Joseph Gelmis described the Ghostbusters as an adolescent fantasy, comparing their firehouse base to the Batcave with a Fireman's pole and an Ectomobile on the ground floor. He said the film works as a collaborative effort by the three main Ghostbusters, particularly Murray, who dismisses the serious situations to keep them comedic. "Deseret News" Christopher Hicks praised Reitman's improved directing skills, and the crew for avoiding the vulgarity found in their previous films, "Caddyshack" and "Stripes". He felt they reached for more creative humor and genuine thrills instead. Hicks singled out Murray saying he "has never been better than he is here." He noted Murray, Ramis and Aykroyd "wanted to be like the Marx brothers of the 80s." He complained about the finale, claiming it lost its sense of fun and was "overblown," but found the film compensated for this, since it "has ghosts like you've never seen".