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movie review - Ghostbusters: Afterlife

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

For some reason my daughter and I decided to watch this second modern sequel to the '80s original "Ghostbusters". The original was a fresh comedy with significant action and bouts of sophisticated dialog. This movie was an echo of all that with one of the kids from Stranger Things. Which, come to think of it, is why my eleven-year-old wanted to see it!

It had its moments - usually involving the incredibly engaging Paul Rudd - but on the whole it was less fun and interesting than Stranger Things was throughout its first season. I found I not only didn't care but that I didn't really want the story to play out the way it did. The entire "climax", with ghosts attempting to cross a sort of mined farmyard felt underwhelming. And the story of Igon Spengler's final years - in isolation and ridiculed despite all he'd done - reminded of that unfortunate Star Wars movie where they killed of Luke Skywalker because they were out of ideas.

Not recommended.