While Ghostbusters: Afterlife offered the hope of a new beginning, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire seems to be exactly that.
In 2021, the Ghostbusters franchise saw a revival with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which deftly balanced homage and reboot, welcoming new fans to the Ghostbusters universe while honoring the original films. In my review of Afterlife, I mentioned that it wouldn’t surprise me if it either reignited the franchise or stumbled at the box office. Fast forward three years, and the series continues with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
The sequel sees the return of Afterlife‘s main characters: Phoebe Spengler (McKenna Grace), her mother Callie (Carrie Coon), her brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), and former science teacher Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), who have assumed the Ghostbusters’ role in New York City. Operating from the iconic firehouse of the original team, the Spenglers draw the ire of Mayor Peck (William Atherton) for the chaos they cause in the city. Peck threatens to disband them unless they bench the underage Phoebe.
In a parallel story-line, Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), the former Ghostbuster now running an occult bookstore, acquires a mysterious antique brass orb from a man (Kumail Nanjiani) offloading his late grandmother’s possessions. The orb, brimming with Psycho Kinetic Energy (PKE), unknowingly houses the next formidable adversary the Ghostbusters must confront to save New York City from supernatural threats.
The primary issue with Frozen Empire is the reluctance to transition the franchise to the Spengler family. Despite Afterlife‘s successful hand-off, the script, by Gil Henan (Monster House) and Jason Reitman, hesitates to release its grip on the past. This results in not only Dan Aykroyd returning but also Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Bill Murray, all stepping back into their original roles, not merely in cameos but as full-fledged Ghostbusters. Consequently, the screen becomes overcrowded with characters vying for attention, with less than two hours to accommodate them all.
Moreover, Frozen Empire is slow to start. Even with a promising opening sequence, the film spends too much time setting up the premise before the main plot unfolds. It begs the question: are films now being designed for an audience occasionally looking up from their phones, with plot points reiterated to the point of excess?
Humor, or the lack thereof, is also notable. What little exists mostly stems from Rudd, whose best moments were unfortunately revealed in the trailers. The bulk of the jokes either miss the mark or are hindered by timing and delivery issues. It’s worth noting that much of the humor relies on callbacks to the original films. It’s puzzling why each Ghostbusters film feels compelled to rehash the same classic gags. The score, too, leans heavily on themes from the first film, beyond the iconic Ray Parker, Jr. tune.
On a positive note, the visual effects are impressive, particularly the new antagonist. The fresh story-line, once it gains momentum, is engaging and stands as the film’s sole novelty.
Unfortunately, if the Ghostbusters franchise cannot sustain itself without depending so heavily on the humor and talent of the 1984 original, it may be time to retire it. While Ghostbusters: Afterlife offered the hope of a new beginning, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire seems to be exactly that.
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
