This article was written by staff writer, Michael Worthan. (All images and video in this article are credited to: Sony Pictures)
Image credit: Sony Pictures
I had to take a few days to organize my thoughts after seeing “Ghostbuster Afterlife” and suffice it to say, my thoughts are all good.
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know Ghostbusters—much like Power Rangers, the Ninja Turtles, and The Thundercats, they have always been a facet of my fandom. From Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 to the Real Ghostbusters cartoon, which is what I feel like I was my first introduction to them, I’ve always been a fan. Needless to say there have been a few stumbles in the lore upon the way, some reinventions that just never really clicked with me, but nothing so horrible that it diminished my love for Egon and the gang.
So hearing about, and then waiting an extended amount of time for the newest ghost busting adventure, I was unsure of what my wife and I were walking into when we went to the theaters this past Saturday, what I did know was that the cast was good, some if not all of the originals were back in some way, and my pop culture loving self would be sitting in a theater hoping for the best.
For me, from start to finish, Ghostbusters Afterlife was pure joy, was a trip with old and new heroes, and made me, as the old cliché goes, feel like a kid again. For me, more than anything else it was the sounds, the use of the original soundtrack, the sounds of Ecto 1’s siren and the proton packs turning on, those were the things that gave me chills, that brought about memories of playing with my Ghostbuster cartoon toys, of just feeling purely happy.
The movie itself introduces new characters while remaining true to the originals, explain what has happened in the 20 plus years since the second movie, and gave us a fresh look at a lot of aspects of the Ghostbuster Universe, mainly what happened to the originals team.
Afterlife brought about a story about loss, about love, and about finding one’s self. The adventure is well worth it, the nostalgia is the glue, but the loss of Harold Ramis, and director Jason Reitman are the heart, while the new group of actors telling the story are the real focus, especially Phoebe who is play amazingly by Mckenna Grace.
Telling a full story, while recognizing one of the mainstays is gone, Harold Ramis passed away February 2014, could have been an easy pass off of a task. A quick mention, a credit and “in memory of” at the end, or even just a reboot with kids. That wasn’t the way this movie handled his loss, it was elegant, at the forefront, and a nod to his contribution to a beloved franchise, getting both my wife and I to roll a few tears.
For the bulk of the story though Phoebe, Podcast, and the rest of the cast carry the flick, while adding new layer, new trouble, and a great deal of entertainment through the entirety of this new adventure.
It was a well done, well thought out ride that I am definitely going to watch once again, probably from the comfort of my own home next time around.
Go see it, because really, who else are you gonna call?
