Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
- 3.5/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥.5
- Directed by: Jason Reitman
- Starring: Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Paul Rudd
- Where to find it: In Cinemas Now
 |
| No Copyright Infringement Intended The original Ghostbusters is one of my all-time favourite
films. Ghostbusters 2 was an ok follow-up; the remake was a disappointment.
Needless to say when I saw they were having another go at the franchise I kept
my expectations fairly low. But with much of the original cast returning to
their roles as well as seeing it was Jason Reitman, son of the original film’s
director Ivan Reitman, at the helm, I became a bit more invested in the
concept. Misplaced optimism? Thankfully not. Ghostbusters: Afterlife jumps straight in with a figure
attempting to capture a nasty-looking ghost on the outskirts of a small town in
Oklahoma. His plan goes wrong, and he is killed by the spirit. To me, it was
pretty clear right away who the figure was, but I won’t spoil it here. The film
then jumps to Callie (Carrie Coon), a struggling single mother and her two kids
being evicted from their home, leading to them moving to the house recently
vacated by Callie’s estranged father, the man we saw die in the opening scene.
The two kids, Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) attempt to
adjust to their new life, making new friends while gradually figuring out their
connection to the Ghostbusters and uncovering a supernatural conspiracy. Right away it should be made clear that these are the film’s
main characters. Yes, the original cast do reprise their roles, and yes, it’s
brilliant when this happens, but they are not the stars of the film. Right away
it should also be made clear that these newcomers to the franchise are
excellent additions. Mckenna Grace as Phoebe deserves special praise as the
character who does most of the heavy lifting driving the film’s plot. Her
character is a science geek who struggles socially, but she’s fun throughout,
grows a lot, and is a great example to kids that it’s ok to be a little
different. Elsewhere Paul Rudd as Phoebe’s science teacher does essentially
just play Paul Rudd and I must confess I struggle to see Finn Wolfhard without
immediately assuming it’s Mike from Stranger Things, but since I like both
these things anyway that’s not really a criticism. The film plays out as more of a mystery/adventure than an
outright comedy like the original. That’s not to say the film isn’t funny;
there are plenty of gags and most of them hit well, but the comedy feels like a
bonus with the focus being on fun action scenes and the mystery behind what’s
causing the new wave of hauntings. Laced thickly throughout is a cornucopia of
nostalgia, featuring an abundance of references and fan service for those who
love the original. This is fun, and as a fan, I enjoyed it a lot, but it does
leave this as a film that might be hard to appreciate for those who aren’t
already into Ghostbusters. In fact, takeaway these references and throwbacks
and what we are left with is essentially a Stranger Things/Super8 rip-off,
admittedly a well-done one, but even so it’s not all that refreshing. I do see
this angle helping to bring the film some wider appeal with younger audiences,
I just think it’s a little overdone at the moment. Despite this I found myself smiling throughout Ghostbusters:
Afterlife. Sure, it’s not that original and it definitely relies a lot on
nostalgia, but fans of the original are sure to get a kick out of it, and its
attempts to appeal to modern younger audiences will hopefully lead to a fresh
generation of Ghostbusters fans. |
Comments
Post a Comment