Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Like the ghosts they hunt down the Ghostbusters seemingly are never truly gone. While well-intentioned Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire unfortunately overflows with characters, nostalgia & cheesy comedy, thus meaning it fails to leave a lasting impression like its predecessors.
Taking place two years after Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), which ushered in a new generation of Ghostbusters, the latest entry into the long-running franchise sees the young Spenglers returning to the iconic New York firehouse to continue their family legacy. Like their forerunners the new Ghostbusters are working tirelessly to rid the city of ghosts while wreaking splash damage all over New York - much to the chagrin of a familiar face as the mayor.
On a story front, Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire centres on the return of an ancient demonic force hell-bent on freezing the planet's entire population. Simultaneously viewers are asked also to witness the Ghostbusters, both new & old, discover a place of belonging in a tumultuous time. With a plethora of characters & narratives running concurrently, the film quickly becomes a jumbled mess.
While there are some moments of true poignancy & beauty within the film's almost two-hour runtime these are few & far between. Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace), the youngest Ghostbuster, was the shining light with her story of self-discovery as a 15-year-old teen making the most logical sense. Even here though Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire fails to fully commit as it alludes to an awakening of Phoebe's sexuality but never delivers on a satisfying conclusion.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the follow-up to Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the shift in focus away from the new young Ghostbusters core of Phoebe & Trevor Spangler, Podcast & Lucky. In the 2021 reboot these 4 delivered wonderful chemistry & opened the franchise up to a new generation of fans. However, in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire they rarely spend time on screen together & are often sidelined to give the audience more time with the returning original Ghostbusters.
Through every iteration from the 1984 original to today, Ghostbusters films have relied on comedy to provide the charm& soul of the franchise. And, yes Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has comedic elements, but more often than not these are far too cheesy or forced to really pack the punch & have you giggling out loud.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire gives audiences an entertaining, nostalgic trip down memory lane. Unfortunately, this means it fails to drive the franchise forward into a new era & leaves it feeling like a film haunted by the ghosts of a bygone era.
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