After the massively disappointing Ghostbuster reboot in 2016, fans have been clamouring for a more respectful entry in the franchise. Incomes Ghostbusters: Afterlife, directed by Jason Reitman, son of the director of the original, Ivan Reitman. I’ll admit that Ghostbusters wasn’t a huge thing in my life. I’m not a massive fan of the franchise but I have watched all the movies in the franchise. The premise is “When a single mother and her two children move to a new town, they soon discover they have a connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind”. So does this honour the ghostbuster legacy or another failure like the reboot?
One of the biggest things I appreciate about Ghostbusters: Afterlife is how it respects Harold Ramis, one of the original Ghostbusters, who sadly passed away. His character, Egon Spengler, is treated respectfully in the story. Additionally, the other 3 original Ghostbusters return as well and are handled magnificently without taking the focus away from the new characters. I also enjoy the tone in Ghostbusters: Afterlife which is more of a family drama story. It ain’t the gritty humour that was in the original but it works for the story that is being told in this film and it still honours a lot of what the original did. It is also shot in a wonderful way where the shots feel more of a contrast to the original grim crowded city. The shots here feel more lifelike and colourful which elevates the tone even further. There are some genuinely heartfelt and emotional moments as well.
One worry I did have is that the new Ghostbusting crew were a group of kids. However, my worry was subverted as the cast did a great job. McKenna Grace plays Phoebe who is the main lead. She is awkward and nerdy and super interested in science. A character like that would normally be quite irritating but she isn’t in this film. She does a phenomenal job in making us root for her as she is incredibly likeable. I also enjoyed the friendship she has with Podcast, which is a stupid name though. Some might find Podcast annoying but the contrast in personality with Phoebe allows for enjoyable comedic moments between the two. Another actor I loved in this movie was Paul Rudd who plays Gary, the teacher in this new town. He is hilarious and lovable in this film. Surprisingly, the action and scare scenes are great. There is a great car chase sequence that I enjoyed and the scares are quite creepy for a family adventure film.
Unfortunately, there are some issues with the plot that I did have. Phoebe has a brother, Trevor, played by Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things fame. I enjoy Finn’s performance, but his character is just so boring. He has a plot where he gains a crush on a girl named Lucky but it is just so uninteresting compared to the main plot. It’s a lame teen romance inserted into the Ghostbuster plot and I honestly wish it was removed. This film also leans on nostalgia a lot! There is a lot of easter egg and reference to previous Ghostbuster films. It’s fine to do that but this movie does it to a point where it is starting to cause issues for the film. There are a lot of scenes where it is characters just walking while finding things from previous movies. It just goes on for way too long and slows the pacing. The final act is also beat for beat the same thing from the first Ghostbusters but in a different setting. It might have been done for nostalgic purposes but I feel like it would’ve been better if they just did something different.
Overall, Ghostbusters: Afterlife feels like a proper love letter to the fans. It treats its legacy characters with respect unlike the 2016 version and it gives a story that is a proper sequel. It contains a lot of easter eggs for the fans even though it does lean on it a bit too much. Ghostbusters: Afterlife would have been a perfect finale to the franchise but the ending does imply a potential sequel. However, the framework that this film left would certainly lead to me being interested in the sequel if it does happen.
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