Ghostbusters: Afterlife

With Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a new generation of moviegoers is gifted a slice of entertainment nearly on par with the 1984 original — whose own ardent fans should find plenty to be delighted by as well.

Reminiscent of Jurassic World’s reverential yet creative handling of famous IP, Afterlife owes its success to co-writer/director Jason “Son of Ghostbusters director Ivan” Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan (Monster House), both of whom clearly understand what made the original great and concoct new legacy scenarios in which to unleash its particular comedic charms.

Unlike Paul Feig’s disastrous Ghostbusters (2016), Afterlife relies on scripted jokes over lazy improv, and features the strong central narrative of struggling single mom Callie (Carrie Coon) moving her kids Phoebe (Mckenna Grace, Gifted) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard, Stranger Things) to the Summerville, Oklahoma “dirt farm” owned by her estranged, recently deceased father.

One look at Phoebe’s spectacles and dark curls, and it’s not difficult to guess which as-yet-unnamed Ghostbuster is her grandfather, but the discovery process is nevertheless a joy. While Trevor, Phoebe, and her new friend Podcast (Logan Kim) fail to grasp the significance of unearthing Ecto-1, a proton pack, and a ghost trap, local teacher — and gleeful audience surrogate — Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) shows them the way, a mission that dovetails nicely with his investigations of the mysterious tremors that plague the fault-line-free town.

Trevor’s awkward romancing of his diner co-worker Lucky (Celeste O’Connor, Freaky) proves less inspired, though their bond — and the tenuous one between Callie and Gary — play important roles as the reason for Callie’s father being in Oklahoma becomes clear and local ghost activity ramps up.

Already a terrific-looking film, Afterlife further levels up through the resulting supernatural combatting — action sequences that the genre-inexperienced Reitman directs with surprising confidence. The combination of Grace with a proton blaster and Wolfhard at the wheel of the iconic Cadillac, in pursuit of a fleeing ghoul elicits just the right amount of nostalgic warmth while delivering thoroughly modern thrills to set this latest chapter apart.

The fun and funny tone remains consistent, arguably peaking with a gonzo sequence involving tiny Stay Puft marshmallow men running amok in a Wal-Mart, and leads to events that, while familiar, have been carefully established throughout the plot. (They also make a strong argument for Coon and Rudd as present day equivalents of Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis.)

Though a touch overlong, the finale doubles down on the film’s inspired mix of old and new, giving so-called “fan service” a good name by prioritizing genuine, well-earned sweetness over thoughtless cameos and empty references. While Reitman certainly isn’t the only person capable of crafting such a result, his connection to the original films grants Afterlife a layer of destiny fulfilled, and audiences are fortunate that he decided to carry on this family tradition.

Grade: B-plus. Rated PG-13. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande

(Photo: Sony Pictures)