Ivan Reitman directed Ghostbusters in 1984, a film that became a success and a classic of the 80s cinema, the film had a sequel 5 years later but fans of those films have had to wait no less than 32 years to be able to see a third installment that at this point and none of the children who grew up with those films had lost hope that one day it would arrive.
A third film by Ghostbusters It was always on the air but it never came, and when it was finally announced it was definitely being worked on, the death of Harold Ramis in 2014, co-writer of the first two films with Dan Aykroyd, and starring with Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Hernie Hudson from the 80s movies, caused that movie’s screenwriters Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (The Office) had to rewrite it, in that story, the original Ghostbusters were going to pass the baton on to a younger generation that continued with the franchise, however Ramis’s death affected his teammates so much that they did not feel up to doing it without him so that finally the sequel project was canceled and a reboot with a female cast as protagonists was chosen, which starred Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Cecily Strong and Chris Hemswort among others under the baton of Paul Feig, with script by Paul Feig and Katie Dippold.
The film was a complete failure, with a very poor script, an unfortunate cast despite having stars from Saturday Night Live did not measure up, and the cameos of the original protagonists, an insult to the fans, who scored it in Rotten Tomatoes with 49%. So plans to continue with more sequels were canceled. But this bump brought something good for fans and was the revival of a sequel to the classic movies with the arrival in December 2021 of Ghostbusters: Beyond.
The film has been co-written by Jason Reitman, son of director Ivan Retiman, who has served as producer on it.
At the center of the story we find a small family: Callie (Carrie Coon), a single mother, her 15-year-old son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and her 12-year-old daughter Phoebe (Mckenna Grace). Following the eviction of their Chicago apartment, the family moves to a ramshackle property in Oklahoma, actually a farm, that had been owned by their father, a man of whom they have no memories. It turns out that the father is none other than Egon Spengler, who had mysteriously moved to rural Oklahoma from Manhattan. There Trevor and Phoebe will discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left them.
Review:
Ghostbusters: Beyond It could be said that it is a sequel to the first 1984 film, in which a new generation must face the ghosts of the original team’s past. The film throws all the winks for the most nostalgic ones who grew up with these films, showing a lot of easter eggs and references to the original film, as well as the tone of the humor and the soundtrack that follows the same line, although it sounds some fanfare that may well be reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies.
The story undoubtedly revolves all the time around the memory and figure of Harold Ramis and his character Eagon Spengler, which can well be taken as a loving and heartfelt farewell to the charismatic actor, director and screenwriter who was part of the team. original. However, for new generations who meet the Ghostbusters and their legacy for the first time, it may be difficult to get hooked on it, since it is almost vital to have seen at least the first installment to be familiar with some situations and elements that are shown in Beyond. Something very similar to what happened with the Netflix animated series of He-man and the masters of the Universe by Kevin Smith, which continues with the story of the animated series of the 90s and of course, those who have not grown up with it, do not have a broader context of the story so it does not end up hooking them, something for which it has also been criticized, and that feeling may be felt by those who have not seen the ’84 movies with Ghostbusters: Beyond, which is a purely fan service product for those in their forties like one who writes these lines.
But despite all the fan service of the film, as entertainment it works very well, the young leading actors are perfect, and fans can appreciate that each of them assumes the role of each of the members of the original Ghostbusters team with Phoebe a gifted who takes the mantle of her grandfather, Podcast (Logan Kim) that would be the equivalent of Raymond Stanz, Trevor that of Peter Venkman and Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) that of Winston Zeddmore.
It is also important that you know that the film has two post-credits scenes, one in the middle of credits that fans will understand right away, one at the end of all credits that leaves the door open for a sequel. In short, if you grew up with the movies of the 80s, you will spend it like a child, and if you are going to take your little ones to the movies, you have ten days to put the first movie on DVD, Blu-ray or through streaming services such as Netflix.
Ghostbusters: Beyond
Synopsis: A single mother and her two children arrive in a small town, discovering their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.
Director (s): Jason reitman
Cast: Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, Sigourney Weaver, Paul Rudd, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Annie Potts, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Bokeem Woodbine, Oliver Cooper, Marlon Kazadi, Sydney Mae Diaz, CJ Collard , Bud Klasky, Faith Louissaint