Ghostbutsters: Frozen Empire Movie Review

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The movie begins with a Robert Frost poem which sets the tone. Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice Is also great.

We’re then in 1904, watching firemen race to a building where there is no fire… only ice.

You will not want to miss this. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was a good time, but this one is even better. True that bringing back all of the older characters is completely a given that it’ll be a positive to the film. They were fantastic, looked great and added a lot to Frozen Empire. There’s a touching moment at the end of Afterlife that leaves you wanting more and I’m glad we did get this movie.

It’s a lot of fun with some great characters, as one would expect from The Ghostbusters filmmakers, and if you’re in the mood for merriment with a touch of the undead added in, you won’t be disappointed. Don’t go to tear it apart, just go see this to enjoy yourself with the family.

As expected, some of the fun scenes you see are clips from the original flick. They even add some of the Ray Parker Jr. video! Also, “Bustin’ makes me feel good,” is said in the film. Paul Rudd, who traditionally makes you laugh, has a great time with some of the lines from the original. The debacle with the Statue of Liberty from 1989 is mentioned and Ecto-1 runs around Manhattan. During all of this, I noticed that the audience I watched this with were applauding. This is why you go to the movies, right?? This happened more than once. The nostalgia was thick. Slimmer shows up, getting the audience cheering. He ends up being a somewhat heroic figure, which was a surprise. That said, it’s comical that he is. He doesn’t look the part.

I loved the sound design. The movie is loud, and if you watch it in a theater that is large enough, you’ll feel everything, but pay attention! You don’t want to miss the terminology lines such as the P.K.E. Meter (which informs them a ghost is present), Proton Fields and a new one, the Ionic Separator. This gives someone two minutes to be on the same plane as someone who has passed away. This is used very cleverly. Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), Egon Spengler’s (Harold Ramis) granddaughter, is feeling left out. She caused some trouble because being a 15-year-old doesn’t help with decision making, becomes friends with a ghost named Melody. Melody plays friends but, as it turns out, is only using Phoebe. That’s all I’ll say about that.

Kumail’s humor was spot on. He plays one of the more important characters but doesn’t have a lot of screen time. What he does have, he uses wisely. We meet him as a man selling his grandmother’s antiques to Ray (Aykroyd). One of them turns out to be an orb that holds an ancient evil spirit named Garraka. He’s bad. Period. And is released, of course. Garraka tells the Ghostbusters that, “Your world will shatter to bones and ice. My empire will rise.” He’s a poet! It’s actually a very dark scene and it’s needed for this “ghost” movie. Most of the ghosts you get are the tiny Stay Puft Marshmallows causing havoc. Not at all frightening or vile, just… ADORABLE!

Everyone rallies together to beat the new monster, but their proton packs don’t work against him. Well, there’s one thing, but… I’ll let you find that out. Before the city gets into REAL trouble, Garraka releases some previously caught friends to help him. This villain is great, but not there long enough; I would have liked to have seen more of him and his carnage before they caught him. He also needed to eat a bit. Hard to be too intimidated by something so thin.

Anyway, Patton Oswalt’s librarian character tells the group, “For the first time in New York history, people froze to death in the middle of July.” Garraka has the death chill, the ability to kill by putting ice in your veins. We should have seen more of this, though the firemen do see it at the beginning of the film and that scene is creepy

I think you’ll really enjoy this. It brings those from Afterlife and the originals together in the best way possible and entertains you while never disappointing. The family will love it, but I suggest perhaps not trying again. End on this note of it wasn’t amazing, but fun will be had by all. Rudd and the other newer characters have a certain charm, but they’ll never be Bill Murray. You can’t go back trying to recapture the magic of the original. It isn’t going to happen, and it isn’t needed. Just go and watch it instead.