Review: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
The new Ghostbusters movie is titled "Frozen Empire" and its poster has been released by Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The newest Ghostbusters movie follows on directly from 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, though the exciting opening chase scene sets the tone for those who are less familiar with the franchise, and aren't necessarily part of the Gen X fan base that the series is so devoted to. In the movie, Paul Rudd, who plays the stepfather, is a stand-in for the Ghostbusters family, with two of the young children being related to Egon Spengler's (the beloved yet deceased character portrayed by Harold Ramis) family. The entire group sets off on a wild chase through the bustling traffic of midday New York City to capture a monstrous ghost that is causing chaos. Although they are celebrated by the public, the new Ghostbusters team are brought before the Mayor, who we first saw in the original movie played by William Atherton, who returns in one of many ongoing roles. Teenager Phoebe, portrayed by Mckenna Grace, is ordered not to pursue ghost-busting until she is fully grown. Despite the framework of the script, Grace's performance is delightful to watch, and includes quirky yet oddball scenes about her character's teenage problems; this even includes an innocent same-sex ghost romance.
Dan Aykroyd stars as Ray Stantz, who now runs a magic and antiquities store. He's a true believer in the paranormal and his love for it shines through. One day, he buys a cursed artifact from Kumail Nanjiani's character, a burnout who is selling off his family's treasures. This unleashes a very serious threat that has been around for centuries and has the same look and feel as the fantasy series, Game of Thrones. Patton Oswalt also shines in his role as a librarian and paranormal expert. James Acaster brings some of Bill Murray's ironic humour to his role as a scientist in the Ghostbusters lab. The younger actors, like Celeste O'Connor and Stranger Things's Finn Wolfhard, have less to do, but Logan Kim's Podcast has some great physical comedy moments. However, despite these fun elements, the overall movie doesn't quite add up to a satisfying two-hour experience. That said, it's an enjoyable tribute to the Spielbergian family-friendly sci-fi adventure genre.
The movie highlights the possibility of environmental disaster and raises interesting themes about different generations. For example, there's a scene where Annie Potts comments on how in the 80s people weren't thinking about long-term consequences as she looks at outdated safety equipment. The part of the film that evokes the strongest emotions is when Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson have a touching conversation about how they want to spend their retirement years, their age clearly showing on their faces. However, by the end of the movie, all four of the aging characters, including Bill Murray, are struggling to contain the ghosts they face, and Aykroyd and Hudson joke about their "golden years." The movie is rated PG-13 and is 115 minutes long.
The movie will be widely distributed to theaters.
