Ghostbusters: Afterlife Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

Ups...

5. The Strong Cast Carries The Film

The easy highlight of the film is the strong ensemble cast, with Mckenna Grace proving the easy MVP as Egon's endearingly awkward, nerdy granddaughter Phoebe Spengler.

Phoebe is the closest thing Afterlife has to a fully fleshed-out character, and Grace does a solid job making her both amusingly aloof and slyly vulnerable.

The great Carrie Coon also turns in fine work as Phoebe's mother Callie, conveying her great resentment at her father Egon's abandonment of the family, and clearly having a blast with the more wacky shenanigans that occur later in the film.

Perhaps the big surprise, though, is young newcomer Logan Kim, who as Phoebe's new friend that literally calls himself Podcast, is an amusing parody of industrious, self-important podcasters.

Paul Rudd meanwhile brings some goofy amusement as Phoebe's teacher Gary Grooberson, even if he doesn't really get all that much to do.

It adds up to a cast that's clearly bringing everything they can to the table, though ultimately constrained by the limitations of the script.