Ghostbusters: Afterlife

I enjoyed the first half more, balancing nicely on the edge of nostalgia, where it was still bearable. But then the digital crap kicked in (there's no substitute for practical 80s effects), and Finn Wolfhard made me feel like I was watching a weaker episode of Stranger Things. And as much as I love the old crew from the 80's classic, they unfortunately – and surprisingly to me – weren't the element that lifted the film up at the end. A brief reminiscence is not enough for me. And when the post-credit scene is the only fun thing in a film, there’s something wrong. (2022-01-12)

I liked it in the first half with its nostalgic retro vibe, but as it moves on and they start messing around with ghosts more, the new Ghostbusters becomes a nasty digital cringefest. The pleasantly energetic teenage adventure turns into a sort of shoddy respectful tribute to a couple of old-timers who save the day, though they look like they can barely stay on their feet. And the small town where it all takes place seems hilariously empty. (2022-01-15)

Ghostbusters of the new generation and it's a fun ride for all ages. The story takes place three decades after the first film, we follow a mother and her two children moving to a small town, to a farm their grandfather has left them as his inheritance, and the adventure ride can begin. It has a Stranger Things feel to it, maybe maybe because of Finn Wolfhard, but I really enjoyed Mckenna Grace (by the way what an amazing career at 15 years old: Malignant and Ready Player One), who plays a science nerd and is without a doubt the most interesting and best character. The humour works occasionally, although nothing crazy happens, the visuals are ok, but the CGI monsters were the weakest part of the film for me, though I loved the marshmallow men, they were morbidly cute and could easily have deserved an extra ten minutes. The film also relies a lot on nostalgia and references, which of course work. The film is also nicely heartwarming at the end and the fairer sex might be moved, which counts. It's not a big hit, but as a horror comedy for kids where adults can have fun it works well enough. Story 4/5, Action 3/5, Humour 3/5, Violence 0/5, Funny 4/5 Music 3/5, Visuals 3/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 4/5.7/10. (2022-01-09)

This is how you revive a spooky classic. It blends modern elements while paying the best possible homage to the original films. Updating the cast to feature kids, like Stranger Things and It, works perfectly here. Plus, having the son of the original director at the helm added a respectful touch. Comparing this to the previous installment is almost impossible — the 2016 film felt too focused on cashing in and pushing a female-led cast. In Afterlife, the atmosphere alone sets it apart. You can even forgive the digital effects overload. (2022-09-02)

I don't know, I guess it's the perfect genre for 6-15 year olds, but for anyone older it's totally underwhelming and unsatisfying. I haven't seen the previous films, so any nostalgia goes beyond me and I can only purely rate the film on its own merits. And that is simply a couple of kids chasing ghosts and herding them into a cage, nothing more, nothing less. I found the characters a bit annoying in the latter part of the film, the visuals are nice and colorful, but that's all I can find in it. Weaker than I expected, but I guess fans of the franchise will survive it, the rest if they're in a good mood anyway, but I did suffer through it a bit by the end. (2022-01-02)