Ghostbusters: Afterlife

 Year:  2021

Director:  Jason Reitman

Screenplay:  Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman, based on Ghostbusters written by Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis

Starring:  Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Logan Kim, Celeste O'Connor, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson

Running Time:  124 minutes

Genre:  Fantasy, comedy

Single mother Callie (Coon) and her two children, teenager Trevor (Wolfhard) and precocious 12 year old Phoebe (Grace), inherit a lonely farmhouse from Callie's estranged father.  After being evicted from their Chicago apartment, the family move in to the house, which Phoebe quickly realises is haunted.  As she investigates she realises that her grandfather, who she never met, was a Ghostbuster.  Soon the nearby town and the area around it become plagued with strange supernatural activity  and Phoebe and Trevor dust off and repair their grandfather's old equipment and, along with some of their new friends, set out to do some ghostbusting of their own.

The 1984 film Ghostbusters remains one of the most beloved films of the 1980s.  A sequel, Ghostbusters II, was released in 1989, and a controversial remake of the first film was released in 2016.  Ghostbusters: Afterlife follows on from the first two films, and has no connection to the 2016 Ghostbusters.  Despite the trappings of the present day, there is a character called Podcast, people watch YouTube videos and use Google etc. this could almost be a 1980s kids movie.  And for the most part, the film seems to be heading in it's own direction, albeit one heavily influence by the films of the 1980s.  This is emphasised by the casting of Finn Wolfhard (star of 1980s-set science-fiction show Stranger Things (2016- ))in a lead role.  Towards the end however it settles into a heavily sentimentalised  retread of the end of Ghostbusters.  However, for all the film's flaws, it has a real charm to it.  Personally, I sat down to it not expecting much, but by the end it had won me over.  Similar to Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), the film breathes life into the franchise with new characters and a new set-up, while still providing enough cameos and call-backs to the first film to satisfy anyone's nostalgia cravings.  Finn Wolfhard is good as the teenager trying to impress local girl Celeste O'Connor.  Logan Kim is funny as an aspiring podcaster, and Mckenna Grace is very good as the scientifically minded Phoebe.  Among the adults, Carrie Coon grounds the film as the struggling single mother, trying to deal with her long standing resentment of her father for abandoning the family, and Paul Rudd is funny as the nerdy geology teacher who shows the kids horror movies such as Cujo (1983) and Child's Play (1988) on VHS, and develops a crush on Callie.  Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman who produced and directed the first Ghostbusters, directs with obvious affection for the material, and there is a sweet tribute to the late Harold Ramis, who co-wrote and starred in the first two films.  The film is tonally uneven, some of the humour is a little too broad and silly, and, of course, it lacks Bill Murray, although he does appear in a cameo.  Another thing is that some of the fan service, and references to the earlier films are pretty heavy handed.  For the most part, however, it is a very enjoyable, light-hearted family adventure, which should appeal both to children and nostalgic adults.    It's no masterpiece, but it is a good piece of entertainment.

Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace and Logan Kim in Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Toy Story 4

Year of Release:  2019
Director:  Josh Cooley
Screenplay:  Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom, story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Martin Hynes and Stephany Folsom
Starring:  Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves
Running Time:  96 minutes
Genre:  Animation, comedy

Toys Woody (Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Allen) and their friends have been donated by former owner Andy, to a little girl named Bonnie (McGraw).  Increasingly neglected by Bonnie, Woody still accompanies her on her first day of kindergarten, and watches her fashions some items of garbage, into a bipedal spork that she calls "Forky" (Hale).  Like the other toys, Forky is alive, but believes himself to be trash.  Bonnie and her family head out on a road trip, with Woody constantly trying to stop Forky throwing himself into trash. Separated from Bonnie, her family and their friends, Woody tries to convince Forky of how much Bonnie loves him.  Trailing the family RV through a small town, Woody thinks that his friend Bo Peep (Potts) is in an antique store, however when they enter, they encounter the seemingly friendly Gabby Gabby (Hendricks), who nevertheless has her own agenda.

Released in 1995, the original Toy Story was groundbreaking as the first completely computer-animated feature film, but it was more than just a special effects showcase, being both funny and heartwarming.  Over the years, it has become a beloved franchise for both children and adults .  This outing manages to break the law of diminishing returns, being funny, action packed and surprisingly emotional, as well as being beautifully animated.  Fans of the series will enjoy being reacquainted with familiar characters as well as some delightful new faces.   It sticks to the formula of the previous films where the toys are separated and then have to be rescued by their friends.  Due to the size and fragility of the toys, the ordinary outside world becomes a hostile landscape with danger lurking around every corner.  The film also continues the philosophical themes of the series where the toys have to accept their nature and the transitory nature of their existence, where they invest so much love and loyalty in their owners, only to eventually be discarded as the child grows up.  While it is not as good as Toy Story 2 (1999) this is still a great family film which will appeal to both adults and children. 

Forky and Woody in Toy Story 4

Ghostbusters

Year of Release:  1984
Director:  Ivan Reitman
Screenplay:  Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd
Starring:  Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, William Atherton
Running Time:  107 minutes   
Genre:  Comedy, fantasy, horror

Scientists Peter Venkman (Murray), Ray Stantz (Ackroyd) and Egon Spengler (Ramis) are fired from their position at Columbia University, due to their dubious research and conclusions.  The trio decide to go into business for themselves as professional ghost-catchers.  Initially dismissed largely as a joke, the Ghostbusters soon find themselves fighting to save the world.

This hugely successful blend of comedy, fantasy and supernatural horror is one of the most beloved film of the 1980s.  It's funny throughout, with some still enjoyable, albeit dated, special effects.  It's also just scary enough to avoid upsetting children.  Much of the humour depends on the juxtaposing the cynical, workaday realities of 1980s New York, with the supernatural.  Bill Murray dominates the film with his delightfully deadpan performance as the slightly disreputable, cynical, wisecracking Venkman, although he gets sterling support from the rest of the cast, particularly William Atherton as the film's main human antagonist, an oily EPA representative.  The film was followed by a sequel in 1989, several animated TV series (most notably The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991)), and a remake in 2016.   

Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters.