Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Review: A Feel-Good Nostalgia Trip
Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or your family ever seen a spook, specter, or ghost? If the answer is yes, then don’t wait another minute. Pick up your phone and get a ticket to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. This long-running franchise about a group of exterminators who happen to take down ghosts adds a new sequel. This is a continuation of the 2021 film Ghostbusters: Afterlife. It’s directed by Gil Kenan, co-writer of Afterlife, and I’m happy to say that this a is a very entertaining, enjoyable adventure that knows how to have fun.
While Afterlife was set in an Oklahoma farm, this series has always been very New York-centric. This movie brings us back to the heart of the Big Apple with a newly formed group of Ghostbusters. We have Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace), her older brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), their mom Callie (Carrie Coon), and her boyfriend Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd). After we get a bit of a prologue that establishes the ice-themed villain, we get a classic Ghostbusters action set piece. It’s amazing to see the Ecto-1 ripping through the streets of the city again, especially when you can tell that this film was shot on location.
From the start, Phoebe tells one science joke and you instantly like her again. Grace’s performance as a mini Egon would make Harold Ramis proud as she really gets you on her side. We also have Paul Rudd being as wonderful to watch as ever, as he exudes a likable presence in every movie he’s in. The movie also makes a spectacular choice to bring back William Atherton as Walter Peck, the conniving slimeball who Venkman once declared “has no dick.” Atherton was the king of a-holes in the ’80s for his punchable performances in Ghostbusters and Die Hard. He’s back in this movie, and you hate him just as much as you did back then.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is filled with good ideas. The setting is a hot summer in New York City, and there are times when it could have leaned into it more. It’s quite a funny movie, with Rudd providing some heavy-hitting humor. We have two great comedic additions here, with Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt joining this cast. Oswalt is an enjoyable presence despite not having much screen time. Nanjiani leaves a memorable impact on this film with a role that’s very important to the story, and the whole time, you’re having so much fun watching him do his thing with impeccable comedic timing.
When the OGs showed up in Afterlife, they were mainly there for a crowd-pleasing fan service moment that made every fan of the series squeal with glee. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire gives them more screen time, particularly Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson). This movie needed to make them into actual characters, and it works. We still don’t learn enough about Winston as a person, but Hudson is a great presence here. Aykroyd is fantastic as well, bringing all this nerdy energy to this character that we’ve missed.
Perhaps the character you may miss the most is Venkman (Bill Murray). In those first two Ghostbusters movies, Murray is at the top of his game. He’s landing every joke, improvising his lines, charming his way through, and going deadpan at all the perfect moments. His comic voice is what makes Ghostbusters classic. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have too much to do in this movie. He’s in a few scenes, and he has a few jokes, but I wanted more of him. Maybe this was a behind-the-scenes situation, but his presence is missed, and the script from Kenan and Jason Reitman works overtime to have that comedy as a strong part of this film.
It is a genuinely funny movie, particularly with all the Mini Stay-Puft Marshmallows, who are the most adorable little demons. The movie also has a soul to it, with a subplot where Phoebe becomes friends with a ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind). They have some of the more serious scenes in the film. It’s all quite compelling, but with all these characters I’ve mentioned, plus Annie Potts returning as Janine, and the two characters returning from Afterlife, Podcast (Logan Kim) and Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire can feel way too overstuffed with characters and subplots.
We haven’t even gotten to a new character, Dr. Lars Pinfield (James Acaster). While the movie is always entertaining, it feels as if it is trying to juggle too much at times, with the second act being weighed down a bit by exposition. The stakes also feel higher and darker this time around. The first two Ghostbusters movies didn’t take themselves very seriously, with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and the Statue of Liberty roaming through NYC. The big bad in the final act of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a more serious threat without that comedic element. Furthermore, it also feels like the final act was entirely reworked, as the red suits that appear in all the marketing are nowhere to be found in the film.
There’s also a sky beam, which is the most cliché blockbuster trope you can find these days. But these actors are very charming and you get a lot of classic Ghostbusters moments with nostalgia and callbacks to the originals. Busting makes me feel good. At the end of the day, it’s Ghostbusters, whaddaya want?
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire review.
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