When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters, new and old, must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” takes place after the events of the previous film, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” The Spengler family, mom Callie (Carrie Coon), and her two kids, Phoebe and Trevor (Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard), along with Callie’s boyfriend, Gary (Paul Rudd), relocate from Summerville, Oklahoma, to the Big Apple, and end up living in the iconic New York City firehouse that the original Ghostbusters used to call home in the 1980s.
After chasing a ghostly sewer dragon around Manhattan in the Ectomobile, causing all kinds of damage to buildings and private property, the city’s mayor, none other than our old friend Walter Peck (William Atherton), threatens to shut down the Ghostbusters, once and for all, refusing to believe they are doing good work for the city. But when a new bad guy materializes, an ancient evil god named Garraka, who threatens to unleash a frozen apocalypse upon the city, the Ghostbusters, old and new, must team up together to eradicate the malevolent deity before the city’s inhabitants crystallize into human popsicles.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” looks fantastic. The CGI is absolutely top-notch, and the ghosts are frighteningly realistic. Cinematographer Eric Steelberg captures the essence that made the original film a classic as we are reintroduced to landmarks from that film: the firehouse and the New York Public Library, and seeing them for the first time in years brought back a flood of happy memories.
While its predecessor, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” was focused more on establishing the younger generation, with Peter (Bill Murray), Ray (Dan Aykroyd), and Winston (Ernie Hudson) cameoing at the end, here, the original gang, including Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts), have more prominent roles throughout, and as a result, it feels more like a Ghostbusters movie.
We are given the customary family issues to relate to the Spengler family and Gary, who has become like a stepdad to Phoebe and Trevor. Because Phoebe is only 15 years old and, therefore, underage, per city regulations, she is not allowed to accompany the rest of the family when they receive a call to capture a ghost for fear that she could get hurt. She befriends a teenage ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) in Central Park but quickly learns she has nefarious intentions.
Throughout the film’s almost two-hour runtime, we are introduced to characters from the original movie whose sole purpose appears to be a reminder that they are still alive. William Atherton, who so wonderfully played the obnoxious and loathsome Walter Peck, is now the city’s mayor, while Annie Potts’ Janine Melnitz and Roger Delicore, who played the nervous library administrator in the first film, all appear but serve no other purpose than to wink at the audience as if to say, “Hey, remember me?”
The movie focuses more on the paranormal aspects of the story while the human components take a back seat. It’s a missed opportunity because the filmmakers could have combined both so that we would genuinely fear for their safety when the city is faced with imminent destruction. As it stands, we know that none of the Ghostbusters, young or old, will perish, so there is never any real danger.
If a third Ghostbusters film is in the works, I’d like to see them finally pass the torch to the younger actors, let them make the characters their own, and continue with a new batch of adventures. Naturally, any of the original crew could cameo at any time, but putting the franchise squarely in the hands of new descendants is vital for the franchise to survive. Watching the original Ghostbusters and the new kids on the block working together was fun, but it’s time for the next generation to take over.
In Theaters Friday, March 22nd
