This magnificent movie starts off with Egon Spengler in his home located in a creepy, old farm in the middle of nowhere. He is a lonely, old man whose life revolves around how to capture ghosts. After his death, his daughter and single mother of two kids, Callie (Carrie Coon), moves to Spengler's farm. Spengler's granddaughter Phoebe, (Mckenna Grace), is very skeptical of ghosts' existence until she starts experimenting with strange events happening in her bedroom. That's when Phoebe's grandfather's spirit takes her to the Ghostbusters' gun and guides her to assemble it. Her older brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) fixes the old Ghostbuster mobile from 1984 and they start their journey to capture this maleficent ghost with the help of Podcast, Phoebe's classmate, and Trevor's girlfriend.
This film has amazing graphics and sound effects like. For example, when Phoebe shoots the gun, the light effect coming out of it is very cool. The props look real. I love the use of the Ghostbusters' mobile, which is a huge prop that brings back memories of the original film. The landscape and scenery are mostly outside. The audience can appreciate seeing the town, the green areas and the lonely and creepy farm. I like the costumes, such as when the children wear the 1984 Ghostbuster's uniform, which brings nostalgic memories to older audiences. Bill Murray, Ray Stantz, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts, cast members from 1984, reappear and give this film a sense of excitement and memorabilia. Of course, Slimer, the green friendly ghost, is in this movie. The audience will enjoy some of the 1984 movie puns and also the Ghostbusters original theme song which plays in the credits. My favorite scene is when Phoebe's teacher, Mr. Groobers (Paul Rudd), is in the store and the marshmallows come to life as little Michelin look alike creatures. They are so cute, but at the same time, they destroy everything and start killing each other inside blenders and with torches.
he moral of this film is for young people to understand the sacrifices that our parents make for us in order to have a better life. Egon Spengler spent his whole life hunting and catching ghosts in order that his daughter will have a better life. Too bad Callie didn't realize her father's sacrifices until he passed.
I give Ghostbusters: Afterlife 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters on November 19, 2021. And remember, if you experience paranormal activity, "Who are you gonna call?"
By Ethan P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a beautiful love letter to a classic film! It's the Easter Egg Hunt of the year, with wonderful cameos and amazing new characters. Ghostbusters' fans of any age are set for an incredible ride.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife follows Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) after they move to a secluded town in the middle of nowhere. Their grandfather recently passed away and left them with a house. Unbeknownst to them, their grandfather was Egon Spengler, legendary Ghostbuster. There's paranormal activity in the town and now Phoebe, Trevor and their friends and family have to bust some ghosts.
This movie is incredible all around. There are so many wonderful references to the original Ghostbusters film - the proton pack, the jumpsuit, the iconic Cadillac. The writers fit in so many amazing tokens that will have fans gasping and tearing up. The best part is how all the new characters look up to the original team, thinking of them as legends, and the ghost phenomenon in the 1980s as extraordinary. The new characters are awesome; they are lovable and funny, making audiences want to see more of them. The way Phoebe loves science reminds fans of Egon, and Trevor's brashness resembles Venkman. Podcast is a hilarious, supernatural-loving kid who fans are going to adore. It's so adorable how he looks up to Ray Stantz, and even has a few scenes that mirror Ray's in the first film of the franchise. The CGI is fantastic, using remarkable de-aging technology. The production team was careful in not overusing CGI, keeping both the Gatekeeper and the Key Master exactly as they were in the 1984 film, instead of modernizing their appearances. The cameos are so amazing; they don't take over the entire film, but they have significance to the plot, and fit perfectly into the storyline. The two post-credit scenes are a must-watch, including a deleted scene, a cameo and an opening for a sequel.
The moral of the film is to be yourself and follow your heart. Phoebe is an outcast for her love of science and being socially awkward. Her mother mentions on several occasions how she worries for her daughter. Phoebe learns to be herself, makes new friends, and is able to hunt some ghosts using her intelligence.
I give Ghostbusters: Afterlife 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It is available exclusively in theaters November 19, 2021.
By Heather S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15
The 2021 fantasy and comedy film Ghostbusters: Afterlife, by Jason Reitman, is absorbing, hilarious and intriguing. I truly enjoyed watching how Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) grows from being the quiet/nerdy girl, and finds her place. She becomes more comfortable with herself, and soon the ghost-hunting begins.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife follows a single mother and her two children, Phoebe and Trevor. After being evicted from their home, the family is forced to move to a decayed farmhouse in Summerville, Oklahoma, left to them by the children's late grandfather. Phoebe begins attending a new school and bonds with the summer school teacher, Mr.Gooberson (Paul Rudd) over their mutual interest in science. Coincidentally, many scientifically un-explainable things happen, and they both feel the need to research more. After Phoebe discovers secret hidden rooms around their new farmhouse, she realizes her grandfather was not just a regular man--he was a Ghostbuster back in the day. Due to daily unexplained earthquakes, Phoebe decides to investigate, which leads her to discover who her grandfather was and finds that they have more in common than she thought. I was impressed by all of the acting talent, especially Mckenna Grace, as the bright and brilliant, Phoebe. Aside from Mckenna and Paul Rudd, familiar faces starring in Ghostbusters: Afterlife include Ernie Hudson, Josh Gad and Bokeem Woodbine. Overall, the cast fits the role--if I had to pick my favorite character, I would choose Logan Kim as Podcast. Podcast is absolutely hilarious; such a geek, and he calls himself Podcast because he has a podcast!
My favorite parts about Ghostbusters: Afterlife are the real-world concepts such when the main characters are introduced, during a scene where the family is getting evicted from their simple home. Not only does their eviction make the audience sympathetic to them, but this is a very realistic scene that leads us into not-so-realistic ghost scenes. It also allows us viewers to really identify the big differences between Trevor and Phoebe as siblings. Phoebe is the classic nerd who has never been comfortable, and Trevor is very worried about not fitting in, especially in a new, unwelcoming town where everyone knows their grandfather as the creepy, quiet and mysterious old man who believed in ghosts.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife promotes positive social behaviors and shows how important it is to follow your dreams. The message is to do whatever you aspire to do that makes you happy, no matter the thoughts or negative opinions of others. Treat others the way you want to be treated, and be a leader by helping others to live for themselves.
I give Ghostbusters: Afterlife 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, plus adults. It debuts in theaters on November 19, 2021. Be sure to check it out!
By Nathalia J., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is an action, attention-grabbing film that never failed to grab my attention.
The story starts off innocently enough, with a mother bringing her two children, Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), to their inherited grandfather's house. However, the plot thickens when Phoebe soon discovers that her crazy scientist grandfather isn't that crazy after all. She eventually learns that he is connected to the original Ghostbusters, and she needs to use his research to help survive the future.
Something that really stands out to me is that the main character of this movie is a twelve-year-old girl. In most blockbuster films, there are adults leading the film, especially in a movie series that is so well known. However, this is definitely not the case. Mckenna Grace carries this film the whole way through, while still having the maturity of a blockbuster film star. Something else that I really enjoyed are the special effects and cinematography. There are tons of shots of electrifying ghosts, along with fire bombs, and scary wolves! Everything feels so real, and makes it feel as if the viewer is there in the moment. Finally, the cast is phenomenal! They brought the original Ghostbusters back, including Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. This is so iconic, especially for diehard Ghostbuster fans. Plus, Paul Rudd has one of the leading roles parts and plays it to a tee. He never fails to make me laugh, and you will never be disappointed with his performance.
The message of this film is to never doubt someone without knowing their whole story. This film does have some profanity as well as some violent scenes including bursting of fire and strikes of electricity.
I give Ghostbusters: Afterlife 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, plus adults. It opens in theaters November 19, 2021.
By Mikella G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15
Who you gonna call? Your local theater to witness the next installment of the franchise everybody loves, Ghostbusters: Afterlife! Like all the previous films Ghostbusters: Afterlife never fails at getting a laugh in, even in the craziest ways. Behind all the laughs is unfortunately a very complex plot that leaves viewers confused. Audience members that do understand the plot are likely fans of the original films because the core story is copy and pasted from Ghostbusters 1984.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife takes place, present day, in a small town of Oklahoma, following the life of previous Ghostbuster Elon Spengler. After the mysterious death of Elon, everything he owns is willed to his remaining family. The story of Ghostbusters: Afterlife then shifts to center around Elon's remaining family, and the mysteries they uncover from his mysterious past. When the terrifying god Gozer makes a reappearance from the original film, Elon's family must work together with friends new and old to defeat Gozer once and for all.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a huge step up from the previous films. The original movies stayed in the central location of New York City, yet Ghostbusters: Afterlife expands its locations to new parts of the world. This is a large breath of fresh air for long-time fans. Moving past the boundaries of NYC also requires a step up in CGI to keep the realistic vibe of the film. Ghostbusters: Afterlife doesn't miss and provides practical ghosts for the highest of quality viewing experiences. Given the history of Ghostbusters, one would normally assume there would be quite a lot of spooky ghosts, but this film does not include as many ghosts as I expected. Due to this change, the film widens its age range for a lot of younger audience members. Most ghosts in the film are there for comedic relief, but there are indeed a couple of ghosts that are intense and frightening.
The main themes of the film are about family, friendship and perseverance. Ghostbusters: Afterlife teaches the lesson that relationships can always be repaired... no matter the damage. Cursing and crude humor are also very present throughout the film.
I give Ghostbusters: Afterlife 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 9 to 18, plus adults. It opens in theaters November 19, 2021.
By Jude A., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15
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