GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE – A Review by John Strange
In June 1984, I sat in a theater and watched Ghostbusters for the first time. It knocked my socks off. The sequels have been good but not up to the level of the first. The one that came the closest was probably Ghostbusters: Afterlife because its story was strong with good effects.
This sequel starts out strong with a very good evil spirit setup. And then shows us that the Spengler family plus Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) have come to the Big Apple to run the “family business” out of the original Ghostbuster’s firehouse.
The original cast, Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), and Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) all have great parts in this story as they step back into the roles they made famous 40 years ago.
Winston is extremely wealthy and is bankrolling both the Spengler family. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t under constant attack from a City of New York politician Walter Peck (William Atherton) who is now the mayor. He hated the Ghostbusters then and REALLY hates them now.
I started to say sadly but then I realized that I am happier with someone else being the true cause of the disaster that rolls over the city. Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani) is the ne’er-do-well grandson who starts selling off objects that belonged to granny.
The story has lots of action, great special effects (especially the ghosts and the freezing action), excellent humor, and at its core, a lot of heart. My one itch was the relationship between Gary, the ex-science teacher from Oklahoma, and Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), Egon’s daughter and the mother of Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard). You two make up your minds! Please!
The film is dedicated to Ivan Reitman (1946-2022).
Director: Gil Kenan
Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Bill Murray
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references)
Selig Rating: 4.9 Stars
Runtime: 125 Min.
Release Date: 03/22/2024
Language: English
Movie Site: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Official Website
Trailer: GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
