Ghostbusters: Afterlife Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

4. The Surprising Lack Of Charm & Humour

While it isn't remotely surprising how nostalgia-reliant Afterlife is, it is unexpected just how strangely off-key its charm factor and sense of humour are.

If Paul Feig's 2016 film arguably tried too hard to be funny with its SNL-style improv-heavy gags, Afterlife basically goes the other way and massively scales back the jokes, such that the edgy wit of the original movie is sorely missed.

There are funny moments, but the humour is mostly comprised of insubstantial MCU-style quips rather than the character-informed gags of the 1984 movie.

Despite the cast's firm efforts, none of the characters here are nearly as endearing as the original line-up. They're a tough act to follow of course, but so many of the film's scenes just come off as flat, mechanical, and bizarrely lacking in personality.

If you took the Ghostbusters title away, massive chunks of the film would just feel like a generic supernatural adventure romp.