‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ is Nostalgia Done Almost Right– A No Spoiler Review
The long-awaited sequel arrives this weekend– it’s a fun ride if you can ignore its flaws. If you’re curious, here’s our spoiler-free review.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife focuses on a family that moves to a small town to get a fresh start. They also take on a dilapidated house left to them by their grandfather. Sounds a bit generic– till you learn that the grandfather was Egon Spengler and the households a hidden legacy of fighting the supernatural.
This movie is directly connected to the 1984 classic and skips over the 2016 reboot entirely. But sees some of its original cast return. Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts are all back on screen for Afterlife.
Director Jason Reitman has a long connection with the franchise. For the Reitman’s, Ghostbusters is a family tradition. Ivan Reitman directed the first two movies (he’s a producer on this), and he cast his family as extras and had them visit the set during production.
The movie definitely has a get-the-family-back-together feel to it thanks to this.
via Columbia Pictures – from Left: Ivan Reitman, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Jason Reitman
The Pros of Afterlife
Ghostbusters: Afterlife isn’t a straight remake, but it’s got a lot of callbacks to the original movie. A lot. A lot a lot. There are gadgets, costumes, ghosts, demons, and of course, ECTO-1 to be seen in this.
via Columbia Pictures
The effects look like an update on what Boss Film Studios did in the ’80s. It’s got fan service, but it works for the story rather than detracting. Just don’t point out things to your friends too loudly in the theater.
GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE is a veritable masterpiece of “Hey, I recognize that thing from that other thing!” cinema.
AdvertisementIf you love recognizing things, buckle the fuck up.
— DrewMcWeeny (@DrewMcWeeny) November 16, 2021
This is a ‘kids on bikes’ movie, and the kids are fantastic. Phoebe (played by Mckenna Grace) is a perfect nerdy analog for Egon and any kid that didn’t (or doesn’t) feel like they fit in with anyone around them. She will make you laugh.
Her brother, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), is that freshman in high school that hates small-town life. He’ll do anything to get out, or to catch the eye of the girl of his dreams.
The other stand out is Podcast (Logan Kim). He reminds me of Ned from Spider-Man, but with his own conspiracy theory-obsessed flavor.
via Columbia Pictures
Ghostbusters: Afterlife Spoiler-Free Review: The Cons
Afterlife does have its drawbacks, though. It doesn’t have a lot of new things to say. The film presents a lot of things we’ve seen in a different package. As much as the nostalgia carries the story, it can’t carry it all the way.
For audience members hoping for something like the more adult, SNL feel of the original, they’re not going to get it. This is a family movie in tone and structure. That doesn’t mean grown-ups won’t enjoy it. It has humor, it has scares, and it has heart. It’s fun.
via Columbia Pictures
If you walk in with no expectations, I think you’ll have fun. It’s got a lot of things going for it that will make a bunch of long-time fans of the franchise happy. It is definitely not a repeat of the 2016 reboot.
I imagine that this will draw in a new generation of fans that will leave the theater wanting to see more, and maybe even the original movies.
