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Gil Kenan’s “Frozen Empire” is a movie that, when all was said and done was fine. It was perfectly fine. The problem was that it was yet another of the just fine, perfectly okay movies for 2024, and that doesn’t sit well with me. There are so many places that they can go with “Ghostbusters” and they are still basically stuck in the shadows of the original film. Not only do they refuse to expand on the sceop of the firehouse but they still aim for big city bound showdowns that really don’t hit the mark too well.
I didn’t hate “Frozen Empire” like apparently many others did. I liked it. I just wish there was more thinking outside of the box.
The Spengler family returns to the iconic New York City firehouse where the original Ghostbusters have taken ghost-busting to the next level. When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must unite to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.
I love them keeping the original team, even if they’re (yes, even Janine!) basically in much smaller roles this time out. The movie belongs primarily to the Spangler legacy as they’ve moved in to the Firehouse, patrol the city for ghosts, and even look over the complex machinery the original group passed on to them. The tensions rise when the machinery begins to show their chinks, leaving them to figure out how to start re-thinking not only catching ghosts but imprisoning them. Once more characters are established, the movie struggles to keep the momentum.
The narrative is largely unfocused and not even very good in establishing the newest heroes for this series. To contribute to the sheer lack of focus and breakneck pacing, there’s lore expert Dr. Hubert Wartzki played by Patton Oswalt, a reluctant hero and potential pyrokinetic Nadeem played by Kumail Nanjiani). As a means of introducing a more modern take on Slimer, we even get a friendly ghost named Melody who befriends Phoebe. Played Emily Alyn Lind, she fulfills the friend quota that Phoebe desperately needs all the while injecting some undeniable LGBTQ overtones that, quite obviously, the writers aren’t ready to confront.
And don’t worry, Slimer makes an appearance. Despitthe problems, “Frozen Empire” is yet again a nice re-visit to this universe that is working hard to re-frame Ghostbusters less as a foursome of middle aged men, and more as a family slaying ghosts in order to keep the legacy of Egon Spangler alive. There’s yet to be a “Ghostbusters” follow up that hits the high bar of the first film, but I could see re-visiting “Frozen Empire.”
We were given the 4K and Blu-Ray combo pack with both offer the following special features and Audio Commentary with Gil Kenan. The Blu-ray includes the six minutes Easter Eggs Unleashed, the four minutes Manifesting Garraka, the informative New York, New Gear, and Welcome to the Paranormal Discovery Center. The behind-the-scenes featurette Return to the Firehouse in which Kenan, Ivan Reitman, and some of the cast members talk about the development of the story, the characters, and the history of the iconic firehouse location—both the NYC exterior and the studio set.
Busted: Capturing the Ghosts of the Frozen Empire includes segments on the various ghosts that appear in the film, the many on-screen references to the previous films, the design of the film’s demon, and more. Knowing the Score piece with composer Dario Marianelli, which touches on the orchestra recording process. There’s a collection of Deleted Scenes clocking in at over eight minutes total. This includes Headlines, I Am a Doctor, Ghost-Chopper, and Slime Bath. Finally, the packaging includes a Movies Anywhere Digital code on a paper insert.