The Ghostbusters franchise as we know it is officially back and this time, director Jason Reitman follows the canon established by his father’s movies, but set in present day some thirty years later – essentially ignoring the 2016 reboot, likely for the better.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a ton to take in, especially on first viewing. But one thing is for sure – this is one of the most outrageously entertaining movies of the year, and the busting most certainly feels good this time around. In many ways, this entry may be more entertaining than the original, although the 1984 movie proved more memorable and charming. Regardless, Ghostbusters: Afterlife serves as a wonderful, nostalgia-fuelled follow-up that introduces audiences to excellent new characters such as Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Callie (Carrie Coon) while also pulling a Star Wars: The Force Awakens card and encouraging fans to reminisce on the old.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a ton to take in, especially on first viewing. But one thing is for sure – this is one of the most outrageously entertaining movies of the year, and the busting most certainly feels good this time around. In many ways, this entry may be more entertaining than the original, although the 1984 movie proved more memorable and charming. Regardless, Ghostbusters: Afterlife serves as a wonderful, nostalgia-fuelled follow-up that introduces audiences to excellent new characters such as Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Callie (Carrie Coon) while also pulling a Star Wars: The Force Awakens card and encouraging fans to reminisce on the old.
The two films actually have a lot in common – firstly, both have heaps and bounds of nostalgia. This is inevitably going to worry some people, who might expect constant nostalgia baiting without substance; thankfully Afterlife can support itself with a solid storyline and great characters. Like Star Wars, this new Ghostbusters outing introduces us to fresh faces and makes us love and care for them, while also reminding us of what came before. It’s a film that is genuinely beautiful.
The leads are all great save for Podcast (Logan Kim), who is the only character in this story that tends towards grating. He gets more palatable later on, but mostly spews cringe-worthy lines that quickly get tiring; thankfully, this doesn’t detract from just how funny Afterlife is on the whole. Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman’s script is not only incredibly well-paced and action-packed, it also leans on its comedy. A lot of it works and viewers are sure to find themselves laughing consistently throughout. Coon is a delight to see here in an extremely nuanced and layered role, while Finn Wolfhard sadly (and surprisingly) doesn’t get much to do here. And as for Paul Rudd… come on, it’s Paul Rudd. You know he’s great here, because why wouldn’t he be?
Aside from its lovable characters, music is another aspect that’s long been crucial to the Ghostbusters film identity. Composer Rob Simonsen had an excruciatingly hard task here – creating new music for a new Ghostbusters film – but he pulls it out of the bag with great skill and confidence. There are some wonderful little cues from the original that fans will notice here, but Simonsen also crafts some beautiful pieces of his own. Eric Steelberg’s cinematography is likewise deliciously vibrant and full of life and mystical wonder, set in the visually striking mid-West that gives Afterlife a distinct visual identity.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife isn’t a perfect film by any means, but those that are in search of a mighty good time at the movies should look no further.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is out in cinemas now.