Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Clever lil’ goobers Phoebe and Podcast are incredibly endearing, and so is Paul Rudd’s lil’ Grooberson, and Wolfhard’s got his goofy teen thing going, and there’s gooey and hilariously homicidal marshmallows too, and ghosts and gunner seats, and it’s all just gobs of fun, though the character and setting-setting up first half works better than the second, where it feels like the all the good character work gets possessed and discarded by nostalgia and cameos and a big end-of-the-world plot.

6

Ghostbusters II (1989)

The fall from grace and quick rise back to it feels as contrived as it did in the first movie, but the pink slime plot following this is quite enjoyable in its investigation/teamwork angle (the ‘busters are always better together) and “positive emotion” climax. Venkman still slips in some misogyny here and there but it’s mostly overshadowed by the film’s good smattering of quirky comedy elsewhere (Louis’ opening statement was a riot: “Because one time, I turned into a dog and they helped me”).

5

Ghostbusters (1984)

I mean, it’s alright. The original trio have a good amount of chemistry together (Ramis the nerd, Murray the deadpan cool guy, Aykroyd the straight man) but on his own Murray’s schtick gets misogynist and tiresome real quick. Plot-wise, their rise to success feels too sudden and honestly, it’s way more enjoyable early on when they’re down-on-their-luck underdogs. The wild apocalyptic elements contrast nicely with the crew’s dry, down-to-earth vibes but highlight some terrible visual effects.

5

Miss Congeniality (2000)

A fairly run-of-the-mill comedy, but enjoyable nonetheless. The plot is predictable, as is Bullock’s character development, but that doesn’t prevent the latter at least from providing many humourous moments, and a few truly touching ones near the end. Bullock is hilarious, and Caine and Shatner are great to watch as well in this fun film.

6.5/10 (Alright)