Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire | Review by: Stefano Bove
Ghostbusters Afterlife reinvigorated the beloved franchise with a fresh and exciting new roster of heroes, The Spengler Family and the Grandchildren of Egon. After inheriting their grandfather's tech, This sequel sees the Spengler Family fitting into their new roles as the protectors of New York against the supernatural. The family dynamic of Phoebe, Trevor, Callie and Gary is much more interesting this time around as the group have an entertaining family and work dynamic.
The stakes have never been higher and the threat has never been bigger as the team must face off against an incredibly powerful, ancient ice god. High stakes call for more hands on deck and every Ghostbuster answers the call to this massive case. Luckily they are not too far behind as they are all still based in New York and have expanded the Ghostbusters organization significantly with a full research lab run by Winston.
newcomer to the franchise, Kumail nanjiani, fits right in with the comedic timing that made the series so iconic with its original cast of Aykroyd and Murray. He is such a great addition to the lore of the series as well. James Acaster is another welcomed addition to the cast as he plays a much more serious researcher for the organization.
With all of these new cast members and world building plots, it’s unfortunate that Trevor was a bit sidelined and did not have a story of his own but Phoebe was still the main focus and had two subplots. After being benched for being too young to bust ghosts, she befriends one in the park while playing chess. This is an interesting interaction and leads to some great moments and development for Phoebe. This side plot may not work all of the time but it does teach Phoebe about trust, responsibility and making mistakes.
The CGI in this film is really well done and the villain Garraka is menacing. Garraka is a formidable villain and even the combined effort of eleven Ghostbusters is not enough to stop him. All of this considered, I do wish the third act was longer.
Ghostbusters Frozen Kingdom is a worthy instalment to the Ghostbusters universe. The story is not perfect but fans of the series will leave satisfied with the growth of the franchise and the cool new red jackets.
3/5
Review by: Stefano Bove
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