Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire feels like the first real Ghostbusters sequel since 1989's Ghostbusters II, even though it isn’t. In between, we had 2016's Answer the Call, a controversial, largely unrelated entry. There was also 2021's Afterlife, a valiant, well-intentioned effort that had to simultaneously lay the groundwork for a new generation of Ghostbusters while also appealing to classic fans. Now though, with all those pieces in place, Frozen Empire hits the ground running, delivering on the promises of all its predecessors: A new team of Ghostbusters, helping the old ones, in their old stomping grounds of New York, saving the world from something big and spooky. It often favors tone and attitude over a propulsive story, which can drag things a bit, but that tone and attitude nail the indescribable feeling of a Ghostbusters movie, even with a laundry list of problems.
Frozen Empire achieves that feeling by finding a delicate, yet delightful balance between the past, present, and even the future. Nostalgia for the original films is sprinkled throughout while a formidable new villain rises from centuries before. A family must bond while dealing with the modern problems of life as a Ghostbuster. And concepts about what Ghostbusters are, and can become, are explored in the film as well. Some of those ideas work better than others, and there are some glaring issues, especially near the end—but the whole movie is constructed as a love letter to the world of Ghostbusting, even at the expense of pacing, logic, and character. Basically if you, like me, are a fan of Ghostbusters and everything that entails, those problems take a backseat because the movie is such a fun hang.
The Spenglers in trouble. Image: Sony
After
the
events
of
Afterlife,
Winston
Zeddemore
(Ernie
Hudson)
gifts
the
original
Ghostbusters
firehouse
in
New
York
to
the
Spengler
family
of
Callie
(Carrie
Coon),
Trevor
(Finn
Wolfhard),
and
Phoebe
(Mckenna
Grace).
The
family
now
lives
there
and,
with
the
help
of
Callie’s
boyfriend
Gary
(Paul
Rudd),
they
bring
back
the
Ghostbusters.
This
happens
almost
instantly,
throwing
us
right
back
into
that
family-forward
fun
that
worked
so
well
in
Afterlife.
Honestly,
if
the
movie
was
just
two
hours
of
the
Spenglers
driving
around
and
busting
ghosts,
it
would
be
pretty
great,
and
so
anytime
that
happens,
it’s
huge
plus.
Frozen Empire also spends a fair amount of time with the original Ghostbusters: Winston, Ray Stanz (Dan Aykroyd), and to a lesser extent, Peter Venkman (Bill Murray). We see how they’ve continued to work together and kept their idea of Ghostbusters alive, in large part thanks to Winston’s considerable resources. However, those guys know better than most that busting ghosts is not an exact science. And when the Spenglers get in trouble with the city, Phoebe is forced to stop working with the team.
With free time on her hands, Phoebe befriends a teen ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind). Seeing a human and a ghost simply be friends is kind of a big swing and not everything about it lands. There’s an unspoken romance, for example, that feels almost purposefully implicit rather than explicit. Nevertheless, through their relationship, Frozen Empire does something no other Ghostbusters movie has ever done: actually talk about the fact these people live in a world where we know ghosts exist! Via Phoebe and Melody, Frozen Empire discusses larger concepts like the afterlife, what it’s like to be a ghost, and more. It’s not essential to the plot or anything, but these welcome additions give the film some much-needed weight and a real sense of evolution for the series.
Slime from the ceiling is a bad sign. Image: Sony
Make
no
mistake
though,
Ghostbusters:
Frozen
Empire
isn’t
some
serious
rumination
on
death.
It’s
very
much
about
busting
ghosts,
which
it
tackles
from
several
different
directions.
There’s
action,
there’s
mystery,
and
there’s
investigation.
Plus,
some
of
the
best
moments
derive
from
the
ways
writers
Gil
Kenan
(who
also
directs)
and
Jason
Reitman
(who
also
produces)
have
figured
out
to
advance
the
core
ideas
of
the
franchise.
The
film
posits
that
1984's
Ghostbusting
tech
would
be
outdated
by
now,
right?
What
new
ways,
if
at
all,
can
someone
capture
or
hold
a
ghost?
Does
there
only
have
to
be
one
set
of
Ghostbusters?
A lot of care was taken to weave those sorts of winks and nods throughout the story, the bulk of which centers on Phoebe. Her prominence is a clear indication Kenan and Reitman knew the character was the best part of the last movie, and Grace doesn’t disappoint. Now though, as a full-on teenager, Phoebe is struggling with her mom, herself, and her place in the world. She’s not as fun or funny as she was in Afterlife, but she’s more layered, interesting, and, in the end, heroic.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for everyone else in the movie, and there are a lot of other people in this movie. With the focus mostly on Phoebe, almost everyone else takes a decided back seat with a very narrow point of view. Gary struggles with his undefined role among the Spenglers. Callie is at odds with Phoebe while also scrambling to keep everyone together. Trevor feels like he’s not being respected since he’s now an adult. Frozen Empire even squeezes Afterlife castmembers Logan Kim (as Podcast) and Celeste O’Connor (as Lucky) back in, as each Oklahoma resident has somehow figured out a way to be conveniently close to the Spenglers in New York. It can be disappointing to see this huge cast largely underused, especially as they all stand around awkwardly in the final act, but each at least has some role to play when a ghost needs busting or a piece of the plot needs explaining.
James Acaster plays an important new role as Winston’s employee, Lars. Image: Sony
One
exception
to
this
is
Dan
Aykroyd’s
Ray.
Ray
has
always
been
kind
of
the
second
best
of
the
Ghostbusters,
but
with
Bill
Murray
not
in
the
movie
as
much,
Frozen
Empire
really
gets
a
chance
to
shine
a
light
on
him
in
a
way
the
other
movies
haven’t.
We
learn
about
Ray’s
insecurities,
his
dreams,
and
his
ambitions.
And,
as
you’d
imagine,
Aykroyd
is
more
than
up
to
the
task.
Every
time
he’s
on
screen
you
can
practically
see
the
joy
and
pride
exuding
out
of
him.
He’s
been
waiting
for
this
his
whole
life,
and
that
goes
for
both
the
actor
and
his
character.
With Ray and Phoebe—two of the funniest people in the series—as focal points, you’d imagine Frozen Empire is quite funny. However, that’s not the case. The movie is entertaining and humorous, but unfortunately lacks the big laughs you might expect from a cast and crew of this caliber. Paul Rudd does his best, and the additions of James Acaster, Kumail Nanjiani, and Patton Oswalt were smart, but of the three, only Nanjiani is given anything of real substance to do. Thankfully, he knocks it out of the park but he can’t carry the whole movie as a supporting character.
About that whole Frozen Empire thing. Image: Sony
Another
huge
problem
with
Frozen
Empire
is
that
the
third
act
feels
incredibly
rushed
and
confusing.
The
big
bad
is
a
ghost
named
Garraka
and
a
lot
of
time
is
spent
learning
about
his
mythology,
with
only
some
of
it
making
sense.
Even
so,
all
of
it
and
more
gets
thrown
in
a
blender,
resulting
in
an
awkward,
rushed
finale
where
almost
a
dozen
Ghostbusters
just
kind
of
stand
around
helpless.
It’s
a
massive
letdown
after
a
movie
that’s
been
more
methodical
than
not
setting
up
the
stakes
for
what
the
Ghostbusters
have
to
do.
Thankfully,
unlike
Afterlife—which
just
ended
without
any
good
solid
conclusion—Frozen
Empire
sticks
its
final
landing,
wrapping
everything
up
in
a
way
that’s
satisfying
but
also
forward-looking.
Just
in
case
the
Ghostbusters
come
back
again.
So no, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire isn’t a total triumph. It’s got big problems throughout and won’t sit in your memory alongside the original film or its sequel. But, if this movie had come out closer to those films, it would’ve felt like a perfect, logical continuation. A slight downgrade as the franchise continued to expand. Here though, Frozen Empire achieves much of its success from all the groundwork laid in Afterlife. If nothing else, the best thing Frozen Empire does is somehow complete the arc of that movie in a way that improves them both. Plus, it just feels like a proper Ghostbusters movie. And busting makes us feel good, even when it’s messy.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is in theaters Friday.
How Important Was it for Jason Reitman to be a Part of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire?
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