REVIEW #110 Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Ghostbusters Afterlife is the latest instalment in the franchise and is a sequel to the original 1980 films but set in the current day (2021). The film is directed by Jason Reitman and follows Callie as she moves her family to a town called Summersville to inherit her late fathers house. They soon realise they have a connection to the original ghostbusters as strange things begin to happen.

CAST & THE ACTING 

I would say the cast is actually led by McKenna Grace who absolutely steals the show as Phoebe. She plays a genius kid who is a bit of an outsider but delivers some fantastic moments of comedy. Her chemistry with costar Logan Kim who plays her friend podcast is one of the best relationships in the film, both are hilarious! Paul Rudd plays Mr Grooberson and he is always a safe bet in terms of delivering strong performances, which has made him one of the most loved actors in Hollywood. It is no different in this film. Finn Wolfhard plays Phoebe’s brother Trevor, he also does well but it seems like every role he is cast in now, is always the same type of character. I would like to see him step outside of his comfort zone soon to expand his acting ability. The rest of the cast I will leave for you to find out, there are some great surprises and cameos! 

PLOT & THE STORYLINE 

I’m so glad they decided to do a proper sequel to the original films, especially after the disaster that was the female Ghostbusters reboot! The plot made complete sense in terms of how it linked to the originals and it also made for an emotional sub plot focusing on family. It also explained the absence of Ghostbusters since the 80’s which added to the credibility of the storyline. They created some really likeable characters from Podcast and Phoebe to Mr Grooberson, they made the film funny and enjoyable. It was nice to see kids in the cinemas enjoying ghostbusters for the first time, I remember how much I enjoyed the originals as a kid! It wasn’t a perfect film there were a couple of things that weren’t really answered like why Summersvill was suddenly the place where Gozer would arise from. It certainly has a different vibe to the originals which was probably a good thing because you wouldn’t want the film to try and imitate the old versions. It certainly used the popular template of Stranger Things and IT where it focused on younger characters that were funny and brave. But overall a very enjoyable storyline for sure. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS 

I think the best way to sum up this category was at times the cinematography and effects were great but at other times they weren’t good at all. The musical score is a perfect example, at the end the score added to the tension and excitement which actually gave me goosebumps but at the start of the film, specifically the first chase with muncher, the musical score was awful. So very hit and miss there. I did really like how the film was set in a small rural town because that made for some really scenic shots which worked well with the ghost theme. The special effects were okay, the design for Gozer was a bit too much for me, I think they overdone it there. I actually preferred the muncher design from the original films too. However the proton blasters looked great, which I was pleased with. One thing I did appreciate was how they kept the same style of effects for the Key Keeper and Gate Keeper, it wasn’t so in your face and reminded me of the original designs from the 80’s films. 

OVERALL (7.7/10)

I thoroughly enjoyed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, it was fun and engaging, filled with plenty of comedy and action. They introduced some fantastic characters that provided a freshness to the franchise which is why I believe it will be much more successful then the all female reboot. The surprise at the end gave me a huge sense of nostalgia and provided the perfect ending. The storyline made sense and provided enough context to create a strong link to the original films. In terms of cinematography and special effects, it was kind of hit and miss because I felt like some designs were overdoing it but that being said I can imagine young kids watching for the first time would absolutely love the effects. I would definitely recommend getting to the cinema to watch it! 

Thanks for reading

 Callan