Moving into her estranged grandfather's abandoned home, Phoebe and her brother, Trevor, discover that all is not what it seems in the small town of Summerville. After a series of increasingly violent earthquakes, and discovering her family’s legacy with the famous Ghostbusters, she must stop the impending threat that her grandfather and his friends had locked away all those years ago. In today's episode, I break down everything that worked about the new Ghostbusters sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Has the wait for a true sequel been worth it after all this time? Listen and find out!
Other titles discussed: 30 (Adele Album), Passing, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ghostbusters (1984) and (2016)
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THEME SONG "Capture Soul" by J1K from the "School Daze" beat tape
https://j1kmusic.bandcamp.com/album/school-daze
TRANSCRIPT:
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a loving tribute to the 1984 original through an through, with plenty of splashes of other adventure films of that era. Directed by Jason Reitman, the son of original Ghostbusters director, Ivan Reitman, the film is all about generational legacy and what it ultimately means to inherit the responsibility that had been left behind by those before us. While it might not be necessarily a new thematic beat that other films haven’t done in the past, with films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, or even the recent Jumanji films, Afterlife has plenty of charm that strikes strong emotional moments within this reboot/sequel hybrid. McKenna Grace is at the forefront as Phoebe, and she’s excellent and incredibly endearing in the role, and while her character is both quiet and awkward, Grace brings a charismatic performance that her whole journey of self discovery is highly engaging. The rest of the cast rounds itself out nicely, with Finn Wolfhard not necessarily playing against type, but is still entertaining, while Paul Rudd is just charming as...well, Paul Rudd. The writing is at its best when it focuses on the family drama at hand, but occasionally stumbles with its comedy that gets awkward within its delivery and timing. Still, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, just like its predecessors, is an enjoyable comedy through and through and when it does find its stride, it can be quite funny. Its use of practical effects is refreshing and sits well, even when blended with its implementation of CGI. For fans of the original, while it tries to establish itself with some new ideas, some may be disappointed with the lack of difference within the plot itself as it often feels contrite and predictable rather than forging a new path for itself. Ghostbusters: Afterlife may not be a groundbreaking new sequel, but there’s a lot to love from its cast, cinematography, and musical score, while also providing plenty of surprises and easter eggs for longtime fans. It’s a great film that never gets lost in the weeds with newcomers, and is an entertaining family film all around.
