I have this problem that sometimes prevents me from seeing a movie for years. It’s called procrastination. Sometimes if I don’t go see a movie within a few months of its release, I continuously delay watching it. Ghostbusters: Afterlife falls into that category. Curiosity and the Ghostbusters: Afterlife cast made me want to see it during its initial run, I just never got around to it. But, with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hitting theaters soon, I finally decided to watch the first movie in this revival series.
I didn’t have many expectations going into the movie. It was well-received by critics, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I will like it. Additionally, I really enjoyed Ghostbusters (2016) and we know many people didn’t love that film (it didn’t deserve the backlash). Therefore, it could have gone either way for my enjoyment of Afterlife.
I am happy to say that the film impressed me in a major way.
Warning Ghostbusters: Afterlife spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
The Blend Of Past And Present In Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Often, nostalgia is the key to box office success. Many adaptations of beloved books and games perform well at the box office. Sequels, prequels, and remakes are also often cheat codes for box office domination. However, not all remakes, sequels, and continuations have the same level of quality. Some just use the drug of nostalgia to make a quick dollar. It’s rare for actual impressive remakes.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is one of those rare cases of a well-done remake because it doesn’t just use nostalgia for profit. It seems to genuinely want to please longtime fans and draw in new ones. It added new characters to the Ghostbusters world with depth and personalities beyond copying the old formula. It successfully blends the intoxication of seeing those big callbacks or Easter Eggs from the originals with the importance of building new foundations for this world.
It Brilliantly Establishes The New Characters First
Afterlife is Phoebe’s (McKenna Grace) story and her origin in becoming a Ghostbuster. Callie (Carrie Coon), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), and Gary (Paul Rudd) are also important, but it doesn’t feel as much about them as it does about her. Podcast (Logan Kim) also matters as a key sidekick character, but Phoebe is the critical piece to the story.
I have seen some remakes or continuation films that focus less on the new characters and more on the original characters. That’s fine if the remake is mainly about the original character. However, it’s a problem if this film or show is trying to make the story about the next generation, but doesn’t give these characters enough screen time and development.
The film clearly wanted to make the Spengler family the new leads of this franchise and puts in the effort to make that a possibility. It succeeds because you grow to care about and like them.
The Smart Usage Of Old Footage
I was impressed by how scenes from the original Ghostbusters are used like old video tapes. The editing of them makes them seem even older, and how a VHS edition or just grainy footage of a news program or commercial would look. This is a small but smart detail that helps establish that as the past and this as the future/present.
It also makes it feel like the Ghostbusters really happened within this world. The original and Afterlife don’t always feel like they exist in the same universe. They both have comedy, shared characters, and a shared premise, but the films don’t always seem connected tonally. So, things like the video footage help unite them.
Leads With A Female Ghostbuster To Take The Franchise In A Progressive Direction
Some fans’ reaction to Ghostbusters (2016) is just ridiculous. And, part of that visceral reaction comes from the fact that it was a female-led Ghostbusters and maybe as a reaction to the era of its release. Therefore, I am happy to see that Ghostbusters: Afterlife director and co-writer Jason Reitman took some influence from the 2016 version and made the lead a girl Ghostbuster.
It supports a world where women Ghostbusters exist and continue to show progress. There is no rule in the imaginary Ghostbusters handbook that says it's a boy’s club. From the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire trailer, it looks like more women will suit up. And I love that.
The Surprise Cameo Adds An Emotionally Impactful Element
I became emotional seeing Egon’s ghost. That may be one of the few times I nearly cried watching a movie. It was just such an emotional moment seeing all the gang back together especially knowing about Ramis’s death. Like many, I grew up watching Ghostbusters and have seen some of Harold Ramis's other great and forgotten films, but I don’t think I know enough about his work or him to consider myself a fan. It’s hard, though, not to feel the weight of his death at that moment.
It’s beautiful and sad. It also took my brain a while to comprehend how they made it happen with visual effects. Reading Digital Trends and The Wrap interviews about it helped me understand and grow my admiration for the achievement. It also helped visually show Egon leaving his ghostbusting legacy to his family.
Those final scenes with him, the other original Ghostbusters, and his family really made Afterlife worth watching. Using movie magic in that way is just breathtaking.
The Effortless Way Ghostbusters: Afterlife Connects The Past And Present Ghostbuster Characters
It sometimes feels easy for a remake or continuation of a franchise to tie everything up with someone having a familial connection to an original character. It takes away some of the work of making viewers care about these new characters. However, Afterlife doesn’t feel that way. We knew this was the Spengler family even before its release. So the writers and director could have put in less effort to make us care about this family.
We already know Egon and like him, so we should like them. However, the writers didn’t rely on that easy technique, and we care about this family for being their own people. We also see how much Phoebe resembles her grandfather in looks and personality. She is different from him, but a clear product of his genes.
The film also ensures that the original Ghostbusters play a role in this film to tie the past and present. They work together to take down Gozer (Olivia Wilde). The past and present crew need each other to thrive. It’s a unifying of these generations and worlds.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife amplified my excitement for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. This time I won’t wait years to see the sequel.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hits theaters on March 22, 2024.