In 1984, New York City, and by extension the world, was nearly destroyed by a powerful supernatural entity. Fortunately, a team of ghost hunters, unlikely heroes of the day, overcame it. Rebelote in 1989. In 2021, Callie Spengler, angry daughter of Egon Spengler, one of the original Ghostbusters, moved with her two children into her late father’s dilapidated rural cleanliness. Supernatural entity, planetary threat, encore. Fast forward to 2024 and the Spenglers now live in New York where the clan captures and imprisons specters and spirits. You can guess what happens next in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Ghostbusters, the ice empire), fourth, or fifth it depends, part of the saga.
Yes, because the great female adventure of 2016, with Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, so angered the “ fanboys » (with a matching online misogynist surge), which was excluded from the official canon.
In short, in this new opus, we find all the protagonists of the previous film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (SOS ghosts, the afterlife), plus those of the originals, plus new characters… for an overcrowded gallery.
We’re talking about a dozen characters to whom the scenario, whose skeleton is the same as that of the previous stories, strives to give something meaningful to do. Obviously, not everyone receives the same narrative consideration.
Thus, a good part of the attention remains focused on the youngest Phoebe (formidable McKenna Grace), a young prodigy who makes a ghost friend as part of a subplot which does not have the courage to go to the end of his romantic desires. The couple formed by Callie and Gary continues to make us smile, especially since Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd share a palpable bond. Which doesn’t leave much for the eldest Trevor (Finn Wolfhard)…
What’s more, knowing that the stars of the original films are not content this time with a simple appearance at the end, but on the contrary have a sustained presence. This means that Ray (Dan Ackroyd), Winston (Ernie Hudson), Peter (Bill Murray), and Janine (Annie Potts), have their long moments in the spotlight.
Added in key roles Kumail Nanjiani, Emily Alyn Lind, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, James Acaster… In short, not only is the courtyard full, it is overflowing.
Nostalgic reminders
Although the incessant back and forth between one and the other partially camouflages the thinness of the plot and the repetitive nature of the issues and developments. We go so far as to repeat the threat of closure of the original film under the imprimatur of the undrinkable Walter Peck (William Atherton reprises his role), who went from zealous municipal official to vengeful mayor.
In this regard, like the previous Afterlife, Frozen Empire is based on nostalgic reminders intended for early enthusiasts. It is both a quality and a fault, between ingenuity and ease.
The special effects are generally excellent, but the antagonist, yet another evil deity, suffers from a very ordinary design. After epic chases in the city, the final confrontation also proves disappointing in its reduced scale.
In short, all this is undeniably nice, but long. Sure, the goal was always to amuse rather than frighten, but at this point all these ghosts mostly feel like rambling.