Carrying on with the family tradition, Jason Reitman (son of the original director Ivan) accomplishes two major feats with Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The film works very well as both a sequel and a reboot. It also gives the franchise a shot at extended life by featuring a very young cast filled with fresh new faces.
Original writer (along with Dan Aykroyd and Rick Moranis) and lead player Harold Ramis, who sadly passed away in 2014 is given a lovely presence in this new effort. The young Reitman fills the film with wonderful easter eggs of both the subtle and obvious kind for established fans and newbies alike.
Transferring the setting to small-town USA gives the new cast less competition in regards to iconic locations and places the emphasis on character development and it’s here that the film is less consistent. There seem to be cuts to move the story along that leave the occasional gap in continuity but this certainly speeds up the narrative.
Ghost-filled action scenes are peppered throughout the film and this makes for an entertaining and lively romp while still leaving room for a big finale. This is also slightly scaled back so things don’t play out in a competitive way as how can you really top a marshmallow man the size of a large building? Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a great example of how to both respect what has come before and invest in a new future.
Rob Hudson
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