Ghostbusters Afterlife Review
After multiple delays, Ghostbusters Afterlife has finally dropped in the theaters this past weekend. I’m a bit late but I was finally able to check out the movie, so how is it? Let’s get started!
The Good:
And for me the best thing about this movie is that it does something different with the Ghostbusters franchise. This is the first and only movie that doesn’t take place in New York City. So right off the bat, the setting of the movie is widely different. But the type of story that it tells is so different from the other movies. Because the original movie was about a group of middle aged men starting a business to stop paranormal activity happening in New York City. This movie is about an estranged family living in a small town in an old house left by their grandfather. And I think doing something so new and different really helped this movie out. Because even Ghostbusters II and Ghostbusters (2016) follow the template and formula of the original one.
It’s also a movie that does a great job of paying homage and tribute to the original movie. But in a way that it doesn’t feel like fan service over story. There are plenty of Easter Eggs and nods towards the original movies, and it just adds a nice spice and flavor to everything. The main character Phoebe is designed to be the younger version of Egon from the original movie. So right there, the lead of the movie is paying tribute to a beloved character. And I thought the easter eggs and nods were used just right, they don’t overshadow the story or the new characters at all.
Also, I think it’s safe to say this is the most emotional of the Ghostbusters movies. And that bar is set pretty low because the other movies weren’t trying to be these emotional character studies. But in a lot of ways, this movie is trying to be that. As you move into the second half of the movie, you get some nice emotional moments with the characters. And what they do in the third act could tug at the heartstrings for some people.
From there, I think the cast for the movie is pretty great. Everybody here does a great job with what they are given. You do have the sexiest man alive I mean Paul Rudd in the movie who is just so great and likable in everything that he is in. He’s just one of these guys that is so naturally funny and charming in movies. And he sense of humor fits perfectly into this franchise. Then with the child actors they are pretty solid as child actors. McKenna Grace as Phoebe who in a lot of ways is the main character of the movie. Can play this smart young girl that is awkward in situations really well. But can also be dramatic when she needs to be.
Finally, this is a Ghostbusters movie so you have to talk about the humor. And this movie has plenty of solid laughs in the movie. When you have somebody like Paul Rudd in the movie he just brings a lot of humor. And there is this great sequence with him around 60% of the way through the movie in a Walmart that I thought was really funny. Also Winn Wolfhard gets nice solid jokes with his sarcastic sense of humor. But also McKenna Grace has some great moments that made me laugh. And the kid she is partnered up with in the movie, they have a great dynamic that made me laugh. So overall, this is probably the Ghostbusters movie that made me laugh the most.
The Bad:
The first thing that comes to mind is there can be some pacing issues in the first half of the movie. It felt like there was a 5-10 minute streak of great scenes in a row that it would slow down. And then pick back up again and then slow down again. But around the halfway mark it was non-stop entertainment for me. And I do think the movie gets a little while for the movie to find its footing.
Also, certain parts of the plot were a bit predictable. Especially with the mom character in the movie and her arc in the movie. Once they started setting those pieces into play I figured where it was going. And I was right, and some other elements like that did feel predictable.
Final Thoughts: Overall, I really dug this movie more than I thought. I thought it was wise to tell a different type of story inside of this franchise. The humor and the characters also fleshed out this movie really nicely. So overall, if you like the original movie then this movie will give what you wanted. This is a great edition to the franchise and will rank very well in my ranking of the franchise.
The Score: 8.9/10 (B+)
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