Rating: 5/10
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is the newest film in the long-running “Ghostbusters” franchise, directed by Gil Kenan, following 2021’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.”
The film follows the new Ghostbusters, who are now located in New York, taking care of the paranormal activities plaguing the city.
A new threat begins to loom around in the form of Garraka, a spirit hellbent on taking over the human dimension with the power to control ghosts and lower the temperature to absolute zero.
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The film is very much targeted towards fans of the series, as much of the film’s backbone relies on the power of nostalgia brought on by almost 40 years of support.
However, there’s one issue with how “Frozen Empire” tackles the idea of nostalgia: At what point does nostalgia become too much?
Sure, it’s nice to see the original Ghostbusters return for another fight against evil spirits, but the main point of this new series — to pass the torch to the new crew — seems to have been somewhat lost.
Both Finn Wolfhard and Celeste O’Connor’s characters have minimal screen time even though they were major characters in the previous installment.
The performances in the film are nothing to write home about, however, it’s important to note Paul Rudd’s performance as Gary Grooberson. Rudd exudes a fun energy unmatched by any other actor in the film, as he truly makes the most out of the script he was given.
For what it’s worth, the film has its fun moments and keeps the audience entertained enough, but the actual progression of the story completely drags down the pace of the movie.
The movie spends too much time on the wacky shenanigans that each member of the crew goes through, leaving one question to plague the viewer — where’s the plot?
Similar to “Ghostbusters II” (1989), the biggest issue plaguing this film is the lack of any real or severe threat.
In that film, most of the main threat comes from an evil ooze fueled by the anger of the citizens of New York. There’s a slight enemy presence every now and then, but for the most part, Garraka is not present until the final moments of the film.
Unlike the original “Ghostbusters” from 1984, the film simply relies on moving everyday items and the ghosts from past films, causing the movie to experience a severe lack of originality in a world where the impossible is possible.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is by no means a bad movie, but by the time the credits roll, what’s left is not so much a “Frozen Empire” but more of a “Clammy Inconvenience,” leaving viewers wishing they were watching a better film.
The movie ultimately suffers from not knowing how to balance its stories. As a result, it simply banks off both the recognizability of the franchise and fans who hoped this would swing the Ghostbusters into the status they had 40 years ago.
