Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire review

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE: 

AVERAGE FOURTH (FIFTH OVERALL) ENTRY COULD USE MORE LIFE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, and Mckenna Grace in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

 

            The Ghostbusters are back (again) to thaw some frozen ghosts in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the fifth installment of the Ghostbusters film series and fourth main entry chapter following 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. I already gave a basic idea of my thoughts on the previous Ghostbusters films back in my Afterlife review so I won’t waste time repeating myself though I will give a short recap of my thoughts on the last movie. 

            Ghostbusters: Afterlife I enjoyed quite a bit when I saw it, I didn’t think it was perfect and it still paled in comparison to the original 1984 classic. But the new cast knocked it out of the park with Mckenna Grace being a huge standout, I loved seeing the old cast interact with the new ones, all the new characters were extremely likable even when they weren’t busting ghosts, and at times it got emotional particularly when it paid tribute to the late Harold Ramis (Honestly, I actually get a little teary-eyed towards the end whenever I watch it). 

            Nothing will ever top that iconic 1984 film, but Ghostbusters: Afterlife was indeed a worthy continuation of the story and easily the best movie since the original. This is also coming from someone who did not rip apart the 2016 female Ghostbusters reboot, but I digress. 

            Which brings us to Frozen Empire and no, this is not a crossover with a beloved animated Disney film. The cast from the last movie reprises their roles with Afterlife director Jason Reitman (Juno, Young Adult, Tully) returning as a co-writer and producer while directing duties this time goes to Gil Kenan (Monster House) who co-wrote and executive produced Afterlife. 

            Well, given how successful and well-regarded Ghostbusters: Afterlife was then surely the same will go for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, right? Not really. 

            Where Ghostbusters: Afterlife felt like the Jurassic World or The Force Awakens of Ghostbusters movies, this was more like the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny of Ghostbusters films where there are some fun moments and the cast once again brings their A-game but it’s a very standard sequel that’s going through the motions and lacks a lot of the creativity from earlier entries (Even Ghostbusters (2016) was more creative than this). 

            The film is set after the events of Afterlife and follows the Spengler family consisting of Phoebe (Mckenna Grace-Crash & Bernstein, The Haunting of Hill House, Annabelle Comes Home), her brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard-Stranger Things, It: Chapters One and Two, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), their mom Callie (Carrie Coon-The Leftovers, The Post, Avengers: Infinity War), and her boyfriend/Phoebe’s science teacher Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd-Anchorman 1 and 2, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Marvel Cinematic Universe) leaving Summerville, Oklahoma and going back to where the Ghostbusters started, New York City. But when an ancient artifact is discovered that unleashes an evil force, this new Ghostbusters family must reunite with Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray-Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania), Raymond “Ray” Stantz (Dan Aykroyd-The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, Grosse Pointe Blank), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson-Airheads, The Crow, Miss Congeniality 1 and 2), and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts-Pretty in Pink, Who’s Harry Crumb?, Toy Story franchise) to protect the world from a second Ice Age. 

            The film also stars Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley, The Big Sick, Eternals) as Nadeem Razmaadi, Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens, Ratatouille, Freaks of Nature) as Dr. Hubert Wartzski, Madame Web survivor Celeste O’Connor (Freaky, The In Between, A Good Person) reprising her role as Lucky Domingo, William Atherton (Die Hard 1 and 2, The Pelican Brief, The Crow: Salvation) reprising his role as Dickless I mean, Walter Peck, James Acaster (Hypothetical, Cinderella (2021), This World Can’t Tear Me Down) as Lars Pinfield, and Emily Alyn Lind (The Secret Life of Bees, J. Edgar, Doctor Sleep) as Melody. 

            Overall, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire isn’t a terrible movie and I’m sure fans of the original films will enjoy all the references and familiar ghosts featured in it. But compared to Ghostbusters: Afterlife which started to take the series to new places, this feels like a step backwards (The Ghostbusters II effect, I guess). 

            Aside from a demonic entity that wants to freeze the world and Melnitz donning a uniform and Proton Pack like in The Real Ghostbusters animated series, this movie just does everything we’ve already seen in the earlier films to the point where it’s somehow even more formulaic than Ghostbusters II. It feels like Frozen Empire is trying to be a fan-service-filled comfort movie rather than an engaging film that elevates the series and to that I can’t really say I’m upset by it. 

            It’s a fine movie to turn your brain off for and enjoy while munching on your popcorn as there are some entertaining aspects of it. The opening ghost chase was a lot of fun and showcased some of the creative ghost-catching gadgets the Ghostbusters have now, the scenes with Slimer get some decent laughs (Though Ghostbusters (2016) still utilized him the best and I will die on that statement!), and occasionally there’s a funny line one in particular from Annie Potts about the 80s had me laughing hard in the theater. 

            There’s even a few horror elements that I found very effective including a callback to the library ghost from the original movie and some creepy scenes with the ice demon ghost. Even though it is very comedic, it still remembers to be scary and suspenseful at times. 

            Despite the subpar material, the cast is still very likable and keeps the film from falling through the thin ice with Mckenna Grace once again being its emotional anchor. Like Afterlife, Grace has some of the best scenes in the movie where she’s often the odd one out due to her young age and forms this friendship with a ghost girl she plays chess with, she plays the part so well that I’m invested in everything she’s going through. 

            Paul Rudd has since graduated from science teacher-turned-friend/boyfriend to sort of a father figure with him trying to be sterner with Callie’s children while still being supportive of them as Ghostbusters. Rudd does a great job here while still retaining his goofy charm from the last film. 

            As already mentioned, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire isn’t terrible as there are plenty of things to enjoy about it. But it doesn’t really leave a lasting impression once it’s over and just makes you wish you were watching the 1984 film or Afterlife instead. 

            Who you gonna call? Someone else!