Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Bokeem Woodbine
Primary genre: Comedy
Secondary genre: Supernatural
“Ghostbusters Afterlife” (2021) really came out of nowhere. Demand was not particularly high for a sequel to a series that had its prime in the mid-80s, especially after the disastrous (and unnecessary) reboot of Paul Feig’s in 2016. Enter Jason Reitman, the son of Ivan Reitman (“Ghostbusters” (1984), “Ghostbusters 2” (1989)) who attempts to slip into his father’s shoes and take a shot at reinvigorating the franchise.
In a rather slick move (and sharing a co-screenwriter credit) he explains subtly the time gap between the new movie and the previous two while paying a beautiful homage (and a much delayed send off) to Harold Ramis (who passed away in 2014) by making Egon the catalyst of the story, something that for example, the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015-2019) failed spectacularly to do so with its iconic trio.
But despite Reitman’s meaning well intentions, “Afterlife” suffers from “creative nostalgia”, a disorder that is common in many legacy sequels (e.g., “The Force Awakens” (2015), “The Matrix Resurrections“ (2021)). Reitman seeks to attract old school fans by replicating key moments from the original with a mediocre CGI assisted execution that leaves much to be desired. And while it is admirable to see on the big screen these iconic designs, “Afterlife” does not offer anything fresh.
Reitman’s decision to move the action from the heavy crowded streets of New York to a small American town in Oklahoma struck in time comes unfortunately with all the clichés that you have seen a million times before failing to tap to the unlimited potential that the world of Ghostbusters can offer. His script might continue the story 30 years later but does so with a surprisingly slow pace, few jump scares and for a film that has “Ghostbusters” in its title, there are hardly any ghosts around. Some moments might cause a giggle or two (e.g., mini Marshmallow Men) but these are unfortunately are far and between in segments that really do not propel the story or expand the film’s mythology.
The inevitable and mediocre CGI heavy beam-in-the-sky climax - that we have seen hundreds of times in the last ten years (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon“ (2011), “Amazing Spiderman” (2012), “Man of Steel” (2013), "“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2014), “Fantastic 4” (2015), “Ghostbusters”(2016), “Suicide Squad” (2016), “Justice League” (2017), “The Tomorrow War” (2021)) - is perhaps the biggest letdown as it ends too soon and too fast demonstrating the director’s weakness to establish a worthy pay off with some eye-brow-raising choices that echo the ending of the “The Rise of Skywalker” (2019) .
Nevertheless, what “Afterlife” lacks in originality and visual panache, it makes up for it with its charming cast of new characters and its respect for the source material. The script does not sideline or deconstruct our beloved ghostbusters neither it shoehorns Mary Sues or magnifies identity politics that take center stage. Mckenna Grace as a mini (and obviously cool) version of Egon Spengler is spot on and our primary introduction back to the world of ghosts, Rudd is (always) likeable as a seismologist-turned-summer-school-teacher, Finn Wolfhard (of the “Stranger Things” (2015 -2022)) is not distracting and Logan Kim as Podcast feels like an appropriate modernization of Mouth from “The Goonies“ (1985). I wish though we will get to spend more time with our remaining Ghostbusters in a mentor role instead of reducing them to glorified cameos (Annie Potts is particularly wasted).
“Ghostbusters Afterlife” will definitely not win any new fans since it leans towards studio approved fan fiction. It lacks enthusiastic set pieces or that SNL vibe that make the originals such a pleasure to watch. Playing it extremely safe, it is a modern rehash in a less interesting setting with less memorable supernatural elements. Yet, the newcomers hold their ground, it incorporates Harold Ramis’ absence beautifully while leaving the door open for a more creatively exciting sequel.
A nostalgia heavy sequel
+New cast is good
+…especially Mckenna Grace
+Respect for the original
+Original cast is back
+Beautiful homage to Harold Rami’s Egon
-Offers nothing new
-Relies too much on nostalgia
-Replicates key moments from the original film
-The climax is disappointing
-Almost no ghosts
-Too slow