Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

40 years ago, four men shimmied into some overalls, strapped on some proton packs and smashed open the box office, changing how many saw the blockbuster genre. Rooted in comedy, with fun action scenes and gloriously unbelievable quirks, Ghostbusters stands as a pillar in cinema. And, like all cult hits from the 80s, many have desperately tried to emulate the feelings first evoked all those years ago with sequels and reboots galore. It’s difficult, given how much is tied to nostalgia, but the newest addition to the franchise certainly tries its best.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the sequel to 2021’s generally successful Ghostbusters: Afterlife, this time with Gil Kenan at the wheel as director. We reunite with Callie, the daughter of Ghostbusters titan, Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis), her kids Phoebe (a dynamic Makenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and their ex-teacher Gary (Paul Rudd), who have moved into the iconic fire headquarters to become New York’s resident busters. This is one of many delightful callbacks to the original, as well as familiar ghoulies and a familiar tune. The return of Slimer really ticks the nostalgia boxes, especially with its satisfyingly vintage special effects. The main callbacks though, are the return of Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson and the formidable Annie Potts. They all look like they are happy to be back, but Ackroyd’s Ray was particularly infectious. It’s as though he hasn’t lost an ounce of that love and passion he first had for this story, and so we can’t help but feel the same too.

Everyone is called in to help when an evil entity escapes its ancient prison, once protected by the grandmother of the unassuming yet hilarious Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani). Also happening is Phoebe’s blossoming friendship with a chess-playing ghost. If this all seems like a lot going on and a lot of people to remember, you’re totally right. Frozen Empire is painfully overloaded, making for a convoluted plot and barely-there characters. Somehow, the first half of the movie is just exposition and set-up – the villain, although unexpectedly terrifying, isn’t around for most of the movie. Admittedly, the exposition is still a good time, with a genuinely funny script and gripping performances across the board. Unfortunately, the sheer number of characters and goings-on means that many are underused, and their subplots lack any kind of depth needed to make them interesting. Wolfhard is one whose talents are regretfully made gimmicky. 

To enjoy Frozen Empire, it’s best not to look too deep into the plot or any semblances of emotional beats. For some films, this is just fine. It’s not as revolutionary as the 1984 movie, but it’s certainly entertaining.

Talitha Stowell

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is released nationwide on 22^nd March 2024.

Watch the trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire here: