Cert – 12, Run-time – 1 hour 55 minutes, Director- Gil Kenan
When an ancient ghost threatens to bring the world into a new ice age generations of Ghostbusters must team up to defeat it
The Ghostbusters have typically been a team of four, with, as with any classic quartet, a changing potential fifth member. Whether the classic faces or the new line-up we’ve typically seen a group of four taking on the central roles of ridding the world of haunting ghouls and lingering spirits. However, Frozen Empire both raises the stakes that any group has faced and the number of central Ghostbusters. Instead of four, or even eight, over ten characters come together to save the world.
As an ancient spirit threatens to escape its prison and plunge the world into a second ice age the stakes at hand are clearly those of a grand scale blockbuster. While the titular Frozen Empire doesn’t overly come into play until unexpectedly late into the film the build-up still causes it to feel like an idea perhaps too big for a Ghostbusters film, especially one that’s already trying to juggle as much as it is.
New hand Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) is wishing to be taken more seriously and allowed to go out and catch ghosts, despite the mayor of New York (William Atherton), and her family, saying she’s too young, and indeed with the Ghostbusters’ future constantly at threat. Meanwhile the rest of her family feel reduced to minor roles, while the old guard pop up for turns between not-quite-cameos (Bill Murray and Annie Potts) and small supporting roles (Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson – who still deserves more screen-time).
Add in other faces from the previous film (Logan Kim’s Afterlife highlight Podcast has nowhere near the same push and therefore likability here) and new additions such as Patton Oswalt, James Acaster and Kumail Nanjiani and there’s a very busy film here. One moment of context ends on a line that writers Gil Kenan (also acting as director) and Jason Reitman appear to hope is cool before jumping into the next moment with a new character. It’s a pattern which frequently happens throughout this legacy sequel sequel and becomes rather tiresome the more the film goes on, jumping between faces without ever really expanding them, and in some case removing the personalities that we’ve seen before.
With so much going on between Phoebe’s strand and the various stages of investigation surrounding a threatening ancient artefact going on around her this is a very busy film, and yet shorter than the previous instalment. Perhaps things would feel less busy if they were allowed more time to grow instead of being wrapped in forced nostalgia, especially in the opening stages which feel almost cynically constructed to wring out joyous ‘memories’ of films past.
What’s lacking is the humour, and to some extent simplicity, that have made previous Ghostbusters films work so well, brought them their sense of fun. There’s so much plot crammed into Frozen Empire that there doesn’t seem to be room for fun, instead we’re meant to find joy in skits involving Finn Wolfhard trying to catch Slimer who has made a home in the firehouse attic, or the antics of mini Stay Puft Marshmallow men who are being treated like the Minions.
It all makes for something that, despite some glimmers and likable moments, feels tired and overstuffed. It leaves you wishing that it would get to the point and bring about its promises, in a more concise and enjoyable manner than something which simply finds ways to jump between a group of characters which is far too big for it to handle, particularly in the back and forth way in which it tries to do so. The feeling is of a film trying to be a huge blockbuster rather than a big budget comedy. And therefore the laughs rarely arrive and neither does the amusement or engagement with the characters. It might take a good while for the ice to properly arrive, but there’s a coldness to Frozen Empire long before it does.
With too many characters and forced attempts at nostalgia, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an overstuffed, occasionally cold, blockbuster aiming for spectacle over comedy, faltering under its ideas and ultimately lacking in humour
Just A Little Bit Random 