About ten months before the release of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife", and without any knowledge whatsoever that a belated sequel was in production, I re-watched the 1984 original for the first time in 25 years, and together with own kids (aged six and ten). Needless to say, my offspring wasn't the least bit impressed with special effects from the early eighties, and to be totally honest, I found that my childhood favorite had badly dated as well.
My biggest regret was that I couldn't pass on that magical feeling of "discovering" the world of horror, monsters, F/X, and ectoplasm! But when we saw publicity for the brand new "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" on television, it were my children who spontaneously asked if we could go and see it on the big screen. So, yes, with a slight delay they experienced how I felt when I saw "Ghostbusters" for the first time. And I felt 9 years old again, myself.
Undoubtedly the best thing that could have happened to the franchise, especially after the flopped 2016-remake, was a return to the roots. The story links straight back to the original, the beloved protagonists show up (albeit briefly) and the co-writer/director is none other than the son of Ivan Reitman; - Jason. "Afterlife" is chock-full of gimmicks references towards the original, varying from subtle to plain obvious. The young cast members are refreshing, and fit wonderfully well in the "Ghostbusters" universe, but it feels even better to reconnect with the old-fashioned familiar trumps, like the legendary Ghostbusters-vehicle and - of course - the Ray Parker Jr. Theme song. The homage to Harold Ramis, one of the creators of the original concept and the only cast member who passed away, is beautiful.
