Sunday, November 21, 2021

Film: Ghostbusters Afterlife

 

GENRE: Adventure, Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for supernatural action
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 4 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, Perks of Being a Wallflower )
Mckenna Grace (Gifted; I, Tonya); Finn Wolfhard (It, Stranger Things)
DIRECTOR: Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air)
WRITERS: Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) & Gil Kenan (newcomer)
PLOT: A single mom and her two kids find out that they have a significant connection to the original Ghostbusters.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m very nostalgic for the original Ghostbusters.

STORY STUFF: Wow! That was fantastic! I may have been a bit skeptical, especially after the disappointing female version, but this reboot/continuation was awesome. I cared about each and every character, there were lots of laughs and some great emotional hooks, there is plenty of respect for the past while foraging some new ground. I will say that before seeing this, you should really watch or rewatch the original 1984 Ghostbusters to truly appreciate this film. (No need to watch the sequel or the female reboot.) I was impressed with great pacing, the Easter eggs, and the respectful way they incorporated Egon. This was a treat to watch. The two post-credit sequences seemed odd but whatever.

ACTING STUFF: Rudd brings the charm but it’s the kids that really blow me away in this film. Wolfhard has some great teenager lines and is a bit less awkward than in past performances. Grace does a fantastic job bringing us along on her journey. She also has great comic timing. But it’s newcomer Logan Kim who steals the show as the hilarious kid, self-named Podcast. Every line out of his mouth made me laugh and smile. Kudos to the casting folks who found this kid. He is freaking awesome.    

ARTISTIC STUFF: The special effects stuff has call-backs to the original but is clearly better animated for today’s audience. Having watched the original a couple days ago it was uncanny with some of the similarities. The set design, the costumes, the VHS choices, the mini Stay Puft Marshmallow guy, they all work so well. I do find it funny that the score has hints of The A-Team but so did the original, so I can’t fault them for that. This film is well worth your time.  

VERDICT: Five stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You enjoyed the original Ghostbusters and want the same fun.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Being the Ricardos, West Side Story

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