A grumpy dentist (Ricky Gervais) briefly dies while on the operating table, and is subsequently irritated to find that he now has the power to see ghosts.

CRITIQUE

Ghost Town is a generally-amusing comedy that has a lot to like about it, mostly in the showcase that it gives to Ricky Gervais, who gets a chance to be both a jerk and a romantic lead here (sometimes at the same time) and manages to be likable in both roles.  Though there’s always the sense here that they could have made this a lot funnier, there are a lot of laughs, while it also works as a sweet little fantasy, particularly in the final quarter.  Ultimately this is worth checking out.

The main character here is Bertram Pincus, a misanthropic dentist who isn’t really nice to anyone in his life, and who is particularly miffed to suddenly find crowds of ghosts following him wherever he goes, trying to get them to do things for them.  One (Frank) is played by Greg Kinnear, who offers to keep the other ghosts off Bertram’s back if Bertram derails the marriage of Frank’s widow Gwen, who Frank thinks is marrying the wrong guy.

The bulk of the script is made up of Bertram befriending Gwen, and there are some nice moments here.  Director/co-writer David Koepp has a nice feel for giving their relationship some quirky edges (like the two bonding over the teeth of an ancient mummy) while having some fun with the odd couple friendship of Bertram and Frank as well.

Given a little bit too much short shrift are the other ghosts, who constantly threaten to bring a lot of comedy to the tale, only to be shunted to the side again and again; even though some are played by familiar faces (like Alan Ruck), they barely have anything to do for the bulk of the script, and it always feels like there is a wilder comedy here trying to get out.

Still, ultimately this works well for what it is, and often-sweet, amusing tale of an odd romance, layered onto some clever ghostly bits.  Worth a look.

THE VIDEO

Ghost Town is presented in widescreen, enhanced for 16x9 TVs.  The picture quality is generally good, while the ghostly special effects are blended in nicely.

THE AUDIO

Ghost Town is presented in English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround.  Dialogue, music and sound effects come through clear.  There are English, Spanish and French subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

There is an Audio Commentary with Ricky Gervais and David Koepp that is amusing and semi-informative; the two riff off each other well, with Gervais trying to add a lot of humor.

Making Ghost Town is a fairly standard 22-minute featurette in which the cast and crew talk about the film.  The odd thing is that if you haven’t seen the film, it gives away way too much of it, while if you have seen the film they recap a plot you already know.

Some People Can Do It is a 6-minute gag reel, mostly involving Gervais laughing during takes.

Ghostly Effects is a wordless 2-minute look at how some of the ghost special effects in the movie were put together.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Ghost Town is funny to make it well worth a look, particularly for Gervais fans.