Wow, 26 days without a new review, Don’t worry though, I have the perfect review for the upcoming winter season. But before we begin the review, be sure to check out my previous reviews and my art page, Red’s Art Corner.
Following up on the events of Afterlife, the Spenglers return to New York with a new take on life, returning to the iconic firehouse that was their headquarters with the Original Ghostbusters, who have stepped up their game with a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. However, after the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an ancient evil in New York, both the new and old Ghostbuster Crew prepare to save the world from a second ice age.
I would like to say this before going further into the review if you’re expecting it to include things like “THEY RUINED MY GHOSTBUSTERS!“, and “GHOSTBUSTERS GONE WOKE!” Then take your business elsewhere, because it is clear that this film is for both old and new generations of Ghostbusters fans, but it carries the aura of a filmmaker trying hard to not offend the older fan base by introducing new ideas and relying too heavily on Nostalgia, a similar issue that Afterlife has, and I am saying this as a Ghostbusters fan.
The premise of the latest Ghostbusters film is clever, but it fell flat on certain scenes. Mckenna Grace’s portrayal of Phoebe still stays true to Afterlife but doesn’t get much of a chance to show off her intellect and her skill as a Ghostbuster, but we get to see that Phoebe has gotten more arrogant since the battle with Gozer. As much as I enjoyed seeing the original cast, the Spengler Family, and the new Ghostbuster Crew were delightful. Bill Murry’s bored expressions in all of his scenes gave the vibes of “I’m only here for the paycheck,” Ernie Hudson’s Winston is certainly showing off his role of being a leader amongst the Ghostbusters, with Ray Stanz (Dan Aykroyd), “the Heart of the Ghostbusters” leading the way with him. The new paranormal research center was one of the best things of the film. Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) and Phoebe’s friendship was a nice touch, the Filmmakers were quick to try to steer away from any LGBTQ tones, a similar step that most film and animation studios are beginning to try to step away from anything with diversity, due to the current political climate.
As I have mentioned previously, this film fell into the all-time familiar trap that has gotten films in trouble in recent years (I’m referring especially to Warner Bros’ biggest box office flop, The Flash, not even Michael Keaton could save it.) called the Nostalgia Trap, the Nostalgia trap relies heavily on it, whether it be the clever nods to the Real Ghostbusters merchandise, or subtle nods to Ghostbusters 2 (FINALLY, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED ITS EXISTENCE!), the librarian ghost and the Library Administrator (John Rothman returning to reprise his role from the first film), and the original Ghostbusters, Walter Peck, and Jeanine actors returning, it still fell flat. Even with it advertised as a “tribute to the Real Ghostbusters animated series” by actor Kumail Nanijiani, it should have had the involvement of the series writer, J. Michael Straczynski. Overall the visual effects were fantastic, and the ghost designs were well done, even Garraka, who was only a threat to New York for five minutes.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a decent film, but more of a family night rental, which is available on Netflix and on Blu-ray. While it’s worth applauding Jason Reitman and the Ghostbusters film crew for their work on it. Next time if you’re going for a Nostalgia run, be sure to include the music from the Ghostbusters film soundtrack.
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Final Grade:
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