'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Review: A Needed Franchise Evolution With Growing Pains
The new team of ghostbusters has returned to the silver screen to rid new york city of more paranormal entities in ‘ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’, an entertaining follow-up not without its issues.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife breathed new life into the beloved franchise, delivering a sequel after decades of silence that not only delivered the nostalgic goods, but introduced audiences to a brand new team of ghost hunters. The Spenglers have now re-located to New York City, the original stomping grounds of the series, to follow in their predecessors footsteps and to start fresh as a family. However, they’re put to the test as a new sinister spirit is unleashed, ready to send the world into a fear-engulfed ice age.
Jason Reitman, who helmed the previous installment, has handed the reigns to director Gil Kenan, who previously crafted City of Ember, Monster House, and the remake of Poltergeist. Fortunately, Kenan is able to keep the spirit of Reitman’s film intact, while putting his own unique stamp on the franchise. The New York setting is utilized very well, feeling livelier than ever and is a needed change of scenery after the previous entry. Kenan directs the action sequences admirably, keeping the blend of action and comedy on full display, the franchise trademark. An early car chase through the streets of the city is a considerable standout and as the stakes become greater, Kenan is able to handle the escalation in scale with ease, complemented by some solid and immersive visual effects.
The returning cast, including Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and the original trio of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson, is fantastic. Rudd gets to fully unleash his comedic talent and effortless warmth as he settles into his role as essentially a step-father, while Grace gets the chance to explore Phoebe as a “normal” teenager after she’s benched from being a Ghostbuster early on in the film, making the character more likable and sympathetic than ever. Fortunately, the original trio is implemented much better into the story this time around, naturally becoming a part of the central mystery and conflict, delivering the nostalgia and charm in equal measure. Newcomers such as Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt are also welcome additions to the cast, never too quirky or out of place, blending in perfectly with the rest of the ensemble.
Also welcome is the expansion of the franchise’s world and mythology. We’re not getting any recycled villains or storylines from previous entries, but a wholly unique new antagonist and supporting characters that make this world feel substantially bigger. Garraka makes for a formidable foe, his backstory and powers fascinating and quite terrifying. The film does a nice job of building up his presence and making it feel felt throughout before he’s finally unleashed. Seeing the new and former Ghostbusters taking on a new threat felt fresh and exciting, leaving the door open for new malicious entities to take on the squad. Simply put, it felt like a much- needed step forward for the franchise to maintain its vitality and ultimately its longevity.
The sequel also does a fine job of focusing on the Spengler family and not relying on the presence of the original members of the team to provide entertainment and heart. The chemistry is not only still intact between them, but they feel closer than ever, bickering and laughing like a fully realized, offbeat family. Reitman and Kenan’s screenplay is smart to maintain the focus on them as they face their biggest threat yet. Phoebe’s arc is also emotionally compelling, exploring how she tries to live a normal life after being benched as a Ghostbuster. Her journey is messy, complicated, and ultimately heartbreaking, making the mistakes and falling into the pitfalls every teenager inevitably does.
However, there are a couple notable issues that hinder the film from improving on its predecessor fully. First and foremost, it takes far too much time building up the villain. The film spends nearly three quarters of its runtime building up to Garraka’s freedom from his prison. The elongated build up would have been more forgivable if the climax didn’t feel so rushed and truncated. Once he is finally free, his reign of terror is far too short-lived. The Ghostbusters dispatch of him so quickly that it becomes hard to understand why the film took so much time to cut him loose and why he was seen as such a substantial threat. What should’ve felt like an epic, haunting climax with emotional stakes instead comes and goes with a whimper, barely even leaving the iconic firehouse.
While the franchise is finally expanding its world and mythology, it’s not without its growing pains. It’s clear throughout that the series has its eyes on the future but its heart is still in the past. It can’t resist bringing back fan-favorite ghosts or unmistabable imagery from the previous installments, sometimes feeling very out of place within the context of the story. Though most of the nostalgia works and blends in with the characters and story, the bits that don’t are clear reminders that the past needs to be put to rest as the franchise moves forward.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a light, breezy, and entertaining sequel that may not be the breath of fresh air its predecessor was, but it certainly won’t leave audiences cold. With charming, accessible new characters and New York once again the team’s home base, the future of the franchise feels like its in safe, assured, and promising hands. However, if the beloved series truly wants to grow and evolve, it needs to lay its glory days to rest in the rafters and set its sights firmly on the future, a future than can establish a whole new generation of ghost busting fans.