Ghostbusters: Afterlife
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Ghostbusters: Afterlife – 2021 (Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy)
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– “Who ya gonna call?” The answer is the 1980’s; in the never-ending rush to capitalize on proven franchises, we get to revisit (again) a franchise that was so iconic that it needed to be handled with baby gloves.
This is the second try after the classic 1989 sequel “Ghostbusters II,” and I would say a far more successful attempt! I didn’t hate the 2016 “reboot” that was later titled “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call.” While it was poorly received, I think that was more to do with campaigns against it than the actual film itself. Sadly, many people had a vendetta against it because of the female cast. I don’t think it’s even remotely in the same discussion as the original film, but I also didn’t hate it. The film was considered a flop at the box office, but that had more to do with the extras spent on marketing.
“Afterlife” was a much better thought-out continuation of the original films instead of attempting to reboot the franchise again. The first step to the correct path was getting Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman (who directed the original two films.) Usually, I would question this as just a grab to appease the fanbase, but in this case, Ivan has a pretty excellent track record himself with “Juno,” “Labor Day,” and “Tully,” as well as some other fantastic films under his belt!
This take on the franchise was far more thought out and ultimately a success. While I don’t think this was as fantastic as some did, I was drawn in, and I look forward to where they take the franchise next. My biggest issue is that the story itself seemed pretty weak; they arguably may have taken the fan service a bit too seriously instead of looking towards the future.
I could’ve done without most of the cast, there weren’t a lot of issues, but in general, they didn’t connect with me on the emotional level that the original cast did. I left feeling like I didn’t have anyone to look forward to in the next film. The lone exception for me would probably be Mckenna Grace (“Gifted”), who has a ton of acting credits but generally has gone unnoticed. Interestingly, she started her music career separately from the film with her debut single "Haunted House.” The song wasn’t initially written for the film, but it was more than fitting. It only plays during the closing credits, but I think it worked perfectly! Getting the co-lead in this is a great way to welcome herself to the public.
The post-Thanksgiving slump is in full force when it comes to new releases. “West Side Story” is the only major release with many limited releases coming. As the year nears its end, I patiently wait to see the Oscar nominations and hit my stride. The “Oscar Death Race” is fun every year, even more so when I complete it. I love getting to take little road trips to Chicago, St. Louis, Iowa City, etc., to catch that one hard-to-find film to finish the race.
Where to watch:
IN THEATERS ONLY
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This movie hit me right in the feelings. I laughed. I cried, and I ain’t afraid of no ghost. The Harold Ramis look-alike had me at shock to the point where I felt like he never left. Although Harold never left us, and neither did Egon.
I enjoyed but I’m more a fan of the original
Again.. this was the year of cash grabs. Making movies just to make movies without real originality.
This was fun and it seemed like the cast had fun making it. I thoguht everyone did a really good job in it and the ending was a nice little moment