“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” review: a lot of text and so few good ideas

Ghostbusters: Ice Empire arrives in theaters at the best time possible. For fans of the iconic eighties franchise, 2024 will be a special year. And the saga is no more and no less than 40 years old. A milestone celebrated with the release of the fifth installment, the second after the 2021 reboot. Ghostbusters: Afterlife will hit theaters on March 22 with the intention of freezing viewers and, above all, making them have another good time watching their favorite saga.

Ice plot Ghostbusters: Ice Empire once again focuses on a new group of protagonists. Calliedaughter of the mythical Egon Spenglerand his two children, Phoebe And Trevorthey move to the city with a teacher Gary Gruberson, her partner. Together they acquire the necessary profession of ghost hunters, catching ectoplasmic spirits between skyscrapers. But in addition to facing new family dynamics and the legacy they carry from their predecessors, they will have to deal with a new and terrible threat. Since ancient times, a mysterious creature has promised to wreak havoc and destruction in the world.

Making it difficult for no reason

A priori plot Ghostbusters: Ice Empire It’s very simple. A new dark ancient spirit with powerful abilities has awakened to conquer the world. The new main characters will have to defeat him. Anyone can understand this concept, it’s the most basic thing about sequels. But rather than aiming for simplicity, director and co-writer Gil Kenan He wanted to make things unnecessarily confusing.

Without going into too much detail about the story so as not to spoil it, the film establishes numerous points through which you can expand your universe and your knowledge. It was as if creating a new ghost required a detailed explanation, full of details that no one asked about. Ancient artifacts, myths and legends, to which must be added an excessive accumulation of nostalgic elements of the saga (gadgets, secret bases, etc.). The film has so many threads to pull, so many absurdly crazy plots and subplots that don’t come together, that it’s impossible to get interested in almost anything.

TO Ghostbusters, fans come expecting a light, fast-paced adventure. Live with the heroes in the struggle for the fate of the world against terrifying and at the same time funny ghosts. But Ghostbusters: Ice Empire He wanted to go further, offer more things. And in this ambitious endeavor it has gone too far. Half the scenes are boring, and the script has so much text that the main thing, the action and humor, is forgotten. From the simple. Virtue lies in simplicity. That’s why the previous film was such a pleasant surprise.

Imbalance

The result of so many unnecessary elements is inevitable: a script full of inconsistencies. There are certain subjects and, in particular, certain objects on which attention is concentrated for a few minutes, as if they are going to add something very important to the overall story. And suddenly they disappear. Ghostbusters: Ice Empire he forgets about them, they are already useless, because he needs to develop other things. It’s like those children’s labyrinths in which the path from point A to point B seems easy and from which tedious, absurd branches arise that lead nowhere. Sometimes several consecutive scenes of characters talking are strung together in which the story doesn’t move one bit. In the film, this results in a terrible imbalance of pacing and a feeling of a waste of time.

And it doesn’t help that there is zero development for the characters who are supposed to be the main characters. Particularly painful is the case of Trevor Spangler from Finn Wolfhard, the plot of which is based solely on the thousandfold repetition of the fact that he is already 18 years old and an adult. There is no more character arc. The other side of the coin is Gary Grooberson from Paul Ruddwho wants to learn how to be a father (albeit with a lot less humor than we’re used to), and especially Phoebe Spangler from McKenna Gracegreat hero Ghostbusters: Ice Empire. She is where the film succeeds because her conflict over not being taken seriously is most rewarding.

As far as the original Ghostbusters goes, the movie doesn’t try too hard. Bill Murray He appears for two moments and has no weight in the plot. AND Ernie Hudson And Dan Aykroyd Yes, they have a lot more footage, although without any touring. His role is limited to being present, providing occasional assistance to the young characters and ultimately being a utilitarian tool for the script. It’s logical that Kenan He did not want to go further with them, risking interfering with a legacy that was already perfect and complete. But his presence is empty. And then there is Kumail Nanjianiwho had a great time shooting the film but seems to be filming his own parallel film.

Advantages

Nevertheless, Ghostbusters: Ice Empire It’s not a complete failure. It’s true that this is the weakest and most controversial part of the saga, but there are small traces of light in it. Beyond history Phoebe and humor of Nadim Razmaadi Nanjiani, there are other ingredients to highlight. Despite the lazy and disastrous central part, the beginning and end of the film are more developed. It is in these moments that we return to the most basic formula of the saga. And it works great. The film soars, inspires and gives a couple of pleasant moments.

The film’s visual apparatus is also accurate. The CGI and practical effects are well complemented and it doesn’t feel like you’re watching something plastic. And with so many winks and references to the original films, perhaps a few will appeal to fans. In any case, the film is not saved from disaster. It represents a significant step back from its predecessor and calls for giving the franchise a rest before dragging it completely into the mud.