Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Synopsis: The Spengler family revisits the famous New York City firehouse where the original Ghostbusters have elevated ghost-busting to new heights. When they stumble upon an ancient artifact that unleashes a malevolent force, both the new and old Ghostbusters must come together to defend their home and prevent the world from plunging into a second ice age.

Movie Review:

"Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, directed by Gil Kenan, is the fourth film in the 40-year franchise and serves as a sequel to the 2021 "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," which I quite enjoyed. This movie is a fun, family-friendly flick that captures the essence of an 80s summer movie.

All the familiar characters from the previous film make a return, with Paul Rudd shining as Gary Grobberson, a former teacher turned Ghostbuster who is now dating Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon). Rudd's performance is as charming and hilarious as ever, bringing a delightful energy to the screen. His relationship with Phoebe, played by the talented Mckenna Grace, is the heart of the movie. Grace's portrayal of Egon's granddaughter trying to balance being a teenager and a Ghostbuster is endearing and makes her character instantly likable.

It was a treat to see Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Winston (Ernie Hudson) from the original movies play more significant roles that tie into the main plot. The film also includes nostalgic moments with Bill Murray in an extended cameo and references to the previous movies.

However, the movie suffers from being unfocused and convoluted, with too many characters and wasted subplots involving Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), Lucky (Celeste O'Connor), and Podcast (Logan Kim). The main villain and ghost are scary but follow a predictable plot seen in other Ghostbusters films. Emily Alyn Lind's character, Melody, feels underutilized as well.

Despite its flaws, the movie picks up in the third act, delivering a fun, engaging, and scary finale. While this sequel is enjoyable, it may be time to wrap up the franchise as it seems to be running out of fresh ideas. I would give Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire a solid 3/5 stars."

Director: Gil Kenan

Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, James Acaster, William Atherton, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Dan Aykroyd, Patton Oswald with Emily Alyn Lind and Bill Murray

Runtime: 115 Minutes