"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" delivers nostalgia but also an amiable sense of Amblin fun

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

As we found out from online trolls before Paul Feig’s 2016 female-headed “Ghostbusters” even hit screens, the 1984 sci-fi horror-comedy original is quite beloved and even sacred to some. That deep love and reverence can be seen, felt, and heard again throughout “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” a generational sequel and relaunch in the loving hands of director Jason Reitman, son of “Ghostbusters” and “Ghostbusters II” director Ivan Reitman. Another “Ghostbusters” movie that’s still not trying to rewrite history or ruin childhoods, this is not only a delivery system of good old nostalgia but a tribute to those who are no longer with us.

When Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) can no longer afford her apartment, she takes her two kids, 12-year-old Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and teenager Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), to the town of Summerville, Oklahoma, and hopefully stay in the farmhouse owned by her recently departed father. It’s not long before Phoebe, a lover of science just like her “dirt farmer” grandfather, finds Grandpa’s psychokinetic energy meter that detects a ghost or two. As Phoebe and her new friend (Logan Kim) find out in summer school from Mr. Grooberson (Paul Rudd), there hasn’t been a ghost sighting in 30 years. That all changes when the three of them unleash a spirit, all in the name of science. If the ghostbusters aren’t around, who are they gonna call?

For a movie that does rely on nostalgia, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is an exception to the rule when a few recent examples have been obnoxious (“Space Jam: Legacy” and “Home Sweet Home Alone,” we didn’t forget you already). It’s lighthearted, frequently amusing, sometimes a little spooky, and almost Spielbergian in spirit with a touch of “Casper.” Yes, there is plenty of fan service, but the film never stops dead in its tracks for its “I spy with my little eye…” callbacks. As a microcosm of the whole film, there’s a moment after the Ecto-1 Cadillac inevitably gets fixed up for a joy ride to chase a ghost and drives past a spraying fire hydrant, dusting off the no-ghost icon. It may be literal, but writer-director Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan are introducing the new to the old and celebrating everything “Ghostbusters” in ways that make the film more of a labor of love than a slavish, cynical exercise.

The sheer likability of the Spengler family, led by the versatile and always-appealing Carrie Coon as the science-adverse Callie, goes a long way toward giving the film an amiable quality. Mckenna Grace is a wise-beyond-her-years phenom in general, and she’s wonderful as Phoebe, a little badass. Grace’s old-soul quality perfectly aligns with her timing for many of her awesome ice-breaking jokes. Newcomer Logan Kim is endearing as Phoebe’s first friend in town, a young podcaster named Podcast, who has…a podcast. Finn Wolfhard, as Trevor, and Celeste O’Connor (2020’s “Freaky”), as Trevor’s love interest Lucky, don’t receive as much to do until the end. For a change, Paul Rudd gets the love-interest role rather than the lead, but he brings his lovable affability to the science-minded summer school teacher Gary Grooberson. 

Even if there isn’t anything brand spanking new in a “Ghostbusters” movie, take it as a “Muppet Babies” version with continuity rather than an official reboot, and it’s a lot of fun. Direct references, lines of dialogue, and “special appearances” are actually less distracting here than they were in the 2016 reboot because, well, the actors who pop up are not playing entirely different characters. Annie Potts does drop by as the ghostbusters’ squeaky-voiced former receptionist Janine (and that is no spoiler, considering she is in the trailer), but while beggars can’t be choosers, the film could’ve used more of her. There’s an adorable-turned-lightly-demented set-piece in a Walmart, specifically the baking aisle, where the Stay-Puft Marshmallow men wreak some havoc, and a few cute gags almost recall something out of “Gremlins.”

The climax might be too reverent to the climax in the 1984 film, though it’s a kick to see Reitman nearly remake his father’s work. Once the film finishes up at the family farmhouse, Reitman does swing for something that could have been very ghoulish (in the wrong way) but feels sentimental and poignant in the most comforting of ways. Whether the Easter egg hunt becomes too much or not will depend on how recently you’ve watched the original “Ghostbusters,” but with a sense of Amblin fun, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is a crowd-pleaser with good bustin’ vibes. 

Grade: B

Sony Pictures is releasing “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (125 min.) in theaters on November 19, 2021.