Phil Roberts 
While GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE may not have the same injection of excitement from the Reitman family proton pack as its predecessor, it is still a lot of fun in its own right.
I had high expectations for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, perhaps too high. My hopes were raised after Jason and Ivan Reitman recreated the magic of the original Ghostbusters movies with Ghostbusters AFTERLIFE. The sequel captured the essence of the source material while introducing fresh elements and McKenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler. Unlike the 2016 version, it triggered some welcome nostalgia and avoided alienating the fanbase.
Frozen Empire sets out early to expand the sandbox and breathe fresh life into the franchise. By bringing the action back to New York, the franchise’s spiritual home, director Gil Kenan hopes to usher in a bold new chapter that harnesses the brilliance of its predecessors while incorporating more elements to keep the palette fresh. Although the film is a fun, nostalgia-driven vehicle for old and new Ghostbusters to shine, it lacks the old magic. Although it comes close, the film ultimately falls short of igniting the ghost trap toward greatness.
BUSTING BACK TO NEW YORK
Fans have eagerly anticipated the return of the original Ghostbusters team since their brief appearance in Afterlife. Although they only had a small role in the previous film, their presence was a welcome boost from the proton pack. With the sequel returning to the franchise’s roots, many fans hoped the legacy characters would play a significant part in the story. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz and Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore are part of the movie’s ensemble cast. However, their story arcs are criminally under-developed. Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman has even less screen time and is limited to a glorified cameo. Although he does display his usual wit, his exclusion from the main plot diminishes his impact.
Annie Potts’ Janine is mostly absent from the plot, only to appear in the finale dressed for action. However, it is disappointing that she only has one line of dialogue throughout the entire film. This feels like a disservice to her character and undermines her importance to the story. Finally, it’s time to address the green blob in the room – Slimer. Fans were overjoyed when it was confirmed that Slimer would return for this outing. However, sadly, he is largely absent and only appears briefly in a few fleeting moments. As a result, he doesn’t play a significant role in the story. Nor do the Mini-Pufts. Their involvement is on par with their appearance in Afterlife, but they manage a few moments to shine.
BUSTING MAKES ME FEEL GOOD!
In truth, the original characters are neglected in this movie, and even though the new cast is present, they also struggle to make an impact. The chemistry between the legacy characters is still so strong that they command our attention at every turn. This often leads to the new characters fading into the background when the OG team is on screen. It’s no secret that the original team is the selling point for lifelong fans of the IP. It’s pretty much a deal breaker for some. However, sadly, the new characters fail to match up to the involvement of the original Busters. Not that they have much to do, but some of the new characters find themselves banished to the sidelines here.
Finn Wolfhard’s character is mainly seen chasing Slimer around the Firehouse and complaining about not being treated like an adult for a significant portion of the film. Celeste O’Connor and Logan Kim, reprising their roles as Lucky and Podcast, respectively, have minimal impact on the story as they appear on the fringes of the narrative. Their involvement feels accidental, and Jason Reitman struggles to explain why they are involved in the plot.
MCKENNA MAGNIFICENT
McKenna Grace continues to shine as the de facto lead. Her excellent performance in the previous film is repeated here, and she grows into the role of Egon Spengler’s grandaughter with zeal. Despite the screenwriters attempting to cut her scientific knowledge off at the knees, Grace’s acting skills remain one of the film’s many highlights. However, her age becomes an issue when Walter Peck, the new Mayor of New York, pushes for her to be benched under child labor laws.
From there, the character’s behavior changes from that of a confident scientist to that of a pouting teenager who struggles to find her place in the adult world. This new story arc is a significant setback that reduces her growth post-Afterlife. She becomes melodramatic and seeks outside guidance. During her moments of solitude, her only solace comes from a new friend who helps her channel her disappointment and direct it toward rebellion. However, misplaced rebellion can lead to dire consequences, and in this case, it aids in releasing the villain, Garraka.
GARRAKA
Garraka has evil intentions of taking over the world and wiping out humanity by initiating a new ice age. Fortunately, Kumail Nanjiani’s greedy and hapless Nadeem Razmaadi is a descendant of a secret group of ancient spook busters and may hold the key to saving the world. But he’s a reluctant warrior here. Nanjiani’s portrayal of Razmaadi is outstanding as he flawlessly delivers a hilarious yet slightly excessive performance. Nonetheless, the character takes up considerable screen time, transparently hinting that he might be the lead character in an unnecessary new Buster-Verse spinoff.
Garraka, on the other hand, is nothing short of a token villain. Large parts of the film are devoted to the mystery surrounding his backstory, but he doesn’t impact the story and only makes a fleeting appearance. He is similar to Gozer in the original film, but whereas that boasted the addition of Terror Dogs, Slimer, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Frozen Empire comes up short. Not that it’s all bad. There are many positives in the film, and the first two are Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon
PRACTICAL PARENTING
Despite lacking the same substance as Afterlife, the roles of Rudd and Coon make for a perfect dynamic duo of parenting. They struggle to balance their life as parents and Ghostbusters, resulting in some genuinely funny moments. They are the perfect foils for each other, and their on-screen chemistry is electric. While Rudd typically leads the charge, his traditionally boyish performance is balanced by Coon’s safe pair of hands at the wheel. Unfortunately, both actors are somewhat restricted by the excessive focus on Nanjiani’s Razmaadi, which is a shame. However, when Rudd and Coon are on screen, they effectively capture our attention and maintain the authenticity of the Spengler family dynamic.
Additionally, Ernie Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore is finally rewarded with his meatiest role to date. Here, he becomes the gel that keeps the OG cast together, and his wisdom drives both sets of Ghostbusters forward. It’s refreshing to see Zeddemore coming into his own and establishing a legacy greater than the sum of its parts. Hopefully, this will become the backbone of the franchise as it sets off in a bold new direction. In an ideal world, the studio would give the green light to a genuine Ghostbusters 3 with the original cast. This movie would run parallel to the continuation of the Spengler family storyline, giving both sets of characters the chance to flourish and explore their own unique stories. But maybe that’s hoping for too much.
GLORIOUS BERNSTEIN
Dario Marianelli’s inspiring score is another positive addition to the franchise. He takes on the daunting task of stepping into Rob Simonsen’s shoes after his success on Afterlife, but he excels with ease. Like Simonsen, Marianelli also had the benefit of having Peter Bernstein, son of the late great Elmer Bernstein, as a music consultant, and the result is another winning score featuring the classic themes of Bernstein’s masterwork. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Still, the score effortlessly helps maintain the franchise’s continuity and only adds to the nostalgia factor that plays a definitive part in this sequel.
Various elements of nostalgia and well-placed Easter eggs are present throughout the film. These include returning legacy characters and classic spooks from past Ghostbusters exploits. Even Dan Aykroyd’s work on the Ghostbusters video game makes an appearance, and it’s refreshing to see his vision fully realized on the big screen, even if it’s only fleeting. Overall, the film does a great job of incorporating these elements while still forging its own path. But is that enough?
VERDICT
Instead of maintaining the emotional impact of Afterlife, Frozen Empire feels like a massive step backward. Despite its bold ideas, grand scale, and numerous supernatural elements, the film doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Fans will love the classic tropes and iconography, but the chaotic plot threads and a wholly disposable villain fail to spark the ghost trap into greatness. That being said, the film is a fun ride strengthened by McKenna Grace’s energetic performance. It’s a hugely entertaining nostalgia ride that delivers almost everything a Ghostbusters fan could ever hope for. But if you have the OG crew on the payroll, use them to the fullest, and Gil Kenan doesn’t here.
While GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE may not have the same injection of excitement from the Reitman family proton pack as its predecessor, it is still a lot of fun in its own right. Fans should adjust their expectations accordingly because this film might confuse them about which set of Ghostbusters to call when there’s something strange in the neighborhood. But busting still makes me feel good.
Sometimes, shi*t happens, somebody has to deal with it, and who are you gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE is playing in cinemas everywhere now.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
