Summary
A review for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a fantastic continuation of the Ghostbusters story. Leaning further into horror but keeping the light-hearted tone the franchise is know for.
“The power to kill by fear itself. The Death Chill”
Image credit: IMAX.com
It’s been forty years since the original Ghostbusters came out, but the series has still got some life left in it. Frozen Empire is a sequel to 2021’s Afterlife, a film that acted both as a celebration of the series and a celebration of the late Harold Ramis who played Egon Spengler.
The film continues the story of the Spengler family as they become fully fledged Ghostbusters. Now living in the old firehouse, they must face down a threat more ancient and evil than anything they have dealt with before. With help from old friends they attempt to stop the world from freezing over.
The series sticks to its campy roots whilst also throwing in some genuine scares to keep you on your toes. It’s more of a throwback to the original films whilst keeping the new cast.
The great Bill Murray returns and is a joy to watch as always, but some of the new faces hold their own as well. The real standout being Mckenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler.
“Heads up, tall dark and horny at twelve o’clock”
Image credit: thepitchkc.com
The chilling story doesn’t take away from the heart-warming message told throughout the film. The central theme is learning to love and accept people for who they are, this is easiest to see in the relationship between Phoebe played by Mckenna Grace and Gary played by Paul Rudd.
The special effects team are given time to really flex their abilities in this one. Mixing practical effects for some of the ghosts and fantastic looking CGI for the film biggest set pieces. Some of the best moments being the paranormal research center sections.
As a fan of horror, it was genuinely surprising to see how effectively the film utilized the genre. The ghost has an unsettling design as it looks almost human but is clearly not. The cold open for the film perfectly sets the tone and shows how scary the threat really is.
A majority of the acting is great and works well with the tone of the film. However, some actors don’t work very well with the script leading to some scenes becoming slightly jarring.
Writer of Afterlife Gil Kenan took the director role this time around. His style works well as it fits in cohesively with the prior film’s style whilst also throwing in his own flare.
Composer Dario Marianelli uses a lot of the same techniques as the series’ original composer Elmer Bernstien. Borrowing a majority of the tracks and remixing them to fit the scenes they are in.
“I think we’re all going to die”
Image credit: screenrant.com
Frozen Empire is a fantastic followup to the original films whilst keeping the same tone as Afterlife. It’s a fun ride from beginning to end.
It’s not perfect, there is a few too many characters so a few get left out as the film races towards it’s slightly underwhelming final act. It gets slightly caught up in its own lore to the point where the ghost itself isn’t given enough time on screen.
As someone who grew up on Ghostbusters, I loved this. It itched that need for another film I had, it’s got plenty for fans to love and newcomers to get invested in. It’s well worth a watch in cinemas if you get the chance.
Featured image credits: Screenrant.com
Fourth year Film and Journalism student
Deputy editor
Contact - deputyeditor@brignews.com
