To succeed, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire needed to be fun and capture the spirit of the original Ghostbusters. It was and it did – with caveats. Seeing the OG Ghostbusters team strapping on their proton packs was a hoot, but this latest installment in the franchise made some odd plot choices. It also sticks around half an hour too long.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, a direct sequel to Afterlife, finds the Spengler family – teens Phoebe and Trevor, plus mom Callie – and former teacher-turned-ghostbuster Gary Grooberson moving into the iconic NYC headquarters. The foursome’s kept hopping, responding to kooky undead creatures, including a sewer dragon. If there’s something strange in the neighborhood, they’re on the case. Why? As Gary says, quoting the “Ghostbusters” lyrics, because bustin’ makes him feel good. (That’s just one of many throwbacks to the film’s three Ghostbusters predecessors.)

Familiar creatures pop in to please fans as the Spenglers (and Gary) reunite with Winston, now a billionaire entrepreneur who funds paranormal research. Winston’s team, led by Lars Pinfield and assisted by Lucky, has developed a better system for disposing of ghosts. Which turns out to be super important when Ray Stantz comes into possession of an ancient artifact called the Orb of Garraka belonging to an ice demon who’d like nothing more than to kill off us humans.

After exploring the mythology surrounding the artifact, the OG Ghostbusters and the new generation of poltergeist trappers realize that it will take all their busting skills and brainpower to stop the demon from plunging the world into a new Ice Age.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife was fine (and forgettable) family fun and a decent homage to the original films. But while there were a bunch of references to the franchise’s first two entries, Afterlife pales compared to the number Frozen Empire squeezes in. Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, and Gil Kenan loaded their script with Ghostbusters callbacks to where nearly every scene has some sort of reference to the past.

From Slimer to the little Stay-Puft Marshmallow dudes, this sequel brings back blasts from the past and weaves them into a darker tale than previous installments. And it’s that shift in tone, and the insertion of a heartbreaking coming-of-age relationship, that might not work as well as intended. There’s almost too much going on and too many supporting characters, which means the OG Ghostbusters don’t get enough screen time. Or at least as much as fans of Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts might hope for.

Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace are terrific as the Spengler bunch, and Paul Rudd (aka The Man Who Never Ages) as Spengler-adjacent Gary nails the part of a decent guy who just hopes to be considered part of the family. Afterlife’s Podcast and Lucky, played by Logan Kim and Celeste O’Connor, have also made the trek to New York for Frozen Empire, which is weird given their ages. They’ve just up and moved from a small Oklahoma farm town to NYC, chasing their dreams…and ghosts.

British comedian James Acaster, who plays Winston’s head researcher and all-around science guy, and Emily Alyn Lind, a teen ghost who forms a special bond with Phoebe, are great in supporting roles. But as far as newcomers go, it’s Kumail Nanjiani who breathes fresh air into the franchise. Nanjiani’s Nadeem is the grandson of the Firemaster, the person charged with protecting the Orb, and he unwittingly unleashes hell on earth when he makes a quick buck off the Orb by selling it to Ray. Recruited as part of the extended Ghostbusters team, Nanjiani plays Nadeem as the chill, stoner guy who goes with the flow. Nanjiani’s got the best lines and nails the reluctant hero bit.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire tries so hard to please fans that the packed story’s not as cohesive as it should be. There’s a bit of a “throw everything including the kitchen sink” vibe to this sequel, and not everything works. Fortunately, the parts that do fit together well are entertaining enough – at least for diehard fans who don’t want to see the franchise laid to rest quite yet.

GRADE: B-

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for supernatural action, violence, suggestive references, and language
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Release Date: March 22, 2024
Directed By: Gil Kenan
Studio: Columbia Pictures