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Ghostbusters: Afterlife
(Columbia Pictures)
By Lucas Allen
Since 1984, bustin’ made everybody feel good. The legacy of “Ghostbusters” remains astounding, with three hit films, two animated shows, video games and merchandise. A new generation will soon carry those proton packs for the next decade with “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” that’s sure to honor the legacy while bringing in new fans. The movie is directed by Jason Reitman, who happens to be the son of the first two films’ director-turned-producer Ivan Reitman.
Struggling mother Callie (Carrie Coon) moves with her teenage son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and daughter Phoebe (McKenna Grace) to the small town of Summerville, Oklahoma, to inherit her late father’s dilapidated farmhouse. However, the family doesn’t know who he was, and the townsfolk only knew him as a dirt farmer. But Phoebe soon discovers some old equipment left behind by her grandfather and learns its purpose was to catch and trap ghosts. She teams up with her summer schoolteacher Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd) and her new friend Podcast (Logan Kim) to understand her grandfather’s life as a ghostbuster.
Meanwhile, some strange activity begins to intensify, coming directly from an old abandoned mine from decades ago. The two kids along with help from Trevor and his crush Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) quickly figure out that the mine was used as a gateway to unleash a powerful force and cause destruction to the world. With the apocalypse coming at a fast pace, the kids will have to rely on their ingenuity as well as the ghostbusting family lineage to save the world once more.
Throughout the film, there’s certainly some passion coming from the filmmakers to create a classic Ghostbusters adventure for a new generation. Not only did they succeed, but they also find a way to appeal to both the older fans and the new. That’s why they are numerous references to the original film sprinkled throughout, where some are cleverer than others. In fact, it does a lot more to honor the legacy than the 2016 reboot tried to do.
The story starts off as merely a family drama before segueing into a kid-friendly adventure on the same level as “E.T.” and “The Goonies.” But then the third act decides to re-do the third act of the original Ghostbusters film as if the screenwriters couldn’t come up with anything new and different for an exciting climax. Regardless, the ghost effects especially the beams of light remain consistent with the earlier films, and they all look fantastic to look at. Not to mention, the sounds of the proton packs are enough to give fans some giant smiles.
As far as the cast goes, the young actors Wolfhard, Grace, and Kim help carry the film bringing some good levels of likability, emotion, and humor. Their comic chemistry help create some of the film’s most laugh-out-loud moments. Rudd has plenty of funny moments of his own, while Coon has some good moments in a fine performance. Finally, for the fans, expect cameos from the likes of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, especially when the final scene becomes surprisingly touching.
There’s not much else to say about “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” without spoiling some more surprises. This is the kind of movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen with an audience of excited kids and adults. Hopefully, its success will likely bring about more adventures and more ghosts to bust.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for supernatural action and some suggestive references)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
