I ain’t afraid of no ghost, but I am afraid of what usually happens when Hollywood revives nostalgic film franchises and tries to reboot them decades later.
Thankfully, Ghostbusters Afterlife could’ve turned out a lot worse. Sony’s new supernatural epic is an odd mix of film genres that only sometimes works, but the fan service is sweet instead of snarky and the cast does a good job selling a ludicrous story.
Set up as a small family moving to midwestern farm of their recently deceased grandfather, a mom and her two kids learn he was a Ghostbuster. But when younger sister Phoebe learns of a ghostly danger, she bands a quirky team of locals to restart the family business and save the world.
There’s an inconsistency in the tone of the film that’s hard to make sense of. The first half is comedic exposition, all teasing the mystery of who the family is and how deep their connection to the Ghosterbusters runs.
But the second half takes a sharp turn into science fiction mystery with brief moments of action horror. Unlike the original Ghostbusters, which stayed humorous throughout the story, this new version is serious for most of the run time, which naturally makes it harder to like - especially in such a bleak setting like Summerville, Oklahoma.
That’s a bold choice of Oscar-nominated director Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, director of the 1984 original. Jason is a more experienced director than his father, but this hybrid of genres is clunkier than the tonally perfect balance that Ivan was able to achieve with the original Ghostbusters story.
To my surprise (and that of most audiences), the main character is twelve-year-old Phoebe, played with outstanding skill by Mckenna Grace, known best for starring in Gifted, Troop Zero and more recently for The Handmaid’s Tale.
Grace has always been a talented actor, and this isn’t her first time starring in a movie. But budding scientist Phoebe, confronting both the apocalypse and the revelations of her family history, is by far the most interesting and exciting part she’s been given. She’s a hero we want to root for, and her years of experience in film pays off.
Most of her co-stars, to their credit, do a fine job as well. But Grace’s mix of deadpan humour, brains, and steadfast courage in big action scenes make her an unlikely star. She alone is worth seeing this blockbuster for.
The rest of the cast is peppered with several great cameos. Some are to be expected for fan of the franchise, but the best one is J. K. Simmons in an unexpected moment. (Don’t worry - you’ll know it when you see it.)
It’s crazy to think that there already was an excellent reboot of the Ghostbusters just five years ago with the female-team comedy back in summer 2016. Unfortunately, despite rave reviews from audiences and nearly $250 million at the box office, the sequel plans were cancelled over an astonishing amount of fan backlash because…they didn’t want women playing the main characters?
Perhaps then it’s only appropriate both the star and main villain of this new film are both played by equally talented actresses as a way of breaking up the “boys club” mentality of the first two films.
Truthfully, the new Ghostbusters Afterlife is a fine, forgettable movie that has the potential to resurrect the franchise into something more exciting. But it’s not there yet.
Ghostbusters Afterlife
6 out of 10
PG. 2hrs 4mins. Sci-Fi Mystery .
Directed by Jason Reitman.
Starring Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim and Paul Rudd.
Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, 5 Drive-In, Cineplex Winston Churchill and Cineplex Oakville & VIP.
