The first reactions to Ghostbusters: Afterlife have begun rolling in and critics are hailing it as the true sequel fans of the franchise have wanted. Development on a third Ghostbusters movie was trapped in development hell for years following the 1989 sequel, with some cast members lacking interest in returning to the franchise, namely Bill Murray. Following the death of Harold Ramis, Sony moved forward with a female-fronted reboot from Bridesmaids‘ Paul Feig, though despite positive reviews from critics the film failed at the box office and the studio eventually shifted back to the original timeline with Jason Reitman, son to original director Ivan, co-writing and directing.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is set in the present day and centers on single mother Callie as she and her two children are evicted from their home and forced to move to a decayed farmhouse in Summerville, Oklahoma, left to them by the children’s late grandfather. As the town, located near no fault lines, finds itself rocked by unexplained earthquakes and strange occurrences at an old mine once owned by occultist Ivo Shandor, the kids learn of their grandfather Egon Spengler’s history with the original Ghostbusters and his investigation into the town’s happenings. The kids must pull together with their family and newfound friends, including local science teacher Mr. Grooberson, and use the old Ghostbusters equipment to save the world from the latest supernatural threat.
As part of the studio’s panel at this week’s CinemaCon, those in attendance were given the opportunity to see Ghostbusters: Afterlife and the first reactions to the screening are coming out as very positive. The general consensus is that Jason Reitman has utilized nostalgia for the original franchise in the right way, packing the film with plenty of exciting Easter eggs and callbacks to the original without being overwhelming and creating a love letter for both his father and his daughter. Check out the first reactions below:
While Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot does have some merits, its biggest problem stemmed from its over reliance on nostalgia and callback jokes that divided critics and audiences alike, with some praising the efforts while others felt they paled in comparison to the original films or worked more as jabs at them. When Ghostbusters: Afterlife was first announced, there was certainly still skepticism resonating from the fanbase after Feig’s film, though Jason Reitman’s positions as co-writer and director and the confirmation of the original cast reprising their roles did bolster hope it would put the series back on track. The trailers for the film thus far have certainly pointed to an exciting new chapter in the franchise and the early reactions seem to confirm those early feelings.
Though some franchises fail to capitalize on a 30-plus-year wait for a sequel, the first reactions to Ghostbusters: Afterlife certainly seem to point to it being worth the wait. In addition to the nostalgia and fan service being praised in the film, it’s interesting and exciting to see stars Mckenna Grace and Paul Rudd getting the majority of praise so far from the cast as well as the tease of sticking around through the credits of the film given there are reportedly two follow-ups in development for the film. Only time will tell how franchise fans connect to it when Ghostbusters: Afterlife arrives in theaters on November 11.
Sources: Various [see links above]
Key Release Dates
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Release Date:2021-11-19
