GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, US, 2021. Starring Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Logan Kim, Celeste O'Connor, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, Bob Gunton, JK Simmons, Bokeem Woodbine, Stella Ackroyd, Olivia Wilde, Tracy Letts, voices of: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Josh Gad. Directed by Jason Reitman. 124 minutes. Rated PG (Fantasy themes and infrequent mild coarse language. Some scenes may scare children)
Ghostbusters Jr! If that is a disturbing alternate title and, as a devotee of the original film, you might want to reconsider. However, if you go along with this 21st-century variation on the theme, help is at hand towards the end when who should turn up but the real Ghostbusters, Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson and, because Harold Ramis, to whom the film is dedicated, died in 2014, there is a ghostly recreation of his presence. And, these are more than cameos, the three entering into the spirit of the busting of these recurring ghosts. (And, as some compensation for those who are not exactly on the Junior wavelength, there is a credit sequence where Sigourney Weaver turns up having a psychology session with Bill Murray; and, right at the end, an extended sequence where Ernie Hudson reflects on what happened and his aftermath success).
The film was cowritten by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, who produces here, and who directed the first two Ghostbusters films.
We are certainly no longer in New York City. We are in a drab rundown town in Oklahoma (although the exteriors were all shot in Alberta). Single mother, Callie, and her son and daughter are evicted from their home and travel to a rundown dirt farm left to Callie by her father. (And, to tantalise, there are mysterious chases and ghost busting equipment at the opening of the film, racing towards the farm and the death of the old man.)
For a moment, this looks like one of those single mothers and children trying to make good in desperate circumstances. The son, Trevor, aged 15, pretending 17 (Finn Wolfhard who would be a strong contender in a Timothee Chalamet lookalike competition) and Phoebe, 12, Mckenna Grace in a performance which really does control the whole film. She is precocious, bespectacled, articulate, scientific, sceptical of superstition, ever investigative, and in command of what turns out to be the ghost busting operation. Fortunately for us and her, she befriends another 12-year-old at school, Podcast, who goes around with his camera and recorder, interviewing people. He is played by Logan Kim who shows a sense of humour and excellent comic timing. Here’s hoping for a solid career for him.
And, there is school, desperate kids put in front of the screen to watch Cujo while the teacher, Mr Groobersman (Paul Rudd always enjoyable) carries on geographic investigations. A perfect match for Phoebe. There are daily rumblings and earth tremors, mysterious events…
And, by this time, we guessed it, the ghosts are somewhere there are in these Oklahoma mountains, gods from 3500 years ago, confined in an abandoned mine, ghosts and monsters ready to find the slightest excuse for erupting. And they do.
And, while Callie and Mr Groobersman are taken over by monstrous guard animals, it is up to the youngsters to do the ghostbusting. But, they are apprentices and, to relief all round, Bill Murray and co turn up for a final confrontation. As does a ghostly re-created resurrected Harold Ramis who turns out to be Callie’s father and the younger generation’s grandfather.
Not sure how the older fans will manage, it is definitely for the younger, new fans.
Sony
Released 1 January
Image: Trevor (Finn olfhard), Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Podcast (Logan Kim) in Columbia Pictures' Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Photo: Kimberley French
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