LIMA — More than a year after its pre-COVID trailer emerged, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” recently materialized in theaters.
I initially saw its coming-attractions clip in early 2020, with the promise of a release that summer. The picture, not unlike its spotlighted spirits, became dormant (the coronavirus was a convenient excuse) and wasn’t unleashed until this November.
This sequel, the franchise’s fourth picture, follows the dubious path of a single mother (Carrie Coon), her kids in tow, relocating to a fictional Oklahoma town — although the movie, as evidenced by some mountainous terrain, was shot in Canada. The family’s new home is a dilapidated farmhouse run into the ground by a “dirt farmer,” the children’s late grandpa.
A charming summer school teacher (Paul Rudd), an obvious love interest for the forlorn mom, could’ve been speaking to discerning film-goers when he declared, “I know you don’t want to be here.”
The skeletal plot involves the resurfacing of the tools and equipment used to detect, zap and trap ghosts; the spirit of original ghostbuster Egon (Harold Ramis) soon floats to the fore.
As portrayed by the game McKenna Grace, our precocious heroine has one expression: a furrowed brow to ensure we realize she’s a deep thinker. Her older brother, a high schooler embodied as a goofball by Finn Wolfhard, pursues a classmate (Celeste O’Connor, too mature for her juvenile role).
Credit must go to diminutive actor Logan Kim, who couldn’t have been more than 11 while acquitting himself well as the chatty cohort with a podcast.
After a promising and engaging enough first hour, the second half of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” relies on artifacts, other-worldly creatures, and godforsaken mini marshmallows that come to life. Not-so-special effects via computer result in more eye-glazing than eye-popping for audiences.
Jason Reitman — who made a name for himself overseeing “Juno” and “Up in the Air” — has inherited the reins from his father Ivan, who helmed the original “Ghostbusters” in 1984.
This time around, it was a touching gesture to invoke the image of Ramis, depicted with CGI and a body double. We also get treated to a fair share of amicable and insightful dialogue to balance the primary players’ banter, which is rife with corny jokes dead on arrival.
A last-minute deluge of familiar-faced cameos during the climax is a desperate but comforting balm that restores order. Should Reitman and company decide to conjure up another sequel, it would call for more editing and less afterlife.
2 out of 4 stars.
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