Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Released in theaters on Nov 19, 2021
Released on Hulu on September 12, 2022
Runtime: 2 Hours 4 Minutes
Rated PG-13
Busting makes me feel good! I still have the toys from when I was a kid. I own a jump suit and proton pack. I have the Lego firehouse. I’m a fan. It took over 30 years, but we finally got a third film! The original cast (outside of the late Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis who is retired) are all back. Strap on your proton back, buckle up in the Ecto-1, and lets talk Ghostbusters Afterlife.
Themes:
Themes in the movie include death, ghosts, the afterlife, friendship, loss, demons, gods (little g), teamwork, courage, friendship, Revelation, family, anger, grief, and forgiveness.
Language:
Sadly there are several curse words. The s-word, hell, another word for butt, and what beaver’s build all show up. Characters don’t curse the entire time, but the words show up enough to help make it a PG-13 movie. A few sex jokes are made in the later half of the movie
Stuff to be aware of:
There are a few jump scares. Some of the ghosts, demons, and zombies, are puppets and animatronics which make them look scarier than CGI. The main villain is kind of creepy. (This could be spoiler territory, so turn back now if you need to). Some characters get possessed and speak with deep, scary voices. One undead guy gets ripped in half, but its a quick scene. It is implied that two characters have sex and a few jokes are made about it. Virginity is referenced, but not explained and there is a joke about a character’s sex (as in male/female). There are a few jokes that involved drinking or bars. One character can be seen asleep at a table with a whine glass near by. Most of these themes are in the original, but this time around are slightly more toned down.
Overall:
Did I enjoy it? Is the atomic weight of cobalt 58.9? I LOVED IT! It feels like a love letter to the original movie. There are a ton of Easter Eggs, quotes from the original, scenes lifted from the original, the background music and soundtrack from the original returns, and it easily sets up a Ghostbusters cinematic universe. If you enjoyed the first movie from 1984, you will enjoy this one. The movie does a great job catching the audience up, establishing the new characters, and giving us plenty of nostalgia. I think this one even makes some of the plot threads from the original make more sense. McKenna Grace (Phoebe) and Logan Kim (Podcast) really steal the show with their chemistry and funny delivery of lines. Paul Rudd is also a perfect addition. There were several times in this movie I almost cried and I didn’t stop smiling the entire time. It’s what I wanted and a little more. I’m excited to see what comes next.
Spoiler Alert Again: The only things I wish it had were a few more references to GB2 and Slimer.
One final note:
Stay puft in your chair (see what i did there) until the end of the credits. You will thank me. Yes, have some.
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