A therapy-session breakthrough posing as a franchise reboot, Afterlife<\/em> has director Jason Reitman using his dad Ivan\u2019s most successful film series to work out some daddy issues. (He\u2019s gone on the record<\/a> saying he still has some feelings about his old man\u2019s lack of parenting back in the day.) The movie\u2019s so hellbent on stewing in its sins-of-the-father vibe, one character even spews out gawdawful dad jokes. Basically, if you\u2019re a father taking the kids to see this, good luck enjoying it. Guys like you don\u2019t come out of this looking so hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dad-joke spewer is Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), an intelligent, possibly autistic \u2013 the movie doesn\u2019t delve into that much \u2013 12-year-old who moves to a small Oklahoma town with her mother (Carrie Coon) and big brother (Finn Wolfhard, who\u2019s already been down this supernatural road with Stranger Things<\/em>). Recently evicted from their home, they take up residence in the rickety farmhouse last occupied by her late grandfather, who we learn is former Ghostbuster Egon Spengler (once played by the late, great Harold Ramis \u2014 aka the J Dilla of comedy).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turns out Egon spent his later years on a dirt farm, abandoning his daughter \u2014 Coon\u2019s stressed-out mom seethes in resentment whenever she brings up dude \u2014 in order to keep certain otherworldly beings from taking over the world. Phoebe discovers this (with help from Egon, whose spirit still haunts the house) and takes it upon herself to complete the job, rounding up a crew that includes her summer-school teacher (Paul Rudd, working that nice-guy charisma that got him People<\/em>\u2019s Sexiest Man Alive) and a kid named Podcast (Logan Kim) who spends most of his time, of course, recording a podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Truth be told, the kid-friendly Afterlife<\/em> has more in common with E.T.<\/em> and The Goonies<\/em> than the shits-and-giggles, comedy\/horror mashup Jason\u2019s dad and his Second City pals came up with so long ago. Reitman and co-screenwriter Gil Kenan (practically a paranormal vet after directing Monster House<\/em> and that Poltergeist<\/em> remake) came up with a film that\u2019s more like a throwback to the Amblin Entertainment films of the \u201880s. And that\u2019s the most hilarious (or, should I say, the only<\/em> hilarious) thing about Afterlife<\/em>. It appears Reitman, Jr. goes about aesthetically emulating Steven Spielberg rather than his old man. I mean, if you are gonna make a movie that rails against dads, who better to bite from than the guy whose filmography is littered with flicks about fatherly fuck-ups? <\/p>\n\n\n\n But Afterlife<\/em> isn\u2019t all about calling out Pops. Lil\u2019 Reitman still has a rabid fandom to pander to, and he piles on the Easter eggs to keep all the diehards satisfied, right down to the appearances of tiny Stay-Puft marshmallow men in a scene that clearly looks like a reshoot so the movie could get a tie-in with Walmart. (Let\u2019s not forget that Paul Feig and four funny ladies tried to do a similar Easter egg hunt when they did a Ghostbusters<\/em> reboot a few years back \u2014 and testosterone-heavy fans were ready to kill them.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reitman spends so much time pleasing the fans, you\u2019ve probably figured out by now that the characters are hardly developed and the story is as thin as a Baked Lay\u2019s chip \u2014 and just as dry and flavorless. He even rehashes the final act from the first movie. (Yes, people turn into gigantic, possessed dogs.) But this time, he turns it into a heavily sentimental, Spielbergian climax, complete with certain castmates from the original popping up to join in the world-saving. (Since they\u2019ve been on talk shows<\/a> promoting this, I\u2019m not spoiling anything.) The truth of the matter is, you may find yourself anticipating their arrival, since they briefly bring some smart-ass irreverence to these mawkish, recycled proceedings and, for one brief, shining moment, make Ghostbusters: Afterlife<\/em> just as funny as the original. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is in theaters tomorrow.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/ghostbusters2-1024x576.jpg\")
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