2024 | PG-13 | 115 mins | Directed by Gil Kenan
The latest entry in the Ghostbusters franchise is here. Frozen Empire takes the franchise back to the firehouse in New York City as we follow the Spengler clan taking part in their new roles as Ghostbusters. A mysterious artifact is brought out for the first time in almost 100 years, and it contains a new threat that could possibly cause a new ice age. With the help of some friends and the original Ghostbusters, our heroes will stop at nothing to take down this new evil.
First and foremost, it is great to have this cast back together. Ghostbusters: Afterlife set up a great family dynamic and it continues here in Frozen Empire. Adding in the character of Gary (Paul Rudd) as more of stepdad this time around adds even more to the dynamic. The biggest highlight of the movie is the cast of characters. Everyone from the OG cast to the newer crew, all put in great performances, and they play off of one another quite well. From start to finish, this is consistently one of the funniest movies in the franchise. There are plenty of genuine laugh out loud moments that work more than they don't.
While there is plenty to enjoy here, there are some big issues that the movie, unfortunately, can't escape. One of the biggest problems is that there are way too many characters that the movie must juggle around. Not only do you get everyone from the previous movie, which includes about 10 characters, they also add 4-5 new characters and that just makes everything feel a bit muddled. Because you have so many characters this adds to a lot of subplots that feel like they are unnecessary or like they don't go anywhere. The biggest problem overall is that it takes too long for the story to really get going. There is a lot of buildup and setups and exposition, and after more than an hour the story finally kicks into gear and introduces the villain. By that time there isn't much left in the runtime, so the third act feels somewhat rushed because they took so long with the setup.
Despite the issues that are here the movie is still entertaining. Once the story finally gets to the action there are some fun moments here and there as well as some good-looking special effects. There are plenty of callbacks to the original movies and even a couple familiar characters who haven't shown up since the 80's. McKenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd are the standouts in the cast. Everyone else here gives good performances as well. Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt are nice additions to the cast and even though he only has a couple of scenes it is always great to see Bill Murray having some fun.
All in all, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a bit of a mixed bag. While it does offer some fun and enjoyable moments there are issues that keep it from reaching its full potential. Despite its flaws there's more here that works than doesn't and it is worth checking out if you are a fan of the franchise.
Grade: B-
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