Forty years after “Ghostbusters” and after a series of sequels that never measured up to the 1984 original — starting with 1989’s “Ghostbusters II” — it’s fair to wonder, well, who else should we call ? Now is the time to, if not give up the ghost completely, then at least flip through the old Rolodex.
But as 2021’s disappointing installment, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” showed, the half-life of most film franchises today is a long tail of diminishing returns. Although the options are many, sucking up to “Ghostbusters” will become a staple in Hollywood nostalgia.
Still, it’s not that simple. I’m happy for a female-led 2016 “Ghostbusters.” In addition to inspiring a small culture war, it assembled the best comic ensemble since the original with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and, yes, Chris Hemsworth.
And as easy as it might be to label the new one, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” another half-hashed retread — which it is, a little bit — it’s also a significant upgrade from “Afterlife,” which moved the action to Oklahoma. Did it and someone forgot to pack the comedy. “The Frozen Empire,” fortunately, set in New York, is an easier, more serviceable sequel that has a modest charm as an ’80s family adventure.
The intuitive appeal of “Ghostbusters” was linked to its drastic blend of genres – adult-edged comedy with sci-fi toys – which summoned the feeling of “Abbott of Costello meets Frankenstein”. When sequels have gone astray, it’s usually because they get bogged down in seriousness or special effects, when all they really need is the end of the world and a nice Bill Murray smile I feel. I’ll forgive bad visual effects much quicker than bland comic interplay.
However, “Frozen Empire” is organized less around a group of funny guys wearing proton packs than a family. The film more or less ends with the Ectomobile racing down Fifth Avenue, with Gary driving, Callie riding shotgun and her children – Trevor and Phoebe – trailing behind, all in search of a “sewer dragon” apparition.
The cast is largely the same as in “Afterlife”, but the talent behind the scenes has been realigned. After Jason Reitman took over directing duties from his father, Ivan Reitman, he is credited here as a producer and writer. Gil Kenan, who co-wrote “Afterlife,” directs “Frozen Empire,” which is dedicated to the elder Reitman, who died in 2022.
More than ever, you can feel the growing distance from the original “Ghostbusters.” Harold Ramis died in 2014, and while Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson return, they no longer feel like the pivot of this cinematic universe.
Familiar-faced ghosts also return in “Frozen Empire,” which, like its predecessor, doesn’t skimp on fan service. The tendency to cater to “Ghostbusters” fanatics is weakening a franchise that went into defensive mode after 2016. Ghost Busters.”
But if you accept “Frozen Empire’s” low-brow aspirations, you can get quite an enjoyable experience out of it. It’s a movie that almost feels like a high-production-value TV pilot for a cheesy sitcom, starring Rudd as well. The Stepfather, it performs the same big-screen show as the original.
The family has moved into the famous fire station, but there is a lot of trouble. The contamination unit is filled, the mayor wants eviction and there is a disturbing rumbling associated with an object that comes to light – Garraka’s sphere – which may awaken a particularly spooky feeling.
People become thin. Ghosts are destroyed. New Yorkers shrug. The formula is followed, with some lively variations. The standout here is Grace, who engages in a brief but tender relationship with a ghost after a nightly chess match in Washington Square Park. And Kumail Nanjiani more or less steals the movie, playing a man from Queens and reluctant heir to the mysterious role of “Firemaster.” He’s so much fun that you’re almost convinced that, in a highly expanded movie franchise, he has yet to give up the ghost.
The Sony Pictures release “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references. Running time: 115 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
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