Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire review: Paul Rudd & Co. rescue this fan-service sequel
Gil Kenan’s film, the sequel to ‘Afterlife,’ is endearingly nostalgic and light-hearted but is also a misdirected effort that is devoid of the eccentricities of the original two films
Ivan Reitman’s 1984 film Ghostbusters and its 1989 sequel are as much about hunting down ghosts, spirits and anything supernatural on the loose as they are about goofiness and infantilism that almost defines Hollywood cinema of the era. Cut to 2024, director Gil Kenan reimagines the world with similar playfulness except that he (along with co-writer Jason Reitman) raises the perils multifold and compels the new lot of Busters to be serious daredevils. The latest and the fifth iteration, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, is a hotchpotch of a film that is endearingly nostalgic and light-hearted but is also a misdirected effort that is devoid of the eccentricities of the original two films.
Many fondly recall the first instalment of the series today primarily for its central cast led by Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis). The trio were motley misfits who somehow managed to slide their way into becoming unlikely heroes of New York City by blending knotty science with a whole lot of street-smartness. The mythology infused — be it Zuul, the monstrous dog-like thing or Gozer, the shapeshifting demigod — was always the bonus because what really mattered were the antics of the three. The recent two sequels, Afterlife (2021) and Frozen Empire, trade these characters and the setup for high stakes and run with it — while these films boast some exceptional CGI work and look snazzy throughout, the lack of that naiveté doesn’t make them the romps that we want them to.
A new nemesis
That isn’t to say that Frozen Empire isn’t fun. The film brims with heartwarming moments that range from Dr. Ray Stantz teaming with a couple of teens and heading into the iconic library for a covert project to Paul Rudd’s Gary Grooberson attempting to promote himself as Phoebe and Trevor’s dad. Phoebe, played by Mckenna Grace, gets the best arc in the story by a big margin and it’s her serendipitous (or is it?) meeting with a young spirit named Melody at the park that nudges the drama in a new direction. There’s an undercurrent of romance between the two girls that promises to sizzle at the right time but the writers don’t make much out of it, unfortunately. Much of the narrative toggles between the new enemy at hand and the more important throwbacks to the original movies — while the latter portions elicit a lot of adventure and giggles, they still don’t end up salvaging the lacklustre plotting.
Kenan and Reitman inject a heavier dose of mythology into their story and bring in a new nemesis, the manifestation of ultimate evil (Murray’s Venkman even says this out loud to cut to the chase in his cameo) named Garraka. In one of the best scenes in the film, the ever-reliable Patton Oswalt takes us through the origins of this demonic God who existed in ancient South Asia but is still very much alive because of a metal orb. The same orb, we learn, is thrifted off to Stantz by a normie named Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani), who says that he chanced upon it in his now-dead grandmother’s secret dungeon while, well, looking for pop-tarts. But before we know it, Nadeem is told that he withholds a key power to combat Garraka (whenever he arrives) and how this new goof joins the Ghostbusters and Co. in this glorious tussle forms the rest of the story.
An overpopulated story
Both the highs and lows of Frozen Empire arise from this exact setup, wherein the film is forced to churn out scene after scene to accommodate its many participants. While each moment in the film is deftly executed, a majority of them don’t necessarily contribute to the impact that the makers desire because the story is just so overpopulated. The film starts off with Gary, now a firm unit of the Ghostbusters, wanting to promote himself as Trevor and Phoebe's dad and it’s almost suggested that this is where the emotional core lies. But as we inch along, one ghoul to another, the narrative almost forgets this bit and makes the family drama (which Afterlife set up quite well) the second fiddle.
Simultaneously, it doesn’t help that the chief antagonist is a lot like any CGI-laden double-horned giant who only threatens to destroy the world and nothing more. Not to forget all the other cameos though! William Atherton as that Environment guy Walter Peck returns and so does Slimer himself who runs quite the riot juiced on junk food. In isolation, all this adds up to be enjoyable but if you are the classic Ghostbusters geek who is looking for that meaningless fun, then the contrivances don’t amount to much. Frozen Empire is a great fan service and it works best when it throws caution in the air and simply rides the fun wave. Everywhere else, it’s not unlike other Hollywood biggies.