Ghostbusters: Afterlife

I notice the Rotten Tomatoes reviews were mixed. I really liked it. Maybe I'm easy to please. Or maybe I don't think the first Ghostbusters is the unimpeachable source material many of its fans do. Or maybe I had no real expectations going in, so the film didn't let me down.

When I say I had no expectations, I didn't mean I expected it to be bad. I mean I told myself that if it was totally different than the first two movies, that's okay. That would not bother me. And the tone is entirely different. The first two movies were broad comedies. Literally comedy showcases for former Saturday Night Live cast members. This used more observational character humor, and most differently had some real drama and pathos attached to it. I am not surprised that hit some people the wrong way. It doesn't bother me. Is the movie consistent with the first two? No. Is it great? Yes. I'd argue it's as good or better than the first one. The second one is distant third but I loved all the callbacks in the last 20 minutes.

Maybe people will be ticked off they saved the major Ghostbusters reunions for the last 20 minutes and tags. My concern with them doing that might not be yours. This movie is very much Phoebe Spengler's story, and once the old cast shows up it no longer is. It's weird. Most people will be gratified by that, and no lie, I am too. But I wish Phoebe had been a bigger part of the last scenes.

Getting this movie was SUCH an arduous process, made harder by Bill Murray's weird demands. And frankly, his contract was hinky in that department. So I'm appreciative of Answer The Call for giving him an excuse to fulfill that contractual obligation and make his signing for a new movie less of a big deal. Frankly, the rumor was Bill Murray insisted that Peter Venkman be killed off in the first scene of Ghostbuster 3, and be made a ghost for the rest of it. That always struck me as a lousy idea. Bill Murray may be a fantastic actor and choose his projects wisely. I don't think he's actually a great pitchman if that's his insistence.

Can you really argue with me it's not better seeing Peter Venkman tell Gozer it's over, and correcting Ray Stanz on the proper way to answer if they are Gods? Or could him being a ghost be anywhere near as delightful in realizing him and Dana Barrett are still together and goofing around like a couple of kids with the zap machine? Sorry, Bill, but I think it emotionally resonated more that Egon was the ghost. I'm just sad that Harold Ramis had to die for the producers to have to come to that decision.

The ghost effects of Harold Ramis were pretty good, and I like that the film was dedicated to him. Considering how long people have been waiting for it, it had better have been.

I like Phoebe. I like her awkward jokes. I like her weird friendship with Podcast (although I don't actually like Podcast). I liked Gary and his romance with her mom. And I love that she and her mom don't see eye to eye about her father. And while the hug at the end as Egon's spirit moves on is rewarding, on some level, just having stalker pics of his daughter doesn't make him abandoning his family forgivable. Harsh opinion, but regardless of how things turned out, my opinion of the character of Egon Spengler was forever lowered for that fact. The lifetime wall of stalker pictures changes nothing.

Bill Murray was great, but I have always believed Ernie Hudson was the best Ghostbuster. He showed up out of nowhere two thirds of the way through the first picture, and he's instantly the coolest character from that point forward (for some weird reason). Hudson's Winston Zeddmore has only gotten cooler and awesomer with age, and he still plays the hell out of him. Out of the original Ghostbusters in the movie, Hudson acts the most comfortable in his own skin. I feel very comfortable in saying he's the best Ghostbuster, and very comfortable in saying projects that take shots at him for being a token (looking at you, Stranger Things) are out of their minds, and not actually helping the cause of diversity. You call the coolest Ghostbuster a token, you are not the ally you think you are. Period.

For the record, Sigourney Weaver still looks like a million bucks. But I probably don't have to tell you that.

The action sequences in this film (particularly the car chase with the hungry ghost) are legit in a way they weren't in the old movies. They're exciting and well-boarded, and utterly tension-filled and cinematic. The action in the old films was always clunky compared to Back To The Future, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars. Here, Ecto-1's gun station and roving trap gave us an exciting scene and some great visuals.

I'm going to go out on a limb and giving that an easy five stars. You want to accuse me of taking it far too easy on movies, so be it. I liked it. A lot. I'm not actually difficult to please. 5 Stars.

Deleted Scene: Is It Ever Too Late?:

Janine Melnitz's scene was originally bigger and explained how she got her grandfather's piece back at the end. Personally, I think it was right to be trimmed down. I felt like the kids were too disrespectful to her, which turns you against the kids, and that's not something the movie should be doing. I think trimming this down was the right move. 2 1/2 stars .