‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Review: A Nostalgic & Funny Entertaining Adventure

It’s been a whopping 40 years since the original and now classic 1984 hit Ghostbusters, and in celebration of that milestone arrives Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Being born in the ’80s, I may hold a slight bias towards this franchise, as Ghostbusters holds a special place in my childhood, despite Ghostbusters II’s Vigo scaring the absolute shit out of my then 7 year old self.

Considering that, it was a surprise even to myself that I harbored no aversion to 2021’s Afterlife. It proved to be a solid film, and witnessing the original Ghostbusters don their uniforms once again on the big screen felt like a truly special moment. And that feeling was amplified this time around with Frozen Empire. The film is funny, entertaining, and with the return to its New York setting and with the expanded roles of the original Ghostbusters, it delivers a big smack of nostalgia. There is nothing wrong with embracing fan-service.

Frozen Empire kicks off with a spooky prologue set in 1904 New York, introducing us to the ‘Death Chill’ as a room full of people mysteriously freeze to death. Then, we’re firmly whisked into the present day. Here, the Spengler family, now residing in New York and having taken up the family business, are suited and booted, on the job, charging around the streets of New York in Ecto-1.

It’s not long before they’re hauled in front of the ‘forever having a stick us his ass’ Walter Peck (William Atherton) now the mayor. The new crew get a dressing down (and accused of child labor) and it’s Peck’s bureaucracy that sets up Phoebe’s narrative for the entire film, which is excellently conveyed by Mckenna Grace.

Phoebe teams up with Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz, now semi-retired, spending his days hoarding other people’s psychically charged possessions. It’s here we learn of the films villain, a pre-Sumerian death god named Garraka, that’s housed in an ancient relic. Ray’s continued excursions into the realm of parapsychology are a nice nod to the original Ghostbusters from director Gil Kenan and co-writer Jason Reitman. It shows a certain respect, as Ghostbusters, of course is Aykroyd’s baby, born from his own lifelong interest in the paranormal.

Aykroyd’s Ray receives the most attention among the original Ghostbusters, and it seems appropriate. On multiple occasions, Ray tells his ghostbusting colleagues, “This is how I want to spend my golden years, this is what I love.” And that didn’t feel like acting; Aykroyd has genuine love and affection for this role. But that doesn’t mean the others are shortchanged. Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) is at the heart of the Ghostbusters’ revival. Now a wealthy businessman, he reacquires the firehouse, builds a new holding cell, and invests in new proton packs and technology, along with running a paranormal research lab. They would be nothing without him.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is fun, rowdy, and entertaining. I’m okay with fan-service, and I’m not ready for Ghostbusters to be sent to the ‘afterlife’.

Now, onto the sensitive subject of Bill Murray. He has been receiving a lot of flak for his appearance in Frozen Empire, accused of being on autopilot and trudging his way through his lines with only a whiff of the usual ‘Venkman-isms’. But I’m going to let him off the hook. When he first appeared, I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. Yes, it isn’t as sharp a performance as the Venkman we know and love from Ghostbusters I and II, but the man is 73 years old, and he still pulled off a few killer lines.

Paul Rudd is, as always, excellent comic relief as the awkward ‘step-teacher’ Gary Grooberson, while the team of new Ghostbusters, led by Carrie Coon’s Callie Spengler and Finn Wolfhard’s Trevor Spengler, hold the film together perfectly. But most surprising was Kumail Nanjiani’s Nadeem Razmaadi, who had some of the best comedic moments in the film.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire tries very hard to satisfy the series’ fan base, and it mostly succeeds. While some may argue it tries too hard, it strikes a good balance and doesn’t mess with its well-developed formula. The cast, old and new, work well together, and it’s Dan Aykroyd who is the key source of nostalgia. After Afterlife’s fleeting cameo, Aykroyd enjoys a significant role at the heart of this film.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is fun, rowdy, and entertaining. I’m okay with fan-service, and I’m not ready for Ghostbusters to be sent to the ‘afterlife’.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in cinemas worldwide.

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