REVIEW: Ghostbusters: Afterlife is for Ghostbuster Fans Young and Old
New York City, 1984, the attack on a Manhattan high-rise that would forever change the way people think about ghosts. Four men and their proton pack, forever changed history on that fateful night, and ultimately changed movies and audiences forever. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the 1984 Ghostbusters made over $13.6 million its opening weekend and became a household name. The success of the movie spawned a sequel (1989), a female led version (2016), and now Reitman’s son, Jason tries his hand at a new Ghostbusters movie, Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
In this iteration, Phoebe (McKenna Grace), a young girl who is too smart for her own good, arrives in the small town of Summerville. She, her mom (Carrie Coon), and her brother, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) are there to clean up their grandfather’s former house. Phoebe finds there is more than just dirt and dust hidden within. Despite her best efforts, not everyone agrees with Phoebe’s warnings until even weirder things begin happening in town. It’s now up Phoebe to stop the danger lurking in the town before it is too late
Despite not being promoted as a sequel to the original Ghostbusters, the movie definitely feels like a sequel. It has many callbacks to the original movie, but not so many that you feel like you are watching a carbon copy. Reitman does a wonderful job balancing the nostalgia while also telling a new story. The younger characters are a nice addition to the Ghostbusters family and will bring in a much younger audience to the franchise. Fans of the original, you will not be let down by this one. It has just enough of your favorite things from the original movie to keep you entertained from start to finish.
Grace leads our cast as the nerdy, outcast Phoebe and is the perfect person to lead this movie. She has the skill of someone who has been acting for over 20 years. Grace’s Phoebe will captivate you from the first scene she is in to the last. Joined by her sidekick, Podcast (Logan Kim), the two are a dynamite team. They may not provide the same type of comedy as Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Harold Ramis did in the first Ghostbusters, but they are still funny, especially Kim’s Podcast. The duo is joined in the movie by Finn Wolfhard (Phoebe’s older brother, Trevor), Carrie Coon (Phoebe’s mom, Callie), Paul Rudd (Mr. Grooberson), and Celeste O’Connor (Lucky), who are all wonderful additions to the movie.
Fans young and old should definitely give this movie a watch. For fans of the original, you may not love this one as much but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a really fun ride. I would recommend giving it a watch, you won’t be disappointed.
Grade: A