Riot’s Reviews: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
“Who ya gonna call?!” What an iconic song for an iconic brand! Although the original Ghostbusters came out a full two years before I was born, I remember growing up in a world that was obsessed with the blooming franchise. That being said, its status in my hierarchy of nerd-culture topics is pretty low. Maybe it was a timing thing, or the fact that “evil spirit themed” films weren’t exactly valued in the culture I grew up in, but I barely remember any details from the second film and (full disclosure) I didn’t bother with the female-led remake or Ghostbusters: Afterlife. So take my opinions here with a grain of salt all you GB Fans, as I’ll be evaluating the film more on a standalone premise than anything else. I don’t believe it’s impossible to do so, as truly great series should have the ability to create fully realized, individual stories that can still be linked together. But, context matters and I’d rather not pretend that I am some authority on the Ghostbusters universe. A brief scan of the current critic’s reviews/opinions seem unable to separate the latest film from the rest of its catalog, while audiences seem more convinced that Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the right amount of nostalgia and entertainment.
Overall, I’d have to say I’m with the audience on this one, but with qualifiers. Frozen Empire gets a lot of things right, especially when it comes to the nostalgia factor. The creators resurrected the look and feel of all the old tech that the original characters started their ghostbusting venture on. I’m certain the older audience is going to enjoy seeing 8-bit/DOS style screens, landline/wired telephones, and the iconic white hearse complete with the classic GB logo. The comedy is corny and fun, complete with dad-style puns and a plethora of one-line zingers. The entire impression of the film feels directly pulled from the 80’s and with the return of ¾ of the original cast, it’s easy to fall back into the old rhythms of the time. There is a lot of elements in the story that appear to be practical effects, which I am down for but at the same time, the CGI isn’t overwhelming to the point of looking bad. Casting-wise, it never hurts to have Paul Rudd (Gary Grooberson) throwing around some awkward humor and I have to give extra points to the casting director for Mckenna Grace (Phoebe Spengler) who is an absolute dead ringer for the grandchild of Harold Ramis (RIP Egon). The big bad (Garraka) has an intensely menacing design, which is a little unfortunate because of his under-use in the film. My favorite takeaway though was a few sequences involving a multitude of miniature Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men. I totally fell for the silly fanfare nature of the little guys and will stand by this statement: they were the best part of the whole film.
Now for the qualifiers. My biggest overall complaint for this film is the pacing. There are a lot more lulls than I would have hoped for and the exposition, particularly a CGI’d sequence explaining the origins of Garraka (the animation was awesome though), aren’t as entertaining or in-depth as they probably should be. Because the original GB cast is involved, the massive swell of protagonists makes it difficult to hone in on what exactly the audience is supposed to care about (I mean, look at this protagonist list: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Emily Alyn Lind, James Acaster, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts). While we know the story is centralized to Phoebe Spengler, there isn’t enough substance even in her arc that keeps your focus. While I enjoyed the CGI, it felt like there weren’t enough ghosts or ghost interactions in this movie (like I said earlier, even the main villain was critically underused), and a couple of Slimer cameos just wasn’t really enough. The overall story had a predictability that, while reminiscent of the 80’s, arguably hurt the overall product and there were more than a few head slapping moments for blatant, poor decisions made by our heroes (there’s a difference between bad choices that advance the plot and bad choices that are unrealistic). While I wouldn’t go so far as to outright call some plot points a deus ex machina, there were a few strong conveniences (particular to Nanjiani and Grace’s characters) that garnered a couple eye rolls on my behalf; for spoiler reasons I can’t say why but just know they’re there.
Like I mentioned before, the creators leaned heavily into the nostalgia factor for Frozen Empire and whether or not that is a good/positive mark on the film will have to be decided by each individual. Personally, I didn’t mind it, even though I would argue (as I have many times before) that Hollywood desperately needs to move on from their sequel/remake obsession. I get the feeling that if creators are going to use old IPs to tell new stories, it will be a better practice to let the new generation take over the narration and let the old stay firmly in the past. Of course it was cool to see the original Ghostbusters back in uniform and being involved in the story. But by doing this, the film felt overloaded with faces, forcing the issue that there would never be enough time to genuinely involve all of the characters in the events of the story. Having said this, I’ve also mentioned multiple times before that the new/younger gen actors/actresses aren’t putting out performances that are up to snuff. Each time I feel like I’m being biased with that way of thinking, I see a new movie where the kids just aren’t alright (lol). Still, this is their story now. Yes, I liked seeing the old guys again, but were they necessary? Not sure what the answer is, it’s just something to think about.
Riot’s Rating: 8/10
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