Despite a mixed reception, 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife was a box office hit, grossing $204 million against a $75 million budget. Months after its release, Sony Pictures announced a sequel was in development with Jason Reitman returning to direct. However, towards the end of 2022, Reitman was replaced by director Gil Kenan, who previously helmed the Oscar-nominated Monster House. Under the title Firehouse, principal photography started in March 2023 in London, with some shots filmed in New York City. In addition to the primary cast from the previous film, several actors from the original films also reprised their roles. New cast members included Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, James Acaster, and Emily Alyn Lind. Filming wrapped in June, and it was scheduled for a December release but was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. After premiering in New York City in early March 2024, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was released worldwide soon after.
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Synopsis
Following the previous film, the Spenglers and former science teacher Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) move into the Ghostbusters firehouse. Though successful, the family tells Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) she can’t continue busting ghosts, or they get shut down. Meanwhile, local Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) sells Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) an orb that supposedly contains an ancient spirit. The team discovers that inside the orb is an ancient evil that was imprisoned after harnessing the death chill. Elsewhere, a depressed Phoebe inadvertently makes friends with a ghost girl named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind), who seeks absolution. While she appears innocent, Melody secretly works with the ancient evil, Garraka, to release him from the orb. Once freed, Garraka plans to engulf New York City and the world in a neverending winter of fear. Will our fearless paranormal investigators save the world, or will they become frozen with fear?
Review
Some may recall that the last Ghostbusters movie made my Best Films of 2021 list, and I stand by that. Naturally, I was excited for another sequel, though I had doubts after seeing the first few trailers. Having seen the movie, I can say that while this isn’t spectacular, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a decent enough follow-up. The returning cast members still deliver solid performances, though some stand out more than others. Like in the last film, McKenna Grace is charming and likable, and her scenes with Dan Aykroyd are fun. The returning Ghostbusters are given more to do here, though some, like Bill Murray, are little more than glorified cameos. Another standout is Emily Alyn Lind as Melody, the ghost girl with a tragic backstory who becomes friends with Phoebe. Not only is she fabulous, but it’s a different look at ghosts that the series hasn’t explored before.
Admittedly, this plays into one of the film’s most significant weaknesses: too many characters and insufficient story. So many characters and subplots are going on that the movie loses focus and feels like a jumbled mess. Sure, some of it is interesting, like Winston using his vast wealth to fund further Ghostbusters research, but it’s overwhelming. In all honesty, some characters, like Finn Wolfhard’s Trevor, could’ve been written out, and nothing would’ve changed. Also, the pacing is very uneven, with the first half being relatively dull and the second being more action-packed. While it does pick up in the second half, considering all the exposition dumped on you, it’s hard to care. It feels like Gil Kenan had a lot of ideas but no one to tell him when to pull back. Say what you will about Afterlife, but it at least felt like Jason Reitman had a singular vision.
To spin this in a more positive direction, I will give this movie props for creating a new villain. Garraka is an intimidating and well-designed villain, and the lore surrounding him is fascinatingly eerie. I think that’s what frustrates me the most about this movie: it has several good ideas but no real focus. It doesn’t help there are more references to the older movies, though it’s not as egregious as critics have suggested. I’ve also seen critics complain that this had a more serious tone, which I wasn’t bothered by. Sure, it isn’t as funny or has many jokes, but remember that the original was shot like a horror film. Despite my issues, and while I wouldn’t say it’s on par with Afterlife, this is still a decent sequel. Much like Ghostbusters 2, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a flawed but enjoyable experience overall.
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