Grade: C… Three years after 2021’s smash hit, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”, 80’s kids were thirsty for a new nostalgia hit. Instead of getting treated to the highly regarded Hi-C “Ecto Cooler” they were given just a sub par generic juice box. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” in this case, represents the generic juice box.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” had so much promise but, while still enjoyable, was ultimately a letdown. The story was predictable, most of the jokes fall flat, and there is even a silly human and ghost relationship that alludes to romantic feelings. It never makes up its mind whether it wants to be a horror, comedy, or action movie. To add insult to its indecisiveness, it tackles all three genres with mediocrity.
The plot of “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is simple. An ancient relic comes into play in a shop dealing with ancient artifacts of the spiritual nature. Said ancient artifact ends up unleashing a ghost that causes an ice age in the dead of summer in New York City. The new Ghostbusting crew must join forces with the Ghostbusting veterans to stop the ghost that is wreaking havoc in the city. All the while the crew tries to maintain a good image for the city government that is hellbent on shutting the Ghostbusters down for good.
Even with the original Ghostbusters (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson) along with dispatch lady, Janine (Annie Potts) thrown into the mix, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” does not deliver much on the nostalgia front for the 80’s kids who have been lifelong fans. We are treated to a few clips from the older movies in the form of a quick news broadcast as a vehicle to bring the audience up to speed but it is all over with only after a few minutes into the movie. The classic ghost “Slimer” does appear a few times along with a whole new slew of ghosts. Each has its own idiosyncrasy and ends up having significance in the story.
In my opinion, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” handled the nostalgia trip far better. In “Afterlife”, they smartly teased and teased and teased the Ecto-1 before finally making its grand entrance. The iconic car definitely made a nostalgic impact to the audience. In “Frozen Empire”, all of the nostalgic items in the movie were just simply a letdown. However, the new drone powered ghost trap was a pretty cool tool.
I viewed “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” in the Dolby Cinema format. The sound and the cinematography were both outstanding. The crystal clear 4K screen enhanced all the special effects and the CGI looked amazing.
If you’re a fan of the Ghostbusters movies and enjoy seeing some of the old guard work with the new class of Ghostbusters, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is actually worth strapping on the Proton Pack and cramming into the Ecto-1 with your fellow Ghostbusting buddies to race to your nearest theatre.