Well, this movie was amazing. No disrespect to the 2016 reboot, which I also loved (Kevin!). That, however, was a completely different kind of movie. The 2016 Ghostbusters movie was an action-packed comedy trying to update the franchise with gags and a new cast. Afterlife, on the other hand, is an epic nostalgia trip. One that works beautifully.
The movie is a homage to the 80s--not just the original Ghostbusters movie, but also classics like The Goonies, IT, Watcher in The Woods, Tremors, even Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It also piles on the supernatural tropes. The town of Summerville is a ghost town stuck in a perpetual time warp with a drive-in restaurant, gull-wing cars, push-button phones, etc... Casa de Spengler is a classic haunted-house set-up with moving chess pieces, secret rooms/compartments, and family secrets. That was my favorite part of the movie (of course!). Paul Rudd plays a classic Spielberg conspiracist/scientist and the kids are a trademark Spielbergian Scooby gang.
The performances are fantastic and McKenna Grace is amazing at the geeky, autistic heiress to the Spengler mold and fungus collection. There's a few plot holes and a few details that don't really make sense, but the movie's fun-filled momentum barrels straight through those. The adult romance is awkward but believable (and one of the weakest subplots, imo). The finale is a true tear-jerker, there are plenty of Easter eggs for the true fans, and the after-credit scenes hint to sequels to come.
A fantastic movie and one I'll be rewatching soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment