The latest sequel to the legendary franchise offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane for fans of the original – but falls short in delivering much substance.
The movie mostly follows Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), the super-intelligent granddaughter of Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis), one of the original Ghostbusters. Her family –
mother Callie (Carrie Coon), stepfather Gary (Paul ‘Ant-Man’ Rudd), and brother Trevor (Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard) – have moved to the setting of the iconic firehouse where the inaugural cast made their ‘ghostbusting’ start, which proves to set the stage for a quintessential Big Apple tale revolving around bureaucracy and pest control.
Taking over the headquarters, Phoebe and her team revive the Ghostbusters operation with the support of familiar faces like Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) – who is now in semi-retirement and collects psychically charged trinkets – Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts), bringing a sense of nostalgia to the story as they embark on new supernatural adventures in the bustling metropolis.
It mainly revolves around an ancient artifact releasing an evil force which could reign in a second ice age. And yes, Bill Murray also returns, though sadly don’t expect to see much more of him than you do in the trailer.
For die-hard Ghostbuster fans, the sight of the iconic Ecto-1 speeding through the city streets and a few unexpected cameos popping up throughout may be enough to satisfy your thirst. The film successfully taps into the ‘fanboy’ factor, serving as a comfortable blanket of familiarity.
However, beyond these throwbacks, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire struggles to thaw out a compelling narrative with meaningful character development. The story feels thin and lacks ingenuity, leaving much to be desired in terms of originality and depth.
One of the film's main shortcomings is the imbalance between dialogue-heavy scenes and the actual ghost-thwarting action. While some fans may enjoy the interactions between characters and the witty banter reminiscent of the original films, younger viewers will likely grow restless due to the lack of excitement and suspense.
Which means the excessive fan service – despite a handful of noteworthy moments – could have inadvertently ‘frozen’ the franchise from building its own empire.
ESP Rating: 3/5
Mike Clarke
Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough, Out Now
Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Dan Akroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Patton Oswald, Bill Murray & William Atherton
Running Time: 1 Hr 55 Mins
Director: Gil Kenan
Go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux
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