Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Summary

“Yeah. I know how many sides are on a triangle.”

I am a child of the Eighties and Nineties. Born midway through the Eighties, I grew up watching the movies that played on television edited and cropped for my viewing pleasure. Like everyone else that grew up in that time, I watched the Ghostbusters movies when they played on television, and also remember the short lived animated series and the Ecto-Cooler drink from Hi-C. Last year, I bought the UHD releases of the two Ghostbusters films and my family enjoyed revisiting the first film. My children and wife love Bill Murray almost as much as I do, and that is saying something since he is my favorite actor. When I saw that Jason Reitman – the excellent director behind films like Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air, and Young Adult – was rebooting his father’s (Ivan Reitman) film series, I was excited to see what he was going to do with the material. I figured if anyone could do the series justice it would be him. My copy of the film arrived the other night. We popped some popcorn and gathered as a family to watch the new film.

In Summerville, Oklahoma, a man drives away quickly from an abandoned mine towards some corn fields. An unseen force is following him closely. His car bursts through the gate onto his farm. The man is Egon Spengler. He has set up an elaborate ghost trap in the grounds of the farm to capture the creature that has followed him, but the trap fails to deploy. Egon runs inside and readies himself for the creature. He suffers a heart attack when the creature attacks. In Chicago, Egon’s adult daughter Callie (Carrie Coon) has fallen behind on bills. She is a struggling single mother living with her teenage son named Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and a precocious daughter named Phoebe (McKenna Grace.) Phoebe is interested in science and exceptionally bright though socially awkward. Callie’s landlord evicts her, even though Callie explains that she will have enough money to pay him in a week because of her inheritance. Now evicted, she decides to pack up her two children and move them onto the strange farm she has inherited from her estranged father. The children are reticent to move from the city to a small town. Callie is disappointed to learn that her father had left behind the house and numerous debts without leaving behind any real inheritance to speak of. Trevor becomes more excited about the prospect of living in Summerville when he meets an attractive roller-skating carhop waitress named Lucky Domingo (Celeste O’Connor) at a local restaurant. Trevor applies for a job there immediately to try to have more time with her. Phoebe also finds a friend in a boy who calls himself Podcast because he consistently records things… for his podcast. As their friendship flourishes in their summer science class Phoebe has enrolled in, they also befriend seismologist Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd.) The town of Summerville has inexplicably been experiencing severe seismological events that may have something to do with the work that Egon had been performing in Summerville. Phoebe soon discovers that her house is haunted and the ghost leads her to a ghost trap. When she shows the ghost trap to Podcast and Gary, she begins to understand more about who her grandfather was in the Eighties – a ghostbuster. Soon all of the characters will find themselves in several ghostly situations that revolve around the project Egon had worked on at the farmhouse and in the nearby mine. At the same time, Gary and Callie begin to consider each other romantically.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the rare sequel (or reboot) that actually delivers on the promise of the original films. Given the time elapsed since Ghostbusters 2 was released into theaters of over twenty years, viewer expectations for a strong sequel was fairly reserved. Especially after the film’s release was delayed for over a year. Surprisingly, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is actually a very strong sequel to the earlier films and one of the best family films I have watched in a couple years. My children love the original Ghostbusters pictures. I am raising my children right and I am fairly certain that Bill Murray is my son Holden’s favorite actor already. When we put on Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the whole family laughed and enjoyed the ride together while eating popcorn. The kids were entertained for the entire length of the film, which meant I did not need to pause the film halfway through to finish the next day. For parents, this is the sign of a truly remarkable family film. 

The reason why the film works is obvious – the writing of the picture is very strong. Jason Reitman grew up around his father Ivan Reitman as he directed the first two pictures. Jason understands better than probably anyone exactly what makes those films and characters work, and he also understands what those characters meant to Generation X. The film works hard to preserve the legacy of the writing of Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, and also to continue the legacy of his father. The film is dedicated to Harold Ramis and is essentially a loveletter to the legacy of the deceased writer-director-actor. I have been impressed by many of Jason Reitman’s films and have followed the director’s career since he first wowed me with Thank You for Smoking. Reitman is an intelligent writer and is very capable of writing sharp dialogue. His films Up in the Air, Juno, and Young Adult confirmed his talent behind the camera, but this film shows a more playful side while also showing off his range. It is unlike anything the director has attempted before, and it completely works. The screenplay was cowritten by Gil Kenan. Kenan was a good choice for a writing partner due to his work on the family film Monster House and his work on the Poltergeist remake. They obviously hit a groove together because the film manages to dwell in nostalgia while never becoming so nostalgic that it feels like a rehash. When the finale of the film occurs, there are some emotionally compelling moments that make the film feel even more special. I simply can’t imagine enjoying the prior two Ghostbusters films and not enjoying this sequel.

The film is well cast. Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon are both great in their roles, and the script is right to rely on their chemistry both together and onscreen with the young talents in the film. They are the anchors that allow the film to hit its comedic beats and are both tremendous fun to watch in the film. The actors are both extremely likable. McKenna Grace was thirteen when she filmed her role as Phoebe. She is excellent as the science obsessed nerdy preteen. I expect to see her do good things in the future. Finn Wolfhard is best known for his role on Stranger Things, but I actually liked his performance here as Trevor more than anything he has done before. Logan Kim is great as Podcast. He feels like a character pulled from The Goonies, and I mean that as a compliment. Rounding out the cast is Celeste O’Connor as Lucky. She had the right amount of charisma for the role. There are also some excellent cameos in the film, but I would prefer to leave those to the film to reveal.

Overall – Ghostbusters: Afterlife is far better than I could have expected. This is one of the best family films I have seen in a while.

Video

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is released onto Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The film was shot on an Arri Alexa LF 4K camera with digital film. The mastering of the film was performed in 4K. This means that the 4K representation on the UHD is as perfect representation of the theatrical experience as possible with given technology, so if you have a 4K player, I would opt for that release. Thanks to Sony’s amazing quality control standards, the Blu-ray presentation is as close to perfect as the film can look on that format. The film looks great. Reitman worked with his frequent collaborator cinematographer Eric Steelberg on the film and he makes the most out of the settings of the film. When the picture moves into action sequences, the CGI is noticeable, but that should be expected considering the film involves shooting plasma rays at ghosts as they fly through the air causing anarchy. The digital film brings out a lot of detail in crisp definition. For fans of the film, the Blu-ray is a great way to experience this film, but if you can get the UHD, it is advisable to do so! 

Audio

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is fantastic. That said – the UHD gets a Dolby Atmos track which expands the sound field significantly, so if you can splurge for the UHD, I would definitely do so. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is energetic and immersive. Clarity is exceptional. There is a lot going on much of the time in the film and the ambient effects and numerous sound effects sounded fantastic on my surround system. Sony Pictures have provided a fantastic track that is only better when expanded into Dolby Atmos on the 4K UHD.

Supplements:

• Summoning the Spirit: Making Ghostbusters: Afterlife
• The Gearhead’s Guide to Ghostbusters Gadgets 
• Special Effects: The Ghosts of Afterlife 
• Bringing Ecto-1 Back to Life 
• We Got One! Easter Eggs Revealed
• Ghostbusters: A Look Back
• A Look Ahead 
• Deleted Scene 
• Previews

Overall Scores:

Video: 4.75/5

Audio: 4.75/5

Supplements: 3/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is an excellent sequel to the original Ghostbusters films. Jason Reitman has done an excellent job of reviving the franchise and honoring the legacy of his father and Harold Ramis. I watched the film with my family, and everyone enjoyed it. It is one of the best family films I have seen in the last couple years. Paul Rudd and the rest of the cast are all great in their roles, and the young talents in the picture have some chops. The script is fast paced and flies by despite a two hour runtime. Fans of the original series should be very pleased with the film. The Sony Pictures Blu-ray release looks and sounds fantastic, but if you can spring for the 4K UHD it features a Dolby Atmos track which may be worth the extra cash. This was one of the better surprises of this year. Check it out! This release comes very highly recommended!