Ghostbusters.
Just the word conjures up discussion and dialogue. I mean, is it even a word, is it not a phrase; that might begin it's own sub Reddit. And Ghostbusters; Afterlife is the very long awaited sequel too the original Ghostbusters/Ghostbusters 2 films of the 1980s. In the intervening years we've had two pretty successful animated series, a well written video game and a reboot of the franchise with an all female cast in 2016.
But, despite that, most fans have consistently called out for more - more specifically, a sequel reflective of the the quality and nostalgia we now feel when looking at the original two films. And playing with those original Kenner toys.
Ghostbusters; Afterlife is therefore a true successor to those original films in almost every sense. The films director, Jason Reitman, is the son of Ivan Reitman; who directed the first two films. Jason even appeared in Ghostbusters 2 (he was the spoiled brat who told Ray and Winston they were full of crap at the beginning of that film) and the films plot follows the estranged daughter of Egon Spengler inheriting her fathers estate after his untimely death. Egon, who has also become estranged from the original Ghostbusters, moved to an obscure rural town and purchased a plot of land.
The townsfolk, knowing little to nothing about him, saw him as an eccentric 'Dirt Farmer' who seemingly toiled over a plot of land he never harvested. His daughter sees this as the sole excuse why he never made contact, as she had never met her father once during his lifetime. Given actor Harold Ramis' own untimely passing in 2014 it's a fitting tribute to be able to so effortlessly include his character within the script. A trick of light at the beginning of the movie has the audience witness someone presented as Egon working hard to fight ghosts just before his passing.
And this is the crux of the movie, as it is a film quite literally dedicated to Egon, and the legacy of his character. The script deals with the themes of Harold Ramis work - such as that of the outsider - looking to operate and be accepted for who they are. This has always been a subcurrent in the works Ramis has given us, such as Caddyshack, Stripes, Groundhog Day and even the original Ghostbusters. However, since we are now in 2021, these themes are highlighted as perhaps being more relevant than ever.
Effects have been kept at a minimum, which is in keeping with the spirit of the original films, ghosts are used sparingly and without the need to over hype. In some cases the ghosts are far more interesting than the humans.
In this film, the standout character is Phoebe Spengler, Egon's granddaughter, who bears both a striking resemblance to her grandfather as well as a penchant for science and engineering above all else. It's truly joyous to watch Phoebe learn more about her families history, interacting with that and establishing her own story. But it's also part of the problem with the script.
Asides from Phoebe, and possibly the character Podcast, virtually none of the other newly introduced characters that we meet are given any real time to develop or flourish. For such a noticeable name, thanks now in part to his casting as Marvel's Ant Man, Paul Rudd's Mr Grooberson is appallingly lacklustre. His character is hinted to be more, but never quite finds his voice, and this could also be the fault of the edit. Through a brief cameo, we learn that Janine Melnitz is not the mother of Egon's child as some might suspect, and yet information that character provided in the trailer is not included in the films final cut.
Likewise, we have no information about the identity of Egon's "baby mama" - and who cares many may say - but it seems unusual that a character so dedicated and chase to science in both of the original films would form such a romantic union (even briefly) without doing what they could to remain in their daughter's life. And ultimately, it is somewhat out of character about everything we've learned about Egon, only to serve as a convenient plot point to pass the torch and still include the character in such a meaningful way.
I suspect when the film is released on Home Video, that several questions like this within the films plot may be answered, with an extended 20/30 minutes of footage as "bonus content" included - something the 2016 reboot also got. Ghostbusters Afterlife is a fun movie, one you should watch, and that you'll probably enjoy. It's story fits in alongside the original two films and the nostalgia factor alone is enough to carry the franchise. But on it's own, much like the recent instalments we've seen of films like 'Bill and Ted' and 'Star Wars'; it goes virtually nowhere. Your enjoyment is solely predicated on the intimate knowledge of what has gone before and how much you enjoyed that.