Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

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In 1984, a team of eccentric scientists armed with proton packs and witty banter took the world by storm. Ghostbusters became a cultural phenomenon, blending laugh-out-loud humor with genuine scares to create a supernatural comedy masterpiece. Now, after four decades, an attempted reboot and a well-received third film, the franchise returns once more with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. The creative torch is handed to director Gil Kenan (Monster House), with previous director Jason Reitman (son of Ivan) co-writing the script. Frozen Empire aims to be both a continuation and a tribute, bridging the gap between generations of Ghostbusters.

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Picking up where Afterlife left off, young Phoebe Spengler (McKenna Grace) has embraced her family’s legacy. Settling into a new life in New York City with her mom, Callie (Carrie Coon), brother, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), and her mom’s boyfriend, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), Phoebe dreams of becoming a Ghostbuster like her late grandfather Egon. However, a chilling threat emerges, forcing Phoebe to the center of the action. An ancient god named Garraka, imprisoned within a mysterious orb, seeks to plunge the city into an icy apocalypse. As public scrutiny mounts and internal conflicts arise, Phoebe and her family find themselves navigating challenging situations.

The team must contend with a new ally with powerful fire abilities, Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani), and a troubled ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) whose connection to Garraka could complicate Phoebe’s plans. Reunited with the original Ghostbusters, Phoebe and her unconventional family must rise to the challenge to save New York from a frosty demise.

However, it soon becomes quite clear that Frozen Empire leans heavily on nostalgia in a way that disappoints after the thoughtful approach taken in Afterlife. While the previous film offered a heartfelt tribute to Harold Ramis and respectful homage to his beloved Dr. Egon Spengler, this one overstuffs its narrative with established characters and newcomers, including returning Ghostbusters whose cameos feel like a checklist rather than meaningful continuations. This, combined with the returning focus on the Spengler family from the previous film, creates an overcrowded ensemble. The juggling act of established characters and newcomers dilutes the emotional weight of the group, making it challenging for the audience to truly invest in anyone’s story.

Overstuffed with tired jokes, underdeveloped character dynamics, and a derivative central conflict, the film throws a lot at the audience. Interesting character threads, like Paul Rudd’s bonding with Phoebe, are introduced but ultimately abandoned, further weakening the narrative focus. This overcrowding extends to sidelining returning characters like Callie and Trevor, diminishing their potential impact. Even the villain, Garraka, suffers from a lack of development, making the method for defeating him, reliant on Kumail Nanjiani’s Nadeem, the most intriguing aspect of the central conflict. While some original cast members like Dan Aykroyd, who visibly relishes his return to the role of Ray Stantz, bring a spark of energy, the overall narrative shortcomings prevent Frozen Empire from capturing the wonder of the original.

In a franchise spanning four decades, one almost has to wonder if Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire signals a fading of the magic that captivated audiences in the first place. In a world of constant revivals, can every beloved story sustain itself, or do some legends simply lose their spark? While the film captures the Ghostbusters’ essence with fleeting joy, it lacks a fresh identity. Familiar characters and tropes might please die-hard fans, but they prevent the film from exploring new ground. Perhaps the film serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us that nostalgia, when overused and not balanced with innovation and a strong narrative, can become a weakness. As the franchise looks ahead, one can only hope for a return to the creative spark that made the original a classic.