Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

I've often found the discourse surrounding Ghostbusters to be a strange one. Ever since the series conception in the 80s, there has perhaps been one stand-out excellent and original movie (the first one) and all the rest have been fun and entertaining adventures with noticeable flaws. Whether it's Ghostbusters 2, the reboot in 2016, 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, or even the brand-new Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, all these films have been of differing quality but never reached the heights of the film that they all harken from. While some will tell you that Frozen Empire is one of the worst of the bunch, I would simply state that this is more of the same Ghostbusters we have known for years. It isn't ground-breaking or unique cinema, but it's entertaining and has some charismatic stars and performances that keep you enthralled.

The typical ghostbusting that we've become used to is still thrilling and the multitude of spectres and ghouls the gang face off with, some being returning fan-favourites, make for entertaining action ideal for most ages. The sci-fi tropes and chaos that the series has always presented in droves is here too, but now, unlike Afterlife and it's more rooted and midwestern American setting, here the hustle and bustle of New York is present to bolster the action, and this both makes for more interesting set pieces and opportunities, but also ensures the film is drenched in nostalgia, perhaps too much at times.

What made Afterlife such a breath of fresh air wasn't just the new cast but also how it didn't feel like a run-of-the-mill Ghostbusters story. Frozen Empire does. New York City is in threat of being destroyed by an ancient god and it's up to the Ghostbusters and the Ghostbusters alone to save the day using near the exact same tricks and tools they have always done. Don't get me wrong, there's something thrilling about watching the gang zapping ghouls with Proton Packs and chasing spectres through Manhattan in the Ecto-1 with its timeless blue sirens whirring away, but I also won't deny that this formula is starting to feel too similar and overused.

Plus, due to the way that the legacy characters have been incorporated a lot of the charm and the family dynamics that made Afterlife feel so personal has been lost, and likewise this combined with a bunch of new characters means the cast often feels bloated and doesn't allow the most interesting characters or narrative threads to flourish. I want more of the Spengler family, I want to see McKenna Grace's Phoebe, Paul Rudd's Gary, Carrie Coon's Callie, and Finn Wolfhard's Trevor all teaming up and figuring out these problems as the new era of Ghostbusters. As much as I love the original crew, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, and Annie Potts don't really add a whole lot of significance to the story this time and if anything have seemingly just been incorporated as a way to tick off nostalgia boxes.

This isn't me saying the legacy characters are the sole bane of this movie, as that's far from the case. There are some new characters and storylines used to tie the narrative whole together and quite frankly not all of them work or feel relevant either. Phoebe's arc that involved a more friendly visitor from the other side doesn't stick the landing, and if anything this probably should have been removed in favour of more of a focus on Phoebe's rebellious teenage tendencies and sticking it to the man attempting to put a pin in her ghostbusting career. The same can be said for how Gary, Trevor, and Callie are all used, as after the first half of the film, the majority of the Spengler family feel like an afterthought, despite their dynamic being the best part of this film and Rudd, as always, being an absolutely charismatic delight that steals the scenes he is in.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a film that could have benefitted from another set of eyes on its script and storyboard. This movie would be better if it was shorter and focussed more on what surprised and engaged us all during the reboot in Afterlife. There are still key and brilliant elements to be found here, great visual effects and cinematography, strong and charismatic performances, and plenty of thrilling supernatural action scenes and moments, but it's too long and stumbles under its own weight a lot of the time. It isn't near to being the best Ghostbusters film and doesn't come close to matching Afterlife, but it also isn't the worst Ghostbusters movie I've ever seen by a stretch. It's fun but flawed, and that's pretty much what Ghostbusters has always been. Some would say, including me, that Frozen Empire is traditional Ghostbusters, for better or worse. Do with that what you will.