Ghostbusters: Afterlife (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' (directed by Jason Reitman; his father helmed the 1st film) is the 3rd sequel, of sorts, of the 1984 comedy classic. HEAVY on nostalgia & homage - if not originality - I still had a good time taking a trip down memory lane with this one and, it will work best for those who love the Ivan Reitman original. This film starts as a coming-of-age tale for siblings Trevor (Finn Wolfhard, of Stranger Things fame) & Phoebe (McKenna Grace). Along with their prickly single mom, Callie (Carrie Coon), they are relocating from the city life to rural Oklahoma. Broke & in dire need of a fresh start, Callie & her kids take ownership of the property she recently inherited from Egon Spengler (the late Harol Ramis), her estranged father.
In the week prior to his death, Spengler was involved in an intense ghostbusting event {shown in the prologue} but its purpose is hidden from his family moving into his creepy, dilapidated farm house. Known by locals as an eccentric loner, the siblings gradually learn that their grandpa, an original Ghostbuster, was onto something huge and, their meddling with one of his ghost traps frees one very hungry ghoul. They are joined in their growing cognizance of a possible apocalyptic event by Phoebe's new friend, 'Podcast' (Logan Kim, hysterical), Phoebe's summer school teacher, Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd, a welcome addition to any movie), & Trevor's crush/co-worker, Lucky (Celeste O'Connor). Eventually, Phoebe answers the question of "Who ya gonna call?" by dialing an old TV commercial number & connecting with Stantz (Dan Akroyd). Murphy's Law enters the fray when supernatural being, Gozer (Olivia Wilde) & her two beast gatekeepers, look to wreak havoc on the world. Maybe, just maybe, Stantz can rally his troops (Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson) to travel to Oklahoma to help save the newbies. Craziness ensues.
'G:A' works best when the focus is on these new characters, developing their relationships, & exploring their strengths. The film's actual story, however, is not unique and, instead overly rely images & themes from the 1st films to ignite nostalgia. Also, not a heck of a lot actually happens in the film for a good 80-90 minutes until the big 15 min. climax. Sure, we see a ghost or two early on and, there's a fun {if lacking any coherence} stretch in a supermarket where a ton of anarchic Stay Puft marshmallow men explode everywhere. But to that big climax, the pyrotechnic-filled showdown with Gozer ... while impressively shot with top-notch visual effects, would've felt more exciting had it not been a direct beat-for-beat regurgitation of the finale of the '84 flick. Having said that, the original Ghostbusters {yes, including Spengler ... you'll see} provides ample catharsis for us viewers.
McKenna Grace finds the right balance of vulnerability & calm/cool/collectedness as the socially awkward grandpa's girl. Paul Rudd & Carrie Coon impart enough chemistry & banter to keep things moving. Some of things they have to do in the script are ridiculous, but their likeability overrides that. Young newcomer Logan Kim is aboard mostly for comic relief, but boy was I glad for his addition; that kid knows how to land a joke & lend a humorous reaction -- he's got it. And seeing as this film is mostly a drama where a family connects with their grandfather after his death, this allows for Harold Ramis to be the most present of the other originals. Though it's nice to see Akroyd, Murray & Hudson, it is Ramis who looms largest over the production.
Jason Reitman does a solid job providing an amusing & affecting story, here. He has provided a path for subsequent films to be made {in this franchise}, and he gave the fans what they wanted. I just think that after the fan service fades away, all that is really left to see is a basic comedy actioner that was too light on substance. The slick craftsmanship + amiable performances make-up for a lot of time spent spinning in one place until the big climax arrives. Still, I had a decent time watching it all.
In the week prior to his death, Spengler was involved in an intense ghostbusting event {shown in the prologue} but its purpose is hidden from his family moving into his creepy, dilapidated farm house. Known by locals as an eccentric loner, the siblings gradually learn that their grandpa, an original Ghostbuster, was onto something huge and, their meddling with one of his ghost traps frees one very hungry ghoul. They are joined in their growing cognizance of a possible apocalyptic event by Phoebe's new friend, 'Podcast' (Logan Kim, hysterical), Phoebe's summer school teacher, Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd, a welcome addition to any movie), & Trevor's crush/co-worker, Lucky (Celeste O'Connor). Eventually, Phoebe answers the question of "Who ya gonna call?" by dialing an old TV commercial number & connecting with Stantz (Dan Akroyd). Murphy's Law enters the fray when supernatural being, Gozer (Olivia Wilde) & her two beast gatekeepers, look to wreak havoc on the world. Maybe, just maybe, Stantz can rally his troops (Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson) to travel to Oklahoma to help save the newbies. Craziness ensues.
'G:A' works best when the focus is on these new characters, developing their relationships, & exploring their strengths. The film's actual story, however, is not unique and, instead overly rely images & themes from the 1st films to ignite nostalgia. Also, not a heck of a lot actually happens in the film for a good 80-90 minutes until the big 15 min. climax. Sure, we see a ghost or two early on and, there's a fun {if lacking any coherence} stretch in a supermarket where a ton of anarchic Stay Puft marshmallow men explode everywhere. But to that big climax, the pyrotechnic-filled showdown with Gozer ... while impressively shot with top-notch visual effects, would've felt more exciting had it not been a direct beat-for-beat regurgitation of the finale of the '84 flick. Having said that, the original Ghostbusters {yes, including Spengler ... you'll see} provides ample catharsis for us viewers.
McKenna Grace finds the right balance of vulnerability & calm/cool/collectedness as the socially awkward grandpa's girl. Paul Rudd & Carrie Coon impart enough chemistry & banter to keep things moving. Some of things they have to do in the script are ridiculous, but their likeability overrides that. Young newcomer Logan Kim is aboard mostly for comic relief, but boy was I glad for his addition; that kid knows how to land a joke & lend a humorous reaction -- he's got it. And seeing as this film is mostly a drama where a family connects with their grandfather after his death, this allows for Harold Ramis to be the most present of the other originals. Though it's nice to see Akroyd, Murray & Hudson, it is Ramis who looms largest over the production.
Jason Reitman does a solid job providing an amusing & affecting story, here. He has provided a path for subsequent films to be made {in this franchise}, and he gave the fans what they wanted. I just think that after the fan service fades away, all that is really left to see is a basic comedy actioner that was too light on substance. The slick craftsmanship + amiable performances make-up for a lot of time spent spinning in one place until the big climax arrives. Still, I had a decent time watching it all.