Back in 2014, when word first broke that Paul Feig was working on an all-female Ghostbusters reboot, original Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson was skeptical about the prospect. “If it has nothing to do with the other two movies, and it’s all female, then why are you calling it Ghostbusters?,” he complained to The Telegraph. “I love females. I hope that if they go that way, at least they’ll be funny, and if they’re not funny at least hopefully it’ll be sexy.” Hudson has since changed his tune (he even does a cameo in the new movie)—but men at large have taken up where his knee-jerk reaction left off.

Feig’s been the object of abusive tweets from disgruntled fans for months—make that years. The first official trailer for the new Ghostbusters, which surfaced online in March of this year, is now the most disliked movie trailer in YouTube history. Even when The New York Times gave the movie an enthusiastically favorable review—“The redo is pretty much what you might expect from Paul Feig, one of the best things to happen to American big-screen comedy since Harold Ramis”—the shared version on the N.Y.T. Facebook page received 194 mostly negative comments (and counting).

I reached out to a few of those detractors to try to understand where this anger is coming from. Wayne, who commented on the review by saying, simply, “I’ll pass,” told me, “It has nothing to do with the fact that it's all women. I can embrace that. My problem is that they are taking a movie that in my opinion is a flawless classic and then dumbing it down. This movie could’ve had serious potential; however they decided to go with a gimmick.” The gimmick in this case being . . . strong female leads.

Nicholas, who accused the movie of garnering “exaggerated over the top reviews because it’s become a feminist issue,” claimed, “I am generally ‘opposed’ to all reboots. I just think film creators should be more creative than that.” Josh, who called the movie a “piece of shit,” supplied me with a 32-minute conspiracy theory video that explains what’s allegedly wrong with the movie and then closes, randomly, with a strange definition of feminism.

According to these guys, then, it’s not the female cast that’s upsetting men: it’s just that the new Ghostbusters is a “bad movie.” Even though, you know, none of the people criticizing the movie will have a chance to see it until it opens this weekend.

So, the evening before the film’s official release, I went to the Theatres at Canal Place in New Orleans to do some more fieldwork. We already know what men have to say about the movie online—but what would they say when standing face to face with an actual living, breathing person who also happens to be a woman? Surprise: turns out they were a lot nicer, and a lot less convinced that the new Ghostbusters was a sign of the actual apocalypse.

Jesse, 30
Do you have any plans to see the new Ghostbusters movie?
We’re on our way right now. My sister bought tickets like a month ago.
What are your thoughts on the idea that seeing this movie will ruin your childhood?
I think it’s insane. I think it’s totally ridiculous. I grew up loving Ghostbusters, I was obsessed with it growing up, and I’ve been incredibly annoyed with the reaction. I’m not crazy about reboots or anything, but I think the backlash has been so gnarly. I don’t think it’s gonna ruin my childhood because it’s a movie, and I’m not nuts.
Do you think that Bill Murray has ever left an online comment?
I don’t think so. I think that homie is just like, too busy getting baked. I don’t think he really cares.

Ryan, 19
Are you going to see Ghostbusters?
No, actually.
What are your feelings on the Ghostbusters reboot as a whole?
I don’t really have any feelings towards it. I’ve never seen the originals.
A lot of people have been saying that it’s going to ruin childhoods.
I mean, I don’t think so, because Star Wars had a strong female lead character, and that was amazing.

Byron, 29
Are you by chance seeing Ghostbusters?
I am!
What are your thoughts on the general idea that seeing this movie is gonna ruin your childhood?
It’s not going to ruin my childhood, because it’s not going to replace the first movies.
Do you think that Bill Murray has ever left an online comment?
That dude is mysterious. Lord knows what he does.

Tim, 53
Are you seeing the new Ghostbusters tonight?
Yes.
What are your feelings on the thought that seeing this movie will ruin your childhood?
No, no. Not at all. I think it’s gonna be great.
Do you think that Bill Murray has ever left an online comment?
I don’t know. I don’t really care.

The men who grew up loving the original Ghostbusters films were taught by example that women generally exist to fill a narrow number of roles: the object of a male character’s affection, the punch line in a period joke, the victim, the demon that the men must vanquish. And as much as we’d like to think things have changed, women in movies are still often cast in a similar light. A movie that puts women front and center—and doesn’t stereotype them—is still unusual enough to be notable, the sort of thing that’s considered a statement first and a film second.

Is that all the new Ghostbusters is, though? After snatching up man-thoughts like Pokémon, seeing the movie itself was my grand finale. After all that buildup, and the forced expectation of failure, I found the Ghostbusters reboot to be a chunk of joy that pays homage after homage to the original series. The crowd of the 7:15 Thursday night showing I attended laughed out loud multiple times, and even clapped at the end. If that’s not a sign of success, then I don’t know what is.