LaDona Harvey

LaDona Harvey

La Dona Harvey is co-host of San Diego's Morning News on News Radio KOGO AM 600.Full Bio

 

Movie Review: Ghostbusters: Afterlife

I thought the original Ghostbusters was cute, but never understood all the praise it’s gotten. I can name 500 movies that were funnier. Hell, there are 10 movies Bill Murray has done that are funnier (those would be: Tootsie, Groundhog Day, Scrooged, Stripes, Meatballs, Quick Change [which for some reason nobody has seen], Mad Dog and Glory, Kingpin, What About Bob?, On the Rocks….and I’ll call it a tie with Rushmore).

I never saw Ghostbusters II, but I unfortunately saw the 2016 movie. It was one of the worst comedies that year.

So now we’re back with this film, with Jason Reitman writing/directing (his dad Ivan directed the original). 

The story takes place 40 years after the original, and the ghostbusting crew has long since broken up, since ghosts no longer seem to be a threat. A family of three move into a farmhouse in Oklahoma that they inherited. It once belonged to one of the ghostbusters, and the boy finds all the blueprints and items down in the basement.

That boy, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things), gets a job at a burger joint and tries to fit in in this new town. He also wants to fix up the vehicle in the garage. Now, let’s just hope he stays away from that proton pack and particle thrower.

His mom Callie (Carrie Coon), seems to have eyes for her daughter Phoebe’s (McKenna Grace) new teacher (Paul Rudd). How can she not? He was just named the Sexiest Man Alive. Phoebe hits it off with her teacher, and an awkward classmate (Logan Kim in his first movie) who does a podcast dealing with conspiracy theories. With the daily earthquakes the town is experiencing, there’s obviously something going on here, and the two kids want to get to the bottom of it.

I can’t say any more about what happens as that will be filled with spoilers. Other critics don't seem to have any qualms about that and they’re ruining all kinds of surprises. There are obviously lots of easter eggs for hardcore fans of the original.

This is a solid family film that everyone will enjoy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll like the chemistry of all the characters involved. It could have used a few more jokes, though.

3 stars out of 5, and here’s a fun fact: This is the second time Finn has played a ghostbuster. He dressed as one for Halloween in an episode of Stranger Things.


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