It’s been three years since we’ve last seen the Spengler family as they relocated from Oklahoma to New York. They’ve moved into the original Ghostbusters Firehouse, complete with a firepole, ghost-catching equipment, containers, and the iconic Ecto-1. The casually argumentative family dynamic between the Spengler family–mom Callie, Carrie Coon, and teenagers Phoebe, McKenna Grace age 15 and Trevor, Finn Wolfhard, 18 years old, and step-dad Gary Grooberson, Paul Rudd is all in good fun. Highlighting Carrie, the smart, chess-playing, ghostbusting aficionado, the underlying focus of the script is brilliant; I enjoyed her performance immensely. She’s the bright light in the over-stuffed script and ultra-frightening final ghost. Parents, I would take children under 12.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” brings back the original cast, Ray Stantz, Dan Aykroyd, Peter Venkman, played by Bill Murray, and Janine Melnitz, Annie Potts. Yes, they’re back fighting ghosts. The paranormal research center is overseen by the super-wealthy Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) and the New York Public Library, where eccentric researcher Dr. Hubert Wartzki, Patton Oswalt, works.
Writers Gil Kenan, who also directed, and Jason Reitman, whose dad Ivan helmed the original film, take us back the nostalgia and an updated approach, bringing in a new threat named Garraka, The ghost-monster is written as an ancient horned demon who, is extremely tall with huge gnarring sharp teeth and long claws. Yes, he is terrifying; thus, the recommendation is not to bring children, as the film is rated PG-13. If the new monster-ghost is unleashed, an icy doom will occur for New York City and the entire world.
Kumail Nanjiani as Nadeem Razmaadi, pick up some of the comedic slack, getting some solid laughs as Nadeem discovers his destiny. While the ghostbusting of the Spengler family is great entertainment, when the Garraka appears, the film becomes serious, with fear-provoking scenes taking on a different tone. The playfulness is over, despite Murry’s wise-cracking. Overall, it’s a good effort, just not as great as the first one in 1984.
| Directed by: | Gil Kenan
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| Written by: | Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman
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| Based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” An Ivan Reitman film written by |
Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
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| Produced by: | Ivan Reitman
Jason Reitman Jason Blumenfeld
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| Executive Producers: | Dan Aykroyd
JoAnn Perritano Amie Karp Erica Mills Eric Reich
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| Cast: | Paul Rudd
Carrie Coon Finn Wolfhard Mckenna Grace Kumail Nanjiani Patton Oswalt Celeste O’Connor Logan Kim Dan Aykroyd Ernie Hudson Annie Potts |
Sarah Knight Adamson© April 6, 2024
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