“I have a ghost to bust.”
When Afterlife was initially announced back in 2021, my thoughts were: why do we keep messing with things instead of preserving them? Ghostbusters was an iconic film franchise that already suffered one failed attempt at reboot. So when I went to see Afterlife, I was expecting the law of diminishing returns to be in effect. However, to my mind, Afterlife, with its homage to the dearly departed Harold Ramis and inclusion of the original crew, was not a reboot, but a continuation. It worked, and brought with it some of the nostalgia from the franchise’s original run. Now as expected, one good turn deserves another, and we now have Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Once again, we were at risk of destroying a good thing, but thankfully we had the right people at the helm who were able to blend the old with the new, which is no surprise given that the film was co-written by the son of the franchise’s original director. Additionally, not only does the film maintain credibility by bringing back the entire cast of Afterlife such as Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, and Finn Wolfhard; it also reaches back in time and brings together the original crew in the form of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd (who also credited with the original story idea), Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton. Throw in new cast members like Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanijiani and Patton Oswalt, and you got yourself a party.
Picking up after the events in Sumerville, Oklahoma, the descendants of Egon Spengler (Callie, Trevor, and most notably and most Egon-like, Phoebe) along with Rudd’s Grooberson have relocated to where it all the started: the New York City firehouse that once served and once again serves as the Ghostbusters headquarters. Financially backed by former Ghostbuster Dr. Winston Zeddemore, they have resumed operations and find themselves facing the same kind of obstacles that plagued the original team, most of these obstacles being in the form of Walter Peck, now mayor of New York City. True to his nature, he continues his vendetta against the Ghostbusters and remains determined to shut them down for good. Meanwhile, the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force unlike any the group has ever faced. Ghostbusters, new and old, must join forces to protect the world from a second Ice Age.
In this day and age, reboots, revivals, or remakes have become common place in cinema, to the point that they’ve spun out into their own subgenre. There have been some good ones, such as A Star is Born. Then there have been some bad ones, such as the previously mentioned reboot of this beloved franchise. This time, I’d dare to say that Frozen Empire is a great one. This is unquestionably due to the film remaining true to the original franchise and what the original franchise was intended to be. Fun. It’s a fun movie. While it has some serious themes and character growth for certain characters, above all things, it is just a fun experience that you are sure to laugh at and enjoy. Once again, I have to believe that the films remaining in the family by being co-written by Jason Reitman, son of the franchise’s original director, Ivan Reitman, has more than a little to do with it. In that spirit, the film is also dedicated to the dearly departed Ivan. Additionally, the blending of the old with the new also without question adds to the quality as well as maintains decades worth of continuity. For Bill Murray, though his screen time is limited, he slipped back into the role of Venkman as if time hadn’t passed. I also was not expecting to see William Atherton reprising his role, and true to form, he plays the role well, becoming instantly unlikeable. Akroyd, who has the biggest role of the originals, acts as the soul of the film, as he is the one who seems to have remained in some capacity connected to the group’s old life, and through him you see all of their longing for the good old days.
Transitioning into the new school, I must say how impressed I was at the way the film maintained continuity. Not only did they bring back all the central characters from Afterlife, but they also even went as far as to bring back peripheral characters such as Logan Kim’s Podcast and Celeste O’Connor’s Lucky Domingo, incorporating them in a believable manner. While Rudd, Coon, and Wolfhard all have decent screentime, Mckenna Grace is clearly the star and the heart of this installment, as her character goes through an important and integral amount of character growth and development. Grace’s Phoebe undoubtedly was the breakout from the previous film as she is here, her character facing the most inner turmoil. She is a genius and most like her grandfather, a connection that she is very proud of. However, she still has growing to do, which was a prominent theme in the film. Embracing the Ghostbuster lifestyle right away, she finds what she loves most threatened by others due to her age. Being a minor, she is considered not ready for what comes with her chosen path. This serves to isolate her and foster conflict between her and her family. This was where my intrigue lay.
The inner conflict of the character was a relatable addition to a film that is securely rooted in the paranormal, which allowed the film to remain grounded in reality. Grace was well suited to display this inner conflict and defiance that lands her in hot water more than once. It all pays off when the character finds herself humbled when her naivete and lack of emotional maturity leads her down a path that has dire consequences, and not just for her. This also puts her on a path of redemption that brings the character full circle.
I could go on and on, but I do believe it is time for me to wrap this up. In summation, Ghostbusters Frozen Empire was a really fun and enjoyable experience. It is a worthy addition to the franchise, and I expect to go see it again, this time with my family, as it is also, like its predecessor, family friendly.
