If you are of a certain age whenever you hear “Who you gonna call?” you automatically know the answer to that question. Growing up I can’t count how many times I would say “Who you are you going to call? Ghostbusters!” whenever anyone said “I’m going to make a phone call.” That phrase has become part of the American lexicon! With anniversaries of the original movies and two new Ghostbuster movies, it seems that this phrase will be with us for along time like “May the Force be With You”.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the third movie in the new series of Ghostbuster movies that expands the universe of the original movies. The 2016 movie gave us a new look at the crew with the original actors playing different roles and the 2021 decided to erase the 2016 movie and be a direct sequel to Ghostbusters 2. While Frozen Empire does have the feeling of the OG 1984 film with the humor and ghosts, it does miss the mark here and there.
The movie starts off by giving us a quick glimpse into the upcoming evil. We see the infamous firehouse in the early days and a group of firefighters on their way to a job. When they get there they realize they are not fighting a fire but something more. They enter a room full of people that have been frozen and do not know how this happened. There is a little more to this scene but this basically sets up the big baddie that our team will meet later.
She feels left out of the team after a certain incident happens that threatens the future of the Ghostbusters. The Phoebe subplot is a good story for kids that feel like they stand out from their family but it felt drowned out by the other subplots in the movie. Along with her story we have the story of Nadeem, played by Kumal Nanjiani, who sold an ancient artifact to Ray Stantz played by Dan Aykroyd, that turns out to be much more than they think it is. The final story has to do with Winston Zeddemore, played by Ernie Hudson, and how he has created a new lab to further examine the ghosts that are captured. All of these stories interweave with each other but at times it feels like there is too much going on.
With these many stores the movie still has some great moments. One of the great things it does is explain why some of the characters from Ghostbusters: Afterlife are in New York with a few simple sentences of dialogue. Just like The Marvels, you don’t need much backstory to see how these characters are in there. It is great to see the legacy actors in the film too but being a fan of the original movies I wish they were in it more. One of the reasons I feel that they are not overused is because this is a movie for a new generation of fans. This movie is to appeal to the younger audience and be their entry point to the series.
The main villain in Frozen Empire is a being called Garakka. They were defeated by a Firemaster many centuries ago and now they are back to complete their dominance over the world. While this villain is no Gozer, they certainly are a bit more scary looking. It seems that there would be no way to defeat this being but this is a Ghostbuster movie, so they will figure something out.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire does respect the original movies and continues to build the world that was created in 1984. Although I had issues with the Firemaster’s training and that aspect of the story, the movie still kept my attention and made me feel like I did when I saw the original Ghostbusters. This is one to see in the theaters due to the spectacular scenery, ghostbusting sequences, theme of belonging, and family.
Final Thoughts: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire recaptures some of the magic from the original 84 film with some updated humor like the 2016 film. Some moments don’t work and this is due to the many subplots in the movie. Seeing the OG Ghostbuster is great but more could have been done with their characters. McKenna Grace steals this movie while Paul Rudd keeps us laughing in our seats. This is a fun movie and will keep you entertained.
Kid-Friendly: The scare level in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is pretty tame compared to horror movies. Kids will not be scared by this movie. There are a few curse words said but nothing too vulgar. The theme of being a family and being there for each other is great for kids to see.
Violence: There is no violence in the movie but there are images of people being frozen into ice sculptures. There is some scuffling between people but no punches are ever thrown.
In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an army of ghosts that casts a death chill upon the city, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.