Bullet Points: Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Bulletproof Action had the opportunity to cover the theatrical release for Ghostbusters: Afterlife back in November. Unfortunately, we had to pass due to scheduling conflicts. We received a second chance with the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital from Sony Home Pictures Entertainment. Also available:  Ghostbusters: Ultimate Collection which features Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II and Ghostbusters: Afterlife on 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray. The collection also includes over 20 hours of rare behind-the-scenes footage including the full Preview Cut of the original movie.

Note: The following review is for the Blu-ray release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

• It has been a minute: I first watched a trailer for the latest Ghostbusters film back in December 2019. My first reactions included: Is this Stranger Things 3.0 / Ghostbusters for Kids? Why are we on a farm in Somewhere Middle America?  These kids must be related to Egon, right? Hey, there’s Paul Rudd and that’s why he’s not in Halloween Kills, and where are The REAL Ghostbusters at? …Most of my questions were answered fairly quickly. Yes, the kids are Egon’s grandkids. Yes, this old farm in Somewhere Middle America belonged to Egon. Yes, Paul Rudd has discovered the Fountain of Youth. We do have some surprises to come as well. If you’re a fan of The REAL Ghostbusters films, you should find many Easter eggs hiding in plain sight throughout the runtime. 
• For Harold: Jason Reitman is the co-writer and director, and Ivan Reitman is the producer. This is a good sign. Both of these gentlemen will make sure the film honors Harold Ramis. How can you have a REAL Ghostbusters film without Harold Ramis? Harold left this world in 2014. There’s a lot of class and respect in the new story. I believe it honors Harold Ramis and his character, Egon.  I can imagine a lot of the audience thinking back to when they first watched Ghostbusters as a kid. Now, this same audience might have their own kids now watching Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Everything comes full circle, even films about ghosts. If you enjoyed watching Ghostbusters, I believe you will enjoy Afterlife. If you didn’t like Ghostbusters, I can almost safely bet the farm you will not like Afterlife. 

• The New Kids: I have mentioned REAL GHOSTBUSTERS  multiple times in my review. This means: A movie that exists in the same universe as the 1984 original. It is what you would expect with Jason Reitman directing.  Our New Kids include Phoebe (McKenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard). Phoebe is the central protagonist. She’s the granddaughter of Egon, and she has a lot of his mannerisms. Trevor is the slightly-awkward older brother who is crushing hard on Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), who also happens to be the daughter of Sheriff Domingo (Bokeem Woodbine). If Afterlife has an obvious weakness, it is the criminally underuse of Woodbine. Also joining the New Kids is scene stealing Podcast (Logan Kim). Podcast is Phoebe’s friend along for the ride / adventure. The adults are Callie (Carrie Coon) as the mom of the Phoebe and Trevor, and Grooberson (Paul Rudd) as the worst summer school teacher / scientist guy / love interest for Callie. Hell, maybe anyone can be a Ghostbuster? 
• The Ghosts, The Gadgets, The Fun: One of the biggest strengths of Afterlife is the obvious homage to the first two films. The Ghosts are a mix of familiar / new faces. Each has a unique personality that brings something interesting to the story. The Gadgets are a blast from the blast with a couple of new tricks too. One of the most exciting  action sequences involves Phoebe, Trevor, and Podcast in the Ecto-1 racing around town and using an Ecto-1 gunner seat to catch some ghosts. For my Stay Puft Marshmallow fans out there, you are definitely in for a delicious treat. There is something in Afterlife for every Ghostbusters fan. 

• Wrapping it up: There’s over 45 minutes of extras on the Blu-ray. Which include how the ghosts, gadgets, and action were created. There is a good mixture of partial / CG effects. When the effects could be practical, they were… The Blu-ray itself has almost reference like audio and video playback. If you are a physical media collector, Afterlife is a must own… Afterlife is a movie for me. As a fan of the original for many years, Afterlife brought a huge smile to my face.  Afterlife brought more life into my life long fandom of the Ghostbusters franchise. The kid in me shined throughout Afterlife… Afterlife also brings the closure all Ghostbusters fans need. I also see the potential for a couple of Next Generation sequels… I enjoyed the hell out of Afterlife. Your results may vary, but this action fanatic had a blast!
• Grade: B+