Ghostbusters: Afterlife

S P O I L E R S

Let me begin by saying that I completely fell for all the "fan service" offered up in this fall's GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, directed by Jason Reitman.  The same that is causing Millenials, Generation Xers, and Boomers alike to decry this film, to explain why such things are destroying cinema.  The nostalgia is strong for '80s fare.  Check the reactions to the season finale of The Mandalorian, which prompted a few wet eyes even from yours truly.  I may not have become misty by this film's climax, but a lump did form in my throat, after which I predicted that today's pop culture is highly unlikely to evoke similar feelings thirty or forty years from now in middle agers recalling, say, one of the MCU epics.   But you never know.

Egon Spengler was one of the original university paranormal scientists who went into business as a "ghostbuster", ridding NYC of pesky spirits.  You have seen 1984's GHOSTBUSTERS (directed by Ivan Reitman, Jason's dad) right?  Otherwise, save this review for when you've caught up on this franchise (though 1989's GHOSTBUSTERS II is just so-so).  While Spengler, who was played by the late Harold Ramis, was a brilliant scientist, he wasn't much of a parent or grandparent.   Thirty plus years ago, after disbanding with Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), he retreated to a ramshackle farmhouse in Nowheresville, Oklahoma to continue his research.  It is there that an old mine  -owned by a long dead member of Gozer's old cult - houses a cache of entities ripe for busting.  You recall Gozer, the punk rock looking chick who was no less than a god of destruction and the Ghostbusters' old nemesis who almost destroyed New York?

Egon has a fatal heart attack at this film's opening and his long estranged daughter Callie (Carrie Coon) and two kids, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (McKenna Grace) find themselves with little choice but to settle in his old house when they are evicted from their apartment in the city.  Callie has so many daddy issues that she dismisses anything scientific, while her daughter is virtually Egon reborn, right down to the same glasses.  Trevor? He's more interested in dating Lucky (Celeste O'Connor) with whom he works at an old school diner where the wait staff are on roller skates.  Reitman Jr. directs the early scenes with these (likable but kinda bland) new characters in his usual indie-lite style, with the occasional nod (mostly in the background) to his father's comedy classic.  Beware the "Who ya gonna call?" throwback - hilariously groan worthy.  This new film is technically a comedy, but Jr. was either unable or unwilling to recapture that old school irreverence, leaving his take to feel somewhat awkward and unsure of its tone.  

Paul Rudd, also quite likable, portrays a science teacher/amateur parapsych named Gary who is resigned to playing '80s horror movies during his classes as his students show little interest.  Until he meets Phoebe and her classmate, Podcast (Logan Kim).  Yes, that's his name.  Gary will also begin to date Callie, both of whom will end up....well, see the movie.  

Suffice it to say Jason and co-screenwriter Gil Kenan crib quite a bit of plot from the 1984 film, far more than I would've expected.  Mainly in Act III, when all hell breaks loose again.  The special effects are quite good, by the way.  I enjoyed this, but I can understand others' criticisms and frustrations.  As if this new film wasn't confident enough to forge its own trail, rather relying on a virtual facsimile of the old movie, complete with those cameos you probably already know about at the end.  I ate it up, and loved the end credits extra scenes (be sure to wait to the very end). 

It's bifurcating.   This sort-of torch passing works well enough, yet the movie can't really decide what it wants to be - merely a valentine to the fans or an attempt at bringing the series into the 21st century.  The finale is fairly shameless - even resembling that of RETURN OF THE JEDI a bit, but what the hell...