If you’re a 90s baby like me, then Ghostbusters was something that you probably saw in all aspects of your childhood. Whether it was the films, the cartoon tv show or even just the weird and wonderful toys, the franchise had a massive impact.
Growing up I was obsessed with it and I remember as a kid being terrified of Vigo in Ghostbusters 2. Just something about a painting of a man looking menacing was absolutely horrifying and it’s something that made me wet the..sorry…stay up late at night unable to sleep.
Unfortunately, after the first two movies were released the franchise just seemed to fizzle out and though I didn’t really know why this was as a kid, there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes. Ghostbusters 3 was pretty much stuck in development hell for several years and though we got a video game that was supposed to work as a continuation of the story, things just didn’t feel the same.
In 2014 Harold Ramis sadly passed away and when we got the Ghostbusters reboot in 2016, it felt like that was it in terms of a true sequel ever being created.
That movie was pretty much completely disconnected from the previous two films and though it had some of the actors from the originals appear in cameo roles, they were completely different characters.
It felt like that was it and that Ghostbusters would remain as a product of its time. The original 1984 film is still a classic but after seeing the dismal 2016 reboot I thought that it was the final nail in the coffin.
Announcing Afterlife
However, there was still some hope after death…or afterlife of the franchise…look I dunno, the puns ain’t what they used to be.
This came when Sony announced that they were creating a sequel to the original two movies and that a movie would follow Egon’s daughter and her children. Stranger Things clearly took a lot of inspiration from Ghostbusters and when Finn Wolfhard was announced, it seemed like perfect casting. Add to that Mckenna Grace, who’s one of the best child actors working right now, Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon and it did seem like they were attempting to do something beyond just rehashing what we’d seen before.
Now Ghostbusters Afterlife is definitely from the school of Force Awakens when it comes to basically remaking major elements of the first film but I think the casting and characters does help to differentiate it. The film clearly leans into nostalgia and though it is a bit member berries I think that movie does enough things with its core cast where it doesn’t feel like you’re just rewatching the first film all over again.
The Original Gang
Now because of these new casting announcements, different story settings and of course the death of Ramis, it did feel like we wouldn’t really get a true reunion on screen. However, the movie actually ends with the group reuniting in order to take down Gozer and save us from the evil ghosts that the entity was about to unleash on the world.
It’s such a powerful scene and seeing the four standing together on screen again brings every emotion flooding back from your childhood.
Now it’s something that I never thought we’d get even when watching the movie.
Opening Scene
In the opening of the film we see Egon fleeing from Shandor Mining Co and though it’s a cool little tribute on my first watch I felt like they clearly had to hold back. Egon is heavily basked in shadow, obscured from view and though it was a nice way to start the movie, I thought that it was the closest we’d get to see him appear in the film.
Throughout his ghost somewhat acts as a guide to his granddaughter Pheobe but it’s clear that they’re just implying he’s there rather than actually showing him. This is understandable as well. Over the last decade or so we’ve had several characters return from the dead through the use of CGI. Whether it’s Peter Cushing in Rogue One, Carrie Fisher in Rise Of Skywalker or even Paul Walker in Fast And The Furious, though these have helped with the story, something about them always felt a bit off.
More times than not, bringing a character back to life is distracting and in the words of Malcolm from Jurassic park.
Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.
Thus when I watched Afterlife for the first time I could understand why the opening was the way that it was. It at least set things up for the future and the PKE meter that was dropped on the floor would be somewhat of a passing of the torch from the old to the new.
Reunited
Now the film culminates much in the same way that the events in the opening happened. Gozer travels to Egon’s farmhouse and the heroes attempt to trap it.
Things don’t go easy and the vengeful spirit easily overpowers the family. However, at the last second Ray, Peter and Winston arrive. Seeing the three united on screen was one of the biggest moments that I think I’ve had in a theatre over the last couple of years and that’s not just because the pandemic basically killed the cinema. Had Tobey and Andrew not shown up a couple of months later then I think that this would’ve been the biggest moment for characters returning this year and it’s difficult not to well up when seeing them come back.
Well not me mate, I’m not crying you’re crying.
Just hearing that bass note drop in as the proton packs power up is enough to shake your TV and it’s easily one of the best sound effects we’ve ever seen in cinema. You really felt like the good guys had returned and that they were gonna finally put an end to Gozer.
However, Gozer easily beats the trio and then all that was left was Pheobe to fight it off.
Ghost of Egon
Standing their blasting the proton pack at Gozer it started to slowly walk towards the young girl completely overpowering her. But you should never give up hope and when all felt lost a ghostly hand came in and help Pheobe to steady her aim.
The music and sound effects cut out and there standing alongside his daughter were Egon, back in his old Ghostbuster overalls.
This gave the other original members time to fire their weapons too and the scene culminates with all four finally standing side by side in the reunion that we never thought was gonna happen.
I dunno how they managed to perfect the CG to this point that Ramis looks flawless but it’s difficult to even tell that this is an effect. Over the years Ramis sadly had health issues and he contracted a disease that left him unable to walk.
A Fitting Tribute
However, what the scene does is that it imagines Raimis as how the character Egon would’ve aged but it also brings back the actor in somewhat his prime. When we imagine the afterlife and being reunited with those we love we often think about them at their best and not how we knew them before we said goodbye.
Having Raimis back from the Afterlife not only tied into the title but it also gave the actors a chance to say goodbye.
In real life, Ramis and Murray fell out during Groundhog day which the former directed. The pair didn’t speak for more than 20 years but just before his death, Murray ended up reaching out to him and the pair buried the hatchet. Ramis was unable to talk through most of their conversation and over several hours the pair went back and forth recounting their happy memories.
Murray ended up paying tribute to the actor at the 86th Academy Awards and it is nice knowing that the two reconciled before Ramis passed away.
Saying Goodbye
When someone passes away, we often regret the things we said and the way that we acted with them and I feel that this is somewhat reflected in the final things that the actors say to his ghost. Winston says he should’ve called and that he misses him which I think is a sentiment we can all relate to when thinking of those that have passed on.
Wisely the creative team chose not to have Egon speak either and this somewhat stops the scene from feeling like any elements could take away from the sincerity of what’s on-screen.
In the end, the characters say goodbye to Raimi’s which is something that we must all learn to do and he finally gets to build a bridge with the daughter that he left behind and the grandchildren he didn’t get to spend time with. Callie hugs him as he fades into the ether and we see the other characters crying which ey if this doesn’t set you off I dunno what will.
I cried about 5 times when writing this script.
He vanishes into the starry night and the scene ends with the words For Harold, making this one of the best send-offs that we could’ve got.
We close out on Ecto-1 cruising through the streets which ends the film.
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