Ghostbusters: Afterlife Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs
For better or worse, it's exactly what you think it is.
After being pushed some 16 months from its original release date, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is now out in cinemas worldwide, so fans can finally see for themselves whether it's a soulless, nostalgia-soaked cash-in or a worthy sequel to the original two movies.
Ultimately the answer is a little from column A and a little from column B - whatever impression the trailers gave you is likely to be your verdict on the movie overall, which at once excessively "homages" the 1984 film and suggests where the future of the franchise might lie.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is yet another belated sequel to a hugely popular IP that's proven relatively divisive with critics so far, reflecting the tension inherent in the film's desire to look both backwards and forwards all at the same time.
While hardly a bad movie, Afterlife certainly brings a staggering lack of fresh ideas to the table, largely serving a warmed-over retread that intermittently works thanks to the efforts of the cast above all else.
It's easy to see the film going down a comforting treat with many Ghostbusters fans, but if you were hoping for something even remotely adventurous, you should absolutely lower your expectations...