A Reel Review - GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

Every ten years or so, Hollywood finds a shiny new toy that they just can’t put down. For a while it was 3D, then the remakes, and then the reboots. These days it’s the Legacy Sequel; a film that follows the continuity of the original movie taking place further along the timeline. Franchises such as HALLOWEEN, TRON, and even STAR WARS have taken a crack at it. But not all of them have had the tools and talent to pull it off with success. Enter Jason Reitman and GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE. 

 

Callie (Carrie Coon), the estranged daughter of the late original Ghostbuster Egon, along with her daughter Phoebe (McKenna Grace), and son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), inherit and move into Egon’s decaying farm in Oklahoma…where they discover that Egon had spent decades preparing for something strange…

 

Directed by Jason Reitman, the son of Ivan Reitman, the original director of GHOSTBUSTERS in 1984 and its 1989 sequel, AFTERLIFE unfolds as a mystery; what was Egon up to all these years in the middle of nowhere…and why was it important enough for him to leave his family and old friends? The film is carried by Pheobe, who like her grandfather, is a socially awkward, scientific-minded curious kid…who finds Grandpa Egon’s secrets one piece at a time. She is aided by her slacker teacher Gary (Paul Rudd), who has been investigating mysterious earthquakes in the region. 

 

The mystery behind the earthquakes is, of course, what Egon had also been looking into…which were being caused by an old supernatural foe ready to rise again. But the spook, specter, or ghost that we’re dealing with is nearly secondary, as director Jason Reitman, with his father acting as a producer, are operating on a deeper level. For the first time in the franchise, there is emotional baggage happening, with every character needing some sort of closure; from Callie dealing with a father she never knew, Phoebe finding her place in the world, and even the original guys have unfinished business to wrap up…all of which are centered around the final days of Egon. It works, and it hits hard. 

 

As a Legacy Sequel, AFTERLIFE has the pre-requisite of inserting a lot of nostalgia into itself. Cues and props and characters from the original GHOSTBUSTERS are littered throughout, but they are also given a purpose…and in places improve upon lightly-developed concepts from the first film; it’s emotion with a goal and it clicks very well. Pacing is light and fun with great laughs, the CGI is very well done (including a whopper at the very end), and the score by Rob Simonson, which takes a lot of inspiration from the 1984 soundtrack…is excellent. 

 

Acting is wonderful. The film is carried by a delightful McKenna Grace who is a powerhouse at her age (she was 13 during filming). Paul Rudd is a laugh-a-minute and his chemistry with Carrie Coon leaps off the screen. Logan Kim comes in as Phoebe’s podcasting classmate and nearly steals the show. The return of the original (and one and only) Ghostbusters is handled with grace and all the guys are great; all of them. Keep your eyes peeled for some sneaky cameos…and be sure to sit through the credits. 

 

Jason Reitman spent a lot of time on the set of the original GHOSTBUSTERS films with his dad, so the franchise means a lot to him and it really shows. This was a labor of love that saturates the film and oozes its way into the audience. Reitman has said he was making this for fans, and he delivers; anyone who has ever dreamed of strapping on a proton pack and busting heads in a spiritual sense will find a lot to love here. For his characters, the fans, and the franchise, there is a satisfying sense of closure. The tools and the talent have risen to the occasion, and there is nothing to be afraid of in AFTERLIFE. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it