It’s strange that Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire even exists. The franchise spearheaded by Ivan Reitman got an (unfairly) ill-received, all-female reboot in 2016 from director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) that made only $226 million on a $144 million budget. Caving to the pressure from toxic trolls who “boycotted” 2016’s Ghostbusters, Sony greenlit a legacy sequel to the original two films from Ivan’s son, writer-director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air). But Ghostbusters: Afterlife made even less than the 2016 movie, $200 million approximately!
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was not without its major flaws, namely a CGI ghost of the late Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler. Despite these hard-to-ignore setbacks, Sony’s legacy sequel still wasn’t too shabby, thanks to its lively cast of newcomers. But because of its $75 million budget, that was apparently enough to make another one. This, at last, brings us to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which is easily the worst of the series. Anything that worked in Afterlife is diluted in a tidal wave of dull nostalgia bait.
Directed by Gil Kennan (2015’s Poltergeist remake) from a screenplay by Kennan and Jason Reitman, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire wants to remind us at every turn that it is, in fact, related to the ’80s Ghostbusters films. The title font is the same. Constant callbacks abound. It’s practically made for adults with fond childhood memories to shout, “Look, there’s Slimer! There’s the Mayor from the original! Did they just reference the Library Ghost? Oh yeah, we’re back in the iconic New York City firehouse.” It’s as shameless and cynical as it gets. Bringing back the surviving original Ghostbusters — Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, and even Annie Potts — is just the cherry on top of a very transparent smoothie.
There are large stretches when Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire blazes its own trail. Those moments are actually delightful. Naturally, the Spengler family returns. Phoebe Spengler (McKenna Grace) struggles to find a place in her family’s legacy. Wise beyond her years and considered “too young to be a Ghostbuster,” Grace’s performance as Phoebe is the heart of this movie. Her scenes where she talks to ghost girl Melody (The Babysitter’s Emily Alyn Lind) suggest a more tender, earnest film in the Amblin style. As do the scenes where Phoebe’s mother, Callie (Carrie Coon), struggles to be a parent while Callie’s boyfriend, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), tries to get closer to the kids. As for Trevor reprised by Stranger Things‘ Finn Wolfhard? He’s just kind of there.
Honestly, the general plot of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire works for the most part. It involves the discovery of an ancient artifact that unleashes an evil force with plans to bring a second ice age. In addition to having an army of ghosts, this spirit named Garraka can also freeze people with the power of fear. Garraka has an excellent visual design that Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman describes as “tall, dark, and horny.” The team’s top-secret research lab helps them invent new ways to combat this demon, resulting in thrilling findings that hint at a fantasy element. The lore of this new villain sets it apart from other Ghostbusters adversaries as well. One of the best scenes in the film involves historian Dr. Hubert Wartzki (Patton Oswalt) going over Garraka’s backstory. Oswalt brings the perfect amount of nerdy energy without going overboard.
Finally, Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals) is surprisingly great as a dirtbag “third-hand reseller” who has a strange connection to the villain. However, that’s about where the positives of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire end. The story gets constantly hijacked by the need to check back in with the original gang. There’s a way to do this where the classic Ghostbusters have aged into their old roles. But Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) are practically the exact same characters they were back then. They’re nostalgia bots, here to spit out classic lines and remind the audience of the good old days. Only, they just look tired. Or worse, like they don’t want to be there at all. More than even Spider-Man: No Way Home, the need to tie this movie so firmly to the past comes off as plain sad.
There’s a peek at what a “have your cake and eat it too” situation might have looked like. Dan Aykroyd properly plays into his character’s age, and a big part of his arc as Ray Stantz involves the fact that he’s too old to do this but doesn’t want to give up. That addresses the age in the context of the film without entirely discarding him. Perhaps, though, I’m being soft on his portion of the movie because it’s the only part we really get screentime with one of Afterlife’s best characters, Podcast (Logan Kim). Speaking of returning supporting characters from Afterlife, Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), unfortunately only gets to make a couple of uncomfortable adult jokes here. Writer-director Gil Kennan also has the gall to try and introduce a new member to the team, Lars Pinfield (James Acaster), who essentially does nothing.
At least we get some cool multi-generational, ghost-busting action, right? Nope. Outside of a few fun comedy moments with a returning Slimer and the mini Staypuft marshmallow men (the less said about the hasty inclusion of the original Library Ghost, the better), Frozen Empire is an ugly movie. Abandoning the tactile, damn-near grounded action of Afterlife, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the typical CG blockbuster slop moviegoers have come to expect from the Marvel Studios house style that pervades the industry. And to make it worse, it’s done by the same cinematographer who made Afterlife so visually rich, Eric Steelberg. By the time we hit a third act with all sorts of lasers, ghouls, and ice, none of the excitement of any of those elements materializes. It’s entertainment to make the eyes glaze over.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is symbolic of the state of the modern blockbuster. As we hit a transition point where big-budget epics like Dune: Part Two, studio comedies like The Fall Guy, and even nostalgic legacy sequels to ’80s hits like Top Gun: Maverick gain mass appeal, something like this just doesn’t cut it anymore. An unbecoming plea for the attention of a fanbase that really might not be that big (Ghostbuster fans), Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire resorts to jingling keys in front of viewers’ faces instead of honing its more vital elements. If this is what the Ghostbusters franchise, or any other franchise for that matter, has to do to stay relevant, then good riddance.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire premieres in theaters on March 22!
Directed by Gil Kenan.
Written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman.
Based on Ghostbusters by Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis.
Produced by Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, & Jason Blumenfeld.
Main Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton, James Acaster, Emily Alyn Lind.
Cinematographer: Eric Steelberg.
Composer: Dario Marianelli.
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures, Ghost Corps, & Right of Way Films.
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Runtime: 115 minutes.
Rated PG-13.
