The Ghostbusters have returned.
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is a direct continuation of the original “Ghostbusters” (1984) and “Ghostbusters II” (1989). Almost everything else that has been related to the franchise, from the animated series, “The Real Ghostbusters,” to 2016’s female-led “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call,” has been abandoned. (There is, oddly enough, a passing reference to a “bug-eye ghost” toy, inspired by the animated series). Instead of four dudes with proton packs trying to make it in the big city (and the accompanying “slobs versus snobs” dynamic that was so popular in 1980s studio comedies), “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” aims for something sweeter and more emotionally dynamic.