Written by: “The Watchman”
This is the review that I’m sure you came here to read. How does the new “Ghostbusters” outing from 2020 compare to the original two movies that it is trying to add on to? I was skeptical going into this movie, because I had heard very mixed reviews about it. The general consensus seemed to be “It’s above average, but they tried really hard, so go and watch it for that reason.” If the movie was only that good, I would have accepted it, but still been a little disappointed after watching the first two back-to-back before it. Let me tell you a little secret, though. The movie is much better than that. I loved it!
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” has a very different feel than the original two “Ghostbusters” movies. This takes a little getting used to. It’s directed by the son of the director of the original movie, and has a little bit different aura about it. It was quite a while into the movie before I came to a conclusion about how I felt about it. There was even a point in the middle where I missed the energy of the first two movies, but that feeling would pass as I drew closer to the ending.
One notable reviewer I trust found the movie to be too full of “member berries”, callbacks to previous movies in the franchise, but I never found that to be the case. The movie has a lot of callbacks to Ghostbusters I because it has some of the same antagonists as that movie, and, in many ways, continues the plot of the original “Ghostbusters” more than it does “Ghostbusters II”. Taking that into account, I never found its use of “member berries” to be excessive, and I usually smiled at the callbacks the movie included, especially since they were all so fresh in my mind from the last twenty-four hours of my weekend.
Overall, the movie is fun, and the characters, while different and new, are very likeable. At first glance, the protagonist, Phoebe, is usually exactly the kind of modern-day movie hero that I hate – a know-it-all girl that seems to be able to do anything without help… except that’s not who Phoebe is at all! She has a lot of trouble socializing and fitting in even with her own family, and seems to lack a clear idea of who she is, and what she even wants to do with her life, compensating for this with her incredible knowledge and analytical skills. Honestly, coming straight off Ghostbusters I and II, I simply nodded every time she did something strange, saying to myself, “Yep, that’s exactly how Egon would have been as a kid.” All this when combined with the talent of the actress, McKenna Grace, made me really like Phoebe and never once question her as the movie’s protagonist.
I liked her friends and family, as well, especially Paul Rudd’s character, not really finding any of them annoying (to my surprise), although I think I liked Phoebe’s brother the least out of the main cast of characters. Either him, or his love interest. It’s hard to decide, as both were a bit bland, but still acceptable.
Now let’s talk about the best part of the movie. Without getting too much more into the plot, I just have to say that the ending of the movie was so genuinely emotional that I actually shed a few tears, which is immensely rare for me. It felt both powerful and satisfying, making all the awkwardness and insecurity of the lead-up to the end absolutely 100% worth it.
While it’s a little slow coming, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” ends as a truly successful “Ghostbusters” reboot/sequel, one which in no way violates the canon of the original two movies, but, instead, adds much to it, and extends the time period of the original “Ghostbusters” movies to the present in a way that feels very much like a single, coherent cycle, and not just an unneeded tacked-on addition as so many reboot/sequels do these days. Making the ending even better are the two “After Credits” scenes, which are both fabulous.
Unlike “Ghostbusters I”, which I already owned, and “Ghostbusters II”, which I rented for $4, I had to actually buy “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” to watch it, and I feel every dollar was worth it to support an interesting, thoughtful, and truly fan-honoring conclusion to such a beloved science fiction trilogy, one which was arguably spit on by the recent ‘Ghostbusters: Answer the Call” “reboot” and really needed a win to redeem its good name.
While not a perfect movie by any measure, nor comparatively as good even as “Ghostbusters II” (although close), “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” definitely succeeds as a win for the franchise, albeit in a way that has its own unique feel that no other “Ghostbusters” movie has quite come close to capturing. It’s not as fast or as flashy or as funny as the original two movies, but it certainly has the same heart as them, and, in the end, I think that’s all that really matters.
Final Score: 8/10
“A satisfying, fan-honoring sequel to the beloved ‘Ghostbusters’ science fiction trilogy, one which has its own unique story to tell, and a new style to match, but which every true lover of the original movies will be hard-pressed not to be brought to tears by as it turns the original films into a complete and coherent trilogy.”
What’s next? “Who you gonna call?”