When her estranged father dies, penniless single mother Callie (Carrie Coon) inherits a dilapidated Oklahoma farmhouse and has no choice but to move in with her family. Twelve year old Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) soon discovers that the place is haunted by her grandfather, who leads her to the location of scientific equipment designed for the capture and containment of ghosts. Meanwhile, fifteen year old Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) finds the Ectomobile in a barn and gets the old vehicle operational. With the help of Phoebe's schoolfriend Podcast (Logan Kim) and carhop Lucky (Celeste O'Connor), the siblings put the ghostbusting apparatus to use in a battle against the evil god Gozer.

With its young cast and rural setting, Ghostbusters: Afterlife doesn't feel very much like the previous Ghostbusters movies. But as far as I am concerned, that's not necessarily a bad thing: I've always considered the original '84 film a tad over-rated, the '89 sequel was awful, and the less said about the 2016 all-female reboot the better. Making the film more teen-centric (there's an obvious Stranger Things vibe about the film) and changing up the location couldn't be any worse-besides, Jason Reitman has seen fit to include plenty of easter eggs and nods to the original to keep fans happy. Special effects, both practical and digital, are excellent, and the performances are solid, although I feel that the script could have injected a bit more fun into proceedings (more ghosts, for starters!). Reitman brings back the expected familiar faces for the finalé, but rather than being the highlight of the film the OG 'Busters are actually quite the disappointment, Murray, Aykroyd and Hudson bringing very little energy to the show (one feels like they are there purely for the dollars). The popular Ray Parker theme song is played over the final credits.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

I remember watching the original Ghostbusters when I was still young. It was one of those movies everybody from my age enjoyed very much back then. So I was kinda curious how this new Ghostbusters movie would turn out. It was certainly not disappointing. I still had the same fun watching this sequel as the original one, and with time we also got much better CGI's, which only added more to the quality of the images. The cast did a good job playing their characters. Mostly young actors this time, but it worked perfectly. It was also nice to put some of the original members in this movie, even though they only had minor screen time this time. The story is entertaining, the CGI's well done and the acting was good. What else could we ask? It's rare that sequels add something to the original but in this case it did.

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE changes the franchise from a comedy to an exercise in teen coming of age angst, with a big dollop of nostalgia for the original movie to get the 50-something original audience back into theater seats.

There's little that's wrong with this movie on its own terms, but for anyone hoping for the fun that made this such a hit 38 years ago, my advice would be to give Paul Feig's all-girl 2015 version a try. It expertly captures the roller-coaster ride of laughs and thrills that Ivan Reitman gave us.

In this serviceable Ghostbusters sequel, a family moves to a farm in a town that's about to be hit by a bunch of ghosts. In this version the leads are two siblings and one of the problems with the movie is that neither of them is that dynamic a character. In fact the two sidekick kids Podcast and Lucky are more appealing and it might have been a better movie if they had been the main characters.

The movie is not as funny as any of the previous Ghostbusters movies and the story feels a little wan. Still there are some pretty good special effects and brief cameos by the original Ghostbusters which are cute.

Not bad, but not something I'd say was worth bothering with.

I expected a nostalgia filled fest, like most recent reboots, which would have been bad. And while there was some nostalgia (wouldn't do without it) they kept it to a decent level, which was great. I feel they used every trick in the 80s movie book to create a worthy, yet formulaic sequel.

So you get the single mom moving in a country house trope, her trying to do well for her kids while completely ignoring their aspirations and experiences. You get the old gadgets still working after 40 years. You get the quirky but cool and kind dude who wants to bang your mom. You get the young kids who discover a world of wonder and have to navigate it to defeat evil while not involving adults in any way. You get young adolescent love and the quirky but cool and kind child friend. You get the old crew goodbyes passing the torch. You get the old film tune at the end of this film. You get a kid from Stranger Things, which by now feels like a permanent 80s trope even when it isn't.

Unfortunately, this is pretty much all you get. A mish-mash of 80s clichés that feel rushed, yet you don't mind because you are intimately familiar with them. It's like an old shoe that just fits. The only moment when I felt this was a modern film was when I had to skip to the both post credits scenes after the original Ghostbusters theme had ended and was followed by one of these new songs with angsty teen girls meowling something like its very profound. So I wish they would have worked harder at characterization and not relied on the old method of having every character be an cardboard archetype. And while I enjoyed the film, it was popcorn enjoyment, devoid of anything that felt profound or instructional.

Yet, while the film is not bringing anything that felt new, it was very necessary to wash the bad taste of the gender swapped 2016 film and bring the franchise back to where it was when that abomination did not exist. I hope the next installments will change things a little bit and bring Ghostbusters into the 21st century.

You either love or hate Hollywood dynasties. Most people hate them. Aside from the top heavy egos, the final product is never worth the effort. (Will Smith and his son come to mind, the Eastwood clan another example). Here finally is the payoff. A young auteur who produces as if he has been in the business for decades. This film out-punches Stranger Things on all levels, the dialog is so sharp and subtle you almost miss the best parts, and even the transitions from scene to scene are flawless. Like the characters themselves -- a nice friendly and fun way to spend 2 hours.

It was not bad. It was fun to watch the movie in the cinema. It was a little slow, but it wasn't a problem for me. So nostalgic. The references to old movies were also great.

I took me a little while to get into a groove with "Ghostbusters: Afterlife". It's more of a family/ghost story than it is a comedy. Don't get me wrong, there are laughs but the vibe is different than the previous Ghostbuster movies. "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is a great looking, well written and well directed movie. The cast is also very good. I enjoyed this movie (I saw it at AMC Westbury, NY). I think I will enjoy it even more the next time I see it. Honorable mention: dedicating the movie to Harold Ramis.

This is a tough one to review. There were elements of the film that I really liked and elements that I thought kept it from becoming a film that I really loved. It is probably the second best "Ghostbusters" film so far though.

Having inherited an old farm from her absent father, Callie (Carrie Coon) along with her son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and daughter Phoebe (McKenna Grace) head to the Midwest to get the house ready to sell. Exploring the farm, Phoebe and Trevor both discover some equipment from their grandfathers' line of work, and attempt to get it operating again and just in time, as they are about discover why their grandfather, Egon Spengler, bought this farm specifically.

I liked the start and end of the movie; the ending especially is even more emotional than I was prepared for it to be. I like these characters too. I maybe haven't sold it enough in the synopsis above but Phoebe is really the lead of the movie and McKenna Grace is great in the role. Paul Rudd is also in the film, in a role that allows his natural charm and comedic timing to shine through. There are cameos for Bokeem Woodbine and Olivia Wilde and one for JK Simmons that's so brief that surely much of his plot must have been cut from the film.

The middle hour though is missing something. I did listen to Kevin Smith's opinion that it should just have 15/20 minutes edited out, but I don't think I agree. I think it needs a second setpiece or an interaction with another ghost. Just to make that section of the film more interesting. Ghosts in general are in rather short supply (probably due to the modest budget) though there is a nice little cameo for the "Bug Eye ghost" which was a toy I had as a child. I understand why it sticks so closely to the characters from the original film, but I also can't help but feel like this was the film to get out of the way, so they can go on and franchise the series going forward. Certainly a post credits scene points to that.

It's not bad, not by any means, but I'd have liked to the be just a bit scarier, funnier and more exciting.

About ten months before the release of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife", and without any knowledge whatsoever that a belated sequel was in production, I re-watched the 1984 original for the first time in 25 years, and together with own kids (aged six and ten). Needless to say, my offspring wasn't the least bit impressed with special effects from the early eighties, and to be totally honest, I found that my childhood favorite had badly dated as well.

My biggest regret was that I couldn't pass on that magical feeling of "discovering" the world of horror, monsters, F/X, and ectoplasm! But when we saw publicity for the brand new "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" on television, it were my children who spontaneously asked if we could go and see it on the big screen. So, yes, with a slight delay they experienced how I felt when I saw "Ghostbusters" for the first time. And I felt 9 years old again, myself.

Undoubtedly the best thing that could have happened to the franchise, especially after the flopped 2016-remake, was a return to the roots. The story links straight back to the original, the beloved protagonists show up (albeit briefly) and the co-writer/director is none other than the son of Ivan Reitman; - Jason. "Afterlife" is chock-full of gimmicks references towards the original, varying from subtle to plain obvious. The young cast members are refreshing, and fit wonderfully well in the "Ghostbusters" universe, but it feels even better to reconnect with the old-fashioned familiar trumps, like the legendary Ghostbusters-vehicle and - of course - the Ray Parker Jr. Theme song. The homage to Harold Ramis, one of the creators of the original concept and the only cast member who passed away, is beautiful.

The original film was known for being a classic comedy, but this really wasn't that much of a comedy. It seemed to take itself more seriously than the other "Ghostbusters" movies. This movie features the grandchildren of Egon (Harold Reamis) from the first movie finding out who he was in a town in Oklahoma. The movie really works as being particularly heartwarming in the very end. I'm not gonna lie when I say it could have been shorter. It also didn't quite have good pacing.

It was really funny to see a bunch of tiny Stay-Puft Marshmellows appear as enemies instead of a giant one. Again, this reminds me of "Gremlins" as many movies do. We get some really colorful visuals and exciting scenes. It may lag on, but trust me when I say it's worth your time to watch it to the very end. Nothing can beat the original. While the previous film was "Ghostbusters with Women" this was more like "Ghostbusters with Teenagers"...and it works better. ***

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) is a movie the Mrs. And I caught in theatres last weekend. The storyline follows a family in the big city behind on their rent and finances that inherit an old farmhouse in the country from their grandfather. The mother hasn't seen him in forever and the children have never met him and they both kind of resent him for it. This good news couldn't have come at a better time because the family needs a place to live. As they arrive in the country they try to establish a new lifestyle while figuring out what their grandfather was doing out there the entire time.

This movie is directed by Jason Reitman (Juno) and stars Carrie Coon (Gone Girl), Paul Rudd (Ant-man), Finn Wolfhard (IT), Mckenna Grace (Hands Maid Tale) and Logan Kim.

The storyline for this picture has a lot of potential with a great set-up, character development and full circle conclusion to various plots and subplots. The special effects were also awesome as was the cameos throughout the movie. They did a great job of setting up the Ghostbusters feel and elements.

I will say the movie is long, drags in the wrong places and has inconsistent writing. The children figuring out everything so quickly while never being scared of one circumstance or situation could have been better written/executed. Also the cameo lines could have been much better but just them being there was nice.

Overall this movie isn't perfect, but captures the nostalgic elements perfectly. In a lot of ways this felt like a not as good Stranger Things with Ghostbusters elements. I would strongly recommend seeing this and would score it a 6.5/10.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife feels like it was written by a kid who was a fan of the original movie, imagining what it would be like to be a Ghostbuster. It's obvious the creators of this sequel love the first films. It hits all the right notes of nostalgia, so even when it hits a wrong key with a plot point or a joke, you don't really mind because the overall melody is pleasant. It's like fan fiction, but good fan fiction.

"Callie" (Carrie Coon) is a bit short of cash, so must retreat to her late father's dilapidated pile with her son "Trevor" (Finn Wolfhard) and geeky daughter "Phoebe" (Mckenna Grace). When the young girl discovers that she has a chess partner that she cannot see, then a "ghost trap" under their frequently shaking old house, she and her brother - alongside her seismologist teacher "Gary Grooberson" (Paul Rudd) are soon doing what it says on the tin. It takes for ever to get going, this film - far too much time is spent on character development and by the time it actually gets up to speed I was just a little bit bored. It is redeemed by the last ten minutes, to a certain extent, but I could have been doing with a bit more of Rudd's character - and quite a few more ghosts to bust. It looks ok, the effects are fine - there is just a paucity of them - and the two youngsters work well together with a decent (if wordy) script that has some amusing scientist jokes.

I have to admit I had certain expectations and thought about seeing certain people/characters in this. Let's say if I was just rating the movie based on that, I probably would have rated it lower. I also missed out on the opportunity to rewatch the first two movies. But I don't think it would have mattered that much. Even a female character that had a small cameo in here, I sort of remembered her (small) part in the original movies.

That being said this adds a few cool people - namely Paul Rudd and the kids. Especially the daughter and the kid who befriends her (Podcast) are a great team together. Really funny and with great respect to the movies that came before it. Maybe minus the one with the all female cast. Now I personally liked that too - if you didn't enjoy that fair enough, can't compare those two anyway.

So much weirdness and comedy that works here, because of the script and because of the actors. And yes many flashbacks still - that even if you don't have the movies fresh in your memory work wonders. Also stay through the credits - one mid credits scene and one after credit scene.

Finally watched "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and I must say it was a decent follow up with some charming and sentimental scenes that brought back memories of old ghosts. As the film centers around and has a connection of the grandson of a past "Ghostbuster" and a spooky abandoned farm house left by him. And again ghost are on the prowl and move in on this new era and help and assistance is given from old legends in the end as Murray, Dan, and Ernie make an appearance to fight the evil spirits. And most liked and memorable was the cute and sweet scenes of the little baby marshmallow men who come to life with smores at Wal-Mart in front of Paul Rudd's teacher character I thought that was so sentimental, and had an original legacy feel and a tribute to the classic 84 "Stay Puft Marshmallow Man"! I loved the mini pufts! Overall this picture is nothing great still it entertained and was interesting with the ghost subject all while the new era characters had past connections to the classic and original "Ghostbusters".

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE (2021) *** Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Logan Kim, Celeste O' Connor, Bill Murray, Dany Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, JK Simmons, Olivia Wilde. (voices of : Josh Gad & Shohreh Aghdashloo). Filmmaker Jason Reitman, son of executive producer and director of the original comedy horror classic, returns the franchise true to form in this valentine to the team of paranormal exterminators with the Spengler family retiring to their estranged paterfamilias Egon (the late, great Harold Ramis) where his granddaughter (Grace, in a winning and often uncanny turn as the famed comedian) discovers her grandfather's plans to stop the return of Gozer the Gozarian to return for another shot at destroying the world, while in the process of uniting her family in their new Mid-west environs. Reitman, who co-wrote with Gil Kenan the chock block of Easter eggs screenplay that wisely incorporates its source material with its new cast (the weight of the legacy rests well on the slender yet able shoulders of Grace, the heart of the film). Fun mix of visuals and much welcomed extended cameos make for a heckuva night at the cineplex.

Going in, I had zero expectations and I *knew* it had to be better than 2016's Ghostbusters. It merely had to exist to be better than that last tragedy 5 years ago.

But, here's the thing: It's barely better than the 2016 atrocity. At least Paul Feig tried to make that movie a comedy. This was absolutely NO comedy.

And that's the biggest thing missing here and what made this a far distant entry in the nearly-40-year-old series: jokes. Sure, our lead, Egon's granddaughter, spews decades-old one-liners (which admittedly, were funny) throughout, but that's the extend of 90% of the humor. Naturally, Paul Rudd fills in the remaining 10% with a running 80s horror gag.

But, the 1st comedic masterpiece and 1989's comedic follow-up were COMEDIES. Not horror, sci-fi, supernatural...straight up comedies. This 2021 too-late (official) third entry was a drama chock-full of forced nostalgia and repeated scenes from the original. Not only did this make me sad, but it left me feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied.

Worst Mother of the Year is all-but completely nonchalant about getting evicted and had her estranged father not just died and left her a DIRT house in the middle of Nowhere, OK, her kids would be homeless. But, lucky for them, they all get to move reluctantly into Small Town USA. Unlucky for them, a repeat of the original 1984's events are right under their feet.

There's more to it, like the relationship, or lack thereof, between the terrible mother's father, former Ghostbuster Egon and his daughter/friends and a budding romance between the granddaughter and an eccentric kid who calls himself "Podcast." And their relationship, the young blossoming romance, was surprisingly the best part of this movie. The two kids were so cute together and had great chemistry.

But, that's also part of the problem. This movie felt like a TV/Streaming episode, like from Stranger Things and overall, incomplete and rushed. As if they were either running out of time, low on budget or both and they just released the first draft. I shouldn't have gone away loving most about a Ghostbusters film: a story of two kids' first love. It should have been about the comedy and the feeling of nostalgia that wasn't forced like it's been for the past decade.

Oh, well, again, it's waaaay better than Ghostbusters (2016,) but like Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, this fourth entry is making me love Ghostbusters II all the more.

***

Final Thoughts: Recommended for fans of the original. Brand new viewers need to watch the original 2 first, please. Don't watch this and think this was a genuine Ghostbusters movie. This is a love letter, not a sequel.

I'll be honest, after the last Ghostbusters movie, I wasn't keen on it, reluctantly I went along, and have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It feels like a worthy successor to the original film, it doesn't just ignore the past, it supports it. I would advise seeing the original movie ahead of this, as there is a lot of nostalgia surrounding it. I feel like they wanted it to respect the original, that it does.

Some really nice special effects, a few perhaps not so good, but that's just me being picky. A good atmosphere, and a really good pace, there's nothing slow about the film, it doesn't lull, nor did it feel overlong. It's a bit goofy, it doesn't take itself too seriously.

Great to see Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, and many other faces, if you're a fan of the original, you really will appreciate seeing them all here. Paul Rudd was awesome I thought, he stood out for me.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a pretty fair supernatural comedy that continues after the original two films. Following decades later, on a single mother Callie (Carrie Coon) and her two children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace). They move into a old farmhouse after there grandfather has passed away and gave them the inheritance. Phoebe and Trevor discovering something hidden in the barn that goes back towards the original ghostbusters. While the town they have been living in has been experiencing earthquakes. And something sinister coming from the mountain in that town. Which Phoebe and Trevor discovering ghosts and gets help from Gary (Paul Rudd) who has been investigating the strange occurrences in the town.

What worked? The film is a fresh sequel off from the original two films. It continues the story in a way. And has a lot of easter eggs and surprises that the original fans will love. It does not disappoint without giving much away. From previous characters to supernatural ghosts. It was a lot of fun with the script and direction bringing back and paying homage to the original.

Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Carrie Coon were good playing new characters. Playing as a family who are forced to live in the farmhouse after struggling with debt and having nowhere to go. Paul Rudd is a fun addition playing Gary Grooberson, a school teacher. A teacher who skimps out on summer classes and just put horror movies on for his class mates. There are other fun cast members that makes surprises which is more fun to see for yourself.

The visual effects are pretty decent and exciting. Seeing a ghost called Muncher who is similar to slimer. Plus the hellhounds are back. And more.

The film does have some decent action sequences that put the family in a ghost adventure in trying to save the world from a forming apocalypse. The new mini marshmellow puff creatures were fun and entertaining.

What did not work?

The film does have a slow set up with the first act of the movie. Having the family move into the town. Despising there grandfather for having a weird reputation and falling apart farm house. Phoebe being awkward and trying to fit in at school. Trevor trying to get the girl he met at a burger place and fitting in with that group of friends. Callie falling for Gary Grooberson. Does have a slow moving direction for the first half of the movie. Picks up when the kids get the ghostbuster car and equipment.

The second slight issue is the big threat that is set up is too easily resolved in the climax. It brings for a decent action scene but it is quickly resolved which ends abruptly.

Overall, it is a pretty fair film and fun addition that will make fans happy to see.