ms. Wiig). An unusual film as the leads are a bit off Rates an 8.9, just short of excellent. This is Mr. Gervais movie and he is up to the task. Crisp, funny dialogue and interaction with Ms. Leoni, Mr. Kinnear, and especially the Surgeon (Ms. Wiig). An unusual film as the leads are a bit off center and the handsome star plays a backup role. I can't pin it down but there is something about Ms. Leoni that makes her likable if not lovable (see You Kill Me & The Family Man as examples). Well written & directed, and great ending that does not tie everything up too neatly. I laughed, shed a tear, and rooted for both of them to be happy, hopefully with, but even without, each other. Highly recommended.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
DoogsTJul 4, 2009
Barely watchable shmaltz. Has no internal logic. Pointless drivel fest.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
HaroldG.Dec 18, 2008
I was totally blown away by the ending of the film. I didn't expect he'll get hit by the bus.It kept me guessing a second there.What now!haha! I was moved by the film especially about the Einstein part. Really good insight.Using I was totally blown away by the ending of the film. I didn't expect he'll get hit by the bus.It kept me guessing a second there.What now!haha! I was moved by the film especially about the Einstein part. Really good insight.Using John Mayer's song at the credits was also a big plus to the film. It really suits the emotion portrayed by the film. Very good.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
BenH.Dec 22, 2008
Ricky Gervais is great and everyone should take the time to see this movie and all of his work
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
JayH.Dec 25, 2008
Ricky Gervais gives a great and touching performance, Tea Leoni is a delight as well. Very good writing and direction, fine score. A very entertaining and touching film.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
MatthewW.Dec 25, 2008
A genine funny and touching movie. The chmistry between gervais and Kristen Wilg felt genuine and you really wanted to root for him as the underdog. There are parts that drag on but the ending is certainly worth sitting through them. I give A genine funny and touching movie. The chmistry between gervais and Kristen Wilg felt genuine and you really wanted to root for him as the underdog. There are parts that drag on but the ending is certainly worth sitting through them. I give it a 8/10 and a absolute winner for a date movie.Worth a DVD rental for sure.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
HowardC.Sep 15, 2008
this is a very funny movie which has a big heart. Gervais is great and though he is playing a loner, cynical dentist, the comedy is not in the office or extras mode. It feels real for a ghost movie if that makes any sense and while we know this is a very funny movie which has a big heart. Gervais is great and though he is playing a loner, cynical dentist, the comedy is not in the office or extras mode. It feels real for a ghost movie if that makes any sense and while we know it will work out in the end..it doesn't feel forced. Last two lines are really lovely and a perfect finish.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
JaneD.Sep 24, 2008
It was okay, but not worth $10. Wait until it comes out on DVD.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
DanaM.Sep 26, 2008
This movie was very similar to "The Visitor", bitter older men down on life because of sadness in a past relationship. Hard to beiieve that Gwen, an attractive woman, would give this guy the time of day. Worth seeing for the laughs.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
BillSep 29, 2008
One of the most funny and entertaining movies I have seen in a theater in years.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
LaurenSJan 19, 2009
A kickass movie for everyone with a good taste of humor. The only thing i could say, is dread hospital visits. The much lighter, funier version of the sixth sense, without the fear.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
[Anonymous]Feb 17, 2009
Yeah people, this is about as good as a romantic comedy about ghosts is going to get... the ideas are pretty original, even if the plot is not... Gervais elevates this above the usual tosh as he is aloud to improvise... some of the scenes Yeah people, this is about as good as a romantic comedy about ghosts is going to get... the ideas are pretty original, even if the plot is not... Gervais elevates this above the usual tosh as he is aloud to improvise... some of the scenes are pure gold... take the girlfriend along, you'll bothfeel pretty validated afterward.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
EssiSMar 16, 2009
A great script by David Koepp, who also directed this surpriser film of 2008. Everything worked in this film. Funny and moving.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
adoruNov 1, 2010
Felt very dated - and not in the good way. Special effects felt like a made-for-TV movie, complete with 'whoosh' sounds as ghosts pass through doors. The sneezing effect was funny the first time, not the thirtieth. The conversations betweenFelt very dated - and not in the good way. Special effects felt like a made-for-TV movie, complete with 'whoosh' sounds as ghosts pass through doors. The sneezing effect was funny the first time, not the thirtieth. The conversations between Gervais and Wiig and the lawyer were the best part of the film.

The biggest complaint I have, though, is that the movie seems to start out as a comedy, then goes into a corny romcom, then tries to be emotional and dramatic. But the dramatic stuff feels very forced, very cliche, very cheesy. The whole film felt empty and on autopilot. Seems like one of those movies meant to fill seats and sell tickets and DVDs; no real aspirations or content to walk away with. Sure, not every movies needs to be a life-changing experience, but unlike, say, a light-hearted Adam Sandler comedy, this movie seems to think it is something deep and affecting.

Really, really corny film.… Expand
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4
ERG1008Aug 24, 2010
Man has colonic operation, can see dead people afterwards with "hilarious" consequences.
Pretty average comedy with one or two laughs here & there.
I'm a big Ricky Gervais fan but I thought he was mis-cast here & it felt a bit uncomfortable &Man has colonic operation, can see dead people afterwards with "hilarious" consequences.
Pretty average comedy with one or two laughs here & there.
I'm a big Ricky Gervais fan but I thought he was mis-cast here & it felt a bit uncomfortable & clumsy at times.
Ghost is a lot better &, to be honest, funnier I'd say.… Expand
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6
nutterjrNov 29, 2010
Ricky Gervais is a comedian genius and is supported by a fine cast here. The film itself however, even though it kicks off well, as it progresses the laughs are far between.
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8
MichaelDSep 4, 2011
One of the greatest comedies I've seen. Gervais put on a good performance and it's one of the very few comedies that actually has a big heart. Brilliant.
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5
drlowdonJun 1, 2014
Following a near death experience miserable dentist Betrum Pincus discovers that he can see dead people, and most of them seem to want something from him.

Despite the supernatural element, and fact that Ricky Gervais is slightly moreFollowing a near death experience miserable dentist Betrum Pincus discovers that he can see dead people, and most of them seem to want something from him.

Despite the supernatural element, and fact that Ricky Gervais is slightly more interesting than your conventional leading man, Ghost Town is every bit a standard romantic comedy. As soon as the two leads meet it is pretty obvious where the movie is heading and all the usual elements associated with the genre are present and correct, including the obligatory 'break up' halfway three quarters of the way through the movie. This cliched set up wouldn't be such a problem if the Ghost Town were funny enough to make up for it but, while there are a few laughs, I can't imagine anyone rolling up with laughter at any point to be honest.

The understated central performance from Gervais, along with good support from (the always reliable) Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni do ensure things always remain watchable but in the end Ghost Town is largely forgettable.… Expand
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6
survivorfan989Jun 10, 2013
This was a tricky one because it started out very strong, dipped in the middle and pretty much became cringe-worthy, before picking up towards the end making for a very uneven film. Both Gervais & Kinnear were quite irritating most of theThis was a tricky one because it started out very strong, dipped in the middle and pretty much became cringe-worthy, before picking up towards the end making for a very uneven film. Both Gervais & Kinnear were quite irritating most of the time and because they were playing unlikable character it's the main reason why I didn't really enjoy the film. The concept, however, was great and the main reason why I did like the rest of the film so overall a tough one to judge.… Expand
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3
MovieGuysOct 3, 2013
Overelaborate and distasteful, Ghost Town is annoying, dull, and you will be checking your watch to see when you can get out of this movie hell. Ricky Gervais is rude, unlikable, and uninteresting. Greg Kinnear doesn't provide comic reliefOverelaborate and distasteful, Ghost Town is annoying, dull, and you will be checking your watch to see when you can get out of this movie hell. Ricky Gervais is rude, unlikable, and uninteresting. Greg Kinnear doesn't provide comic relief like he should've. This whole movie is a bad film disguised as a good one.… Expand
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5
Meth-dudeAug 3, 2018
With an unoriginal premise, a predictable and cliché outcome, mostly unfunny jokes and clichés characters, Ghost Town is a very average comedy. If you're into Ricky Gervais or into romantic comedies, you might like it, if not, you shouldWith an unoriginal premise, a predictable and cliché outcome, mostly unfunny jokes and clichés characters, Ghost Town is a very average comedy. If you're into Ricky Gervais or into romantic comedies, you might like it, if not, you should probably skip it.… Expand
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7
amheretojudgeSep 1, 2018
own unfiltered tale..

Ghost Town Ghost Town is a plot driven romantic comedy about a guy who is being annoyed by the normal people and apparently the ghost that he has been seeing after an operation goes wrong. Even though the structure isown unfiltered tale..

Ghost Town

Ghost Town is a plot driven romantic comedy about a guy who is being annoyed by the normal people and apparently the ghost that he has been seeing after an operation goes wrong. Even though the structure is familiar and walks on all the cliches that one can expect for in such genres, it is immensely entertaining and heartbreaking. And the key to it, is the tiny details (like when Leoni notices Gervais's newly bought shirt) where it scores like a pro and steals viewers' attention. Addition to that, there are few moments where uncertainty in the script helps too, along with the tendency to keep things grounded and practical as much as possible. The chemistry as the genre requires, is apt for the tone of the film, which is more innocent and safer than one usually gets in it. The background score may not be up to the mark but the songs are uplifting and fits in perfectly. Being short on cinematography, it is rich on costume designing and is beautifully shot with a breezy and colorful environment. Koepp's world is smarter and not at all sketchy despite of the premise, the makers doesn't let go the practicality, which was definitely tempting to do so. Gervais is achingly good in each frame of it with a brilliant support from Leoni who is sweet and confused yet bold and Kinnear as Gervais's alter ego. Free from nostalgic track which was expected, a satirical comic sequences and stellar performances are the high points of the feature. A smarter narrative that flows fluently without any commercial friction, Koepp tells its own unfiltered tale. Ghost Town is a plethora of mixed emotions wandering in the form of ghosts and the excellence of pulling it off in one whole meal is all maker's do.… Expand
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0
Toasty87Jul 17, 2020
Very unfunny and repetitive Ricky can not act at all just like his stand up very arrogant and unfunny.
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7
liamexeJul 27, 2022
In his first lead role, Ricky Gervais does a great job of keeping this nice, subdued film together. Gervais will always portray different incarnations of himself, but here he restrains himself more than usual and creates a compellingIn his first lead role, Ricky Gervais does a great job of keeping this nice, subdued film together. Gervais will always portray different incarnations of himself, but here he restrains himself more than usual and creates a compelling performance as Doctor Pincus, a lonely dentist with social anxiety. Following his near-death experience, Pincus develops the ability to see ghosts. The ghosts implore Pincus to take actions that will allow them to be freed and enter the afterlife. Pincus is hesitant to do this until he encounters Frank, the spirit of Gwen's deceased husband who resides in his apartment building.… Expand
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