I'm a Ghostbusters fan going back to seeing the original movie in the theater at age 7. That movie became an obsession for me, and I watched it on VHS enough times to be able to recite most of the dialogue from memory. Five years later, I was disappointed with Ghostbusters 2, feeling it was too much of a copy of the original with a misplaced sentimentality added in. I never saw the 2016 movie because, to me, Ghostbusters isn't just a brand name you can slap on anything, it's about a specific universe populated by specific characters.
I saw Afterlife last night and enjoyed it a lot. This is a Jason Reitman movie, not an Ivan Reitman movie. For much of the running time, it feels like a low-budget, indie, light comedy about a family with lots of personal problems. That seems like a good choice. This isn't a soulless, corporate-driven blockbuster that sets out only to copy someone else's movie, like The Force Awakens. This is a story told from the heart that deals with subject matter that means something to the director. In this case, that means it's not a movie populated by stand-up comedians who know how to craft a perfect punchline like the original. It's the kind of low-key human comedy where you smile all the way through at the characters' charm and sweetness.
Of course, these characters are quickly placed into a supernatural, sci-fi world. This reset focusing on a new, young cast allows the fourth movie in the franchise to reintroduce a pleasant sense of discovery and mystery. The search for answers eventually leads to one of the most exciting ghostbusting set pieces in any of the movies, the Ecto-1 ghost chase seen in the trailers. If there's a weakness in the film, it's with the special effects and action in the third act. These aren't quite as well-constructed as what we saw earlier in the film and threaten to overwhelm the movie's generally simpler sensibility.
Even though this film has new characters as its stars, the specter of Egon Spengler hangs heavy over the entire story. In that sense, it has deep ties to the original film that make it feel like a strongly integrated part of the same universe. The original surviving Ghostbusters of course make an appearance, but there's a reason the trailers don't feature them prominently. No one should go in expecting them to have a big part. The good news is that the new cast is so lovable and has such distinctive personalities, that you don't miss seeing the old guys. Mckenna Grace is a real discovery here. Her performance is subtle, sweet, sensitive and offbeat. I left the theater just as excited at the prospect of going on more adventures with the new cast as I was about potentially seeing the original busters again.
I saw Afterlife last night and enjoyed it a lot. This is a Jason Reitman movie, not an Ivan Reitman movie. For much of the running time, it feels like a low-budget, indie, light comedy about a family with lots of personal problems. That seems like a good choice. This isn't a soulless, corporate-driven blockbuster that sets out only to copy someone else's movie, like The Force Awakens. This is a story told from the heart that deals with subject matter that means something to the director. In this case, that means it's not a movie populated by stand-up comedians who know how to craft a perfect punchline like the original. It's the kind of low-key human comedy where you smile all the way through at the characters' charm and sweetness.
Of course, these characters are quickly placed into a supernatural, sci-fi world. This reset focusing on a new, young cast allows the fourth movie in the franchise to reintroduce a pleasant sense of discovery and mystery. The search for answers eventually leads to one of the most exciting ghostbusting set pieces in any of the movies, the Ecto-1 ghost chase seen in the trailers. If there's a weakness in the film, it's with the special effects and action in the third act. These aren't quite as well-constructed as what we saw earlier in the film and threaten to overwhelm the movie's generally simpler sensibility.
Even though this film has new characters as its stars, the specter of Egon Spengler hangs heavy over the entire story. In that sense, it has deep ties to the original film that make it feel like a strongly integrated part of the same universe. The original surviving Ghostbusters of course make an appearance, but there's a reason the trailers don't feature them prominently. No one should go in expecting them to have a big part. The good news is that the new cast is so lovable and has such distinctive personalities, that you don't miss seeing the old guys. Mckenna Grace is a real discovery here. Her performance is subtle, sweet, sensitive and offbeat. I left the theater just as excited at the prospect of going on more adventures with the new cast as I was about potentially seeing the original busters again.