Maybe it’s fitting that the GHOSTBUSTERS 3 I always dreamed of in my youth remained spectral, nothing but a Class 5 full-roaming vapor that haunted my imagination for years. After all, I don’t know if any movie could have lived up to my lofty expectations for a sequel I’d clamored for since I left the theater after seeing GHOSTBUSTERS 2 as a 5-year-old. It would seem that Jason Reitman and company had this in mind when they hatched GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, technically the third entry in the original series but a far cry from what anyone could have reasonably expected a GHOSTBUSTERS 3 to look like, an understandable approach that landed to mixed results. On the one hand, it avoided the fool’s errand of mounting a traditional GHOSTBUSTERS movie without Harold Ramis; on the other, it removed the franchise so far from its roots that this shaggy dog, New York-based, slobs vs. snobs comedy riff became a fawning, reverent act of pure nostalgia-gazing that uneasily evoked Ramis’s presence.
Forgetting for a moment the obvious ethical concerns of digitally raising an actor from the dead, AFTERLIFE’s insistence that Egon Spengler became an apocalyptic soothsayer and deadbeat dad is about the most ruinous thing imaginable in a GHOSTBUSTERS movie. Between that and its egregious deployment of the surviving characters as nostalgic totems looking and acting exactly as they did thirty years earlier, it’s fair to say that AFTERLIFE is a well-meaning misfire, one that reduces itself to a throat-clearing preamble once its denouement signals a return to form with a shot of the Ecto-1 returning to New York and a post-credit sequence establishing Winston’s (Ernie Hudson) desire to reopen the business. For nearly two hours, AFTERLIFE resists being a conventional GHOSTBUSTERS 3, only to concede that such a sequel is what everyone probably wants anyway, no matter how ill-advised it may be.
Three years later, we have our answer to just how ill-advised it is with FROZEN EMPIRE, another course correction back to a more familiar GHOSTBUSTERS milieu, with our cast of characters from AFTERLIFE operating out of the iconic firehouse, busting ghosts in the streets of New York with impunity — at least until longtime nemesis and current mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton) once again intervenes with their affairs, threatening to shut them down once again. He’s particularly concerned about 15-year-old Phoebe Spengler (McKenna Grace) suiting up at such a young age, forcing her mother (Carrie Coon) and teacher-turned-stepfather (Paul Rudd) to sideline her just as an ancient, spectral entity plots its return to cover the world in an icy glaze of death and destruction. Alongside the old guard and yet even more newcomers, the Spengler family must embrace their legacy once again in a movie that feels much more in line with whatever expectations you may have for a GHOSTBUSTERS sequel. And while it’s far from living up to whatever your childhood (or adult) imagination may have conjured, it’s likely to be as close to that mythical GHOSTBUSTERS 3 as we’re going to get, making it an immediate improvement over its predecessor if nothing else.
Which is to say it only feels slightly misguided. While it suffers from some of the same issues that plagued AFTERLIFE — the reverent tone, the forced nostalgia, the notable absence of Ramis — these qualities are at least muted to more tolerable levels (there’s no longing, portentous shots of Nestle Crunch wrappers, for example). Plus, I know I can’t exactly count Ramis’s absence against it, and at least this movie has the good sense to let Egon rest in peace so we don’t have a monstrous digital recreation trying to fill his enormous void. Even more importantly, FROZEN EMPIRE remembers that GHOSTBUSTERS is a comedy, meaning there are several genuine laughs here, as opposed to the smattering of polite chuckles in the last one. I doubt any of the lines or scenes here will ever be as fondly remembered as anything from the first two, but it feels like a proper GHOSTBUSTERS movie. It even has the same sort of shaggy plotting as the originals, where the looming threat (a pre-Sumerian demon named Garraka) builds alongside other, loosely-connected exploits.
The notable difference, though, is that most of these exploits aren’t as compelling as the previous ones. None of them evoke the genuine hangout vibes that allowed the first film to establish the blue-collar grit and apocalyptic anxiety underlying the humor, nor do they boast the kind of clever wit or memorable imagery from previous entries. Obviously, it’s a high bar to clear, and I suppose FROZEN EMPIRE deserves some credit for trying to recapture the old magic. Plus, there’s a little bit for everyone here. Longtime GHOSTBUSTERS fans invested in the mythology’s expansion should be delighted that Winston has assumed the M role for the team and heads an entirely new division of scientists developing new technology and gadgets (naturally, he has a Q in James Acaster’s Pinfield). Slimer enthusiasts can celebrate the revolting blob’s return in an extended bit with Trevor Spengler (Finn Wolfhard) that recalls his rivalry with Louis (Rick Moranis) from GHOSTBUSTERS 2. Dan Aykroyd revels in the chance to indulge his fascination with supernatural lore as Ray and Podcast (Logan Kim) investigate a mysterious orb that a customer (Kumail Nanjiani) unloads for some quick cash. Rudd and Coon exchange some fun banter, including an exchange where they riff on the lyrics to Ray Parker’s iconic theme song. And in arguably the film’s most intriguing turn, Phoebe befriends the ghost of a 16-year-old girl (Emily Alyn Lind) desperately trying to join her family in the afterlife.
Another obvious problem emerges here, and it’s a matter of volume. There are simply too many characters and subplots, and the film does them all little justice. Tantalizing possibilities abound in the best of these subplots — Ray’s return to action after growing tired of retirement, Phoebe’s spectral friendship, Winston’s expansion of the business — but they’re too underdeveloped to hold any real weight. For all of the rebranding of GHOSTBUSTERS as “the Spengler family saga,” FROZEN EMPIRE largely sidelines the characters from AFTERLIFE, with some of their appearances feeling downright obligatory. I’m pretty sure Wolfhard shares more scenes with Slimer than he does with former love interest Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), who returns as an intern at Winston’s lab. Rudd and Coon spend most of their time trying to figure out how to be good parents to Phoebe, echoing the coming-of-age drama from the last outing but squandering their comedic talents.
Most of these returning characters are actually upstaged by the newcomers. Nanjiani is quite funny as Nadeem, the latest in a long line of “Firemasters” charged with keeping Garraka at bay, a mantle he doesn’t realize he’s inherited until it’s too late. Likewise, Patton Oswalt feels like a natural fit in this universe, appearing here as a librarian specializing in occult history (of course he works at that library, and, yes, the iconic library ghost from the original is still hanging around because no opportunity to evoke nostalgia can be passed up in these movies). At the very least, the presence of these two comedians indicates that FROZEN EMPIRE understands the assignment a little bit better than its predecessor: GHOSTBUSTERS is primarily a vehicle for funny people to goof off, and there’s plenty of that to go around here, even if it’s still not riotously funny.
Unfortunately, the other part of the equation — the spookiness — is rather underserved here. Garraka feels like he’s been imported in from any number of generic sci-fi or fantasy films during the past two decades. Brought to life by unremarkable digital effects, he’s a fairly nondescript, vaguely menacing demon that can’t live up to the striking presence of Gozer or Vigo the Carpathian. And we’re obviously a long way from the impressive, amusing sights of a giant marshmallow man or even an animated Statue of Liberty: simply put, FROZEN EMPIRE feels too small compared to its predecessors, and the climax is especially disappointing. The big, apocalyptic herald of Garraka’s release from confinement amounts to a few shots of New York City freezing over, an image that was done more effectively 20 years ago in THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. Usually, this kind of sequence in a GHOSTBUSTERS film is an opportunity for the effects team to unleash a delightful assortment of ghouls and goblins, but that’s not the case during this decidedly anticlimactic confrontation, which finds the original crew doing even less than they did in AFTERLIFE. In fact, nearly every major character is forced to sit out a final battle that feels all too tidy despite the enormous stakes at hand.
This particular letdown only compounds the nagging feeling that FROZEN EMPIRE still hasn’t quite recaptured the magic of a franchise that arguably shouldn’t continue without Ramis and Ivan Reitman, two of its most crucial creative forces. Now more than ever, I’m convinced that the appeal of GHOSTBUSTERS isn’t the general premise of comedians battling ghosts — it’s a group of very specific comedians and supporting characters (Weaver and Moranis are greatly missed) battling ghosts. The original film feels like alchemy, a very specific blending of talent that captured lightning in a bottle that could only be harnessed with its particular cast and crew. It’s no wonder, then, that FROZEN EMPIRE is most compelling when Aykroyd and Hudson are briefly at its forefront (Murray’s back as Venkman, too, but only for a couple of scenes). There’s a natural evolution for these two that’s much more satisfying than their cameos in AFTERLIFE, and it’s nice to see some organic growth for each. It’s beyond cool that Winston has become the public face and leader of the Ghostbusters since Hudson has been such an enthusiastic ambassador for the series. Likewise, this franchise has always been Aykroyd’s baby, so it’s fitting he’s the original cast member with the most to do here. Ray’s return to action after decades of running his occult bookstore is the film’s most gripping subplot because it’s a reminder of why you always wanted to see another GHOSTBUSTERS sequel in the first place: to catch up with some of your favorite characters.
At the very least, FROZEN EMPIRE offers a faint semblance of this, even if it’s ultimately lost in a tangled web of subplots and characters that does few favors for the new crew. Ray’s defiance of retirement has an obvious mirror in Phoebe’s resistance towards being grounded, and, while the film does pair the duo for a pivotal scene, it never quite harmonizes as it should. With so many masters to serve, FROZEN EMPIRE does a disservice to its two most compelling characters, and I think there’s a sweet story involving these two and Lind’s forlorn teenage ghost that could have organically fit in the GHOSTBUSTERS universe. Instead, we only have a frustrating glimmer since the film starts to feel like a sketch show where everyone can do their bit. While this was true of the original films as well, they didn’t sport such enormous casts and figured out a way for everyone to shine; FROZEN EMPIRE feels a little bit more like a high school talent show, with everyone hurriedly shuffled onto the stage as part of a limp procession.
That it’s not as funny as memorable seems to be a matter of circumstance because McKenna Grace, Carrie Coon, and Paul Rudd are all terrific performers — it’s just that they’re stepping into the shoes of the genuinely iconic characters that defined this franchise, so these past two films have had sort of a knock-off quality because they don’t quite feel exactly like the original GHOSTBUSTERS movies. I’m well aware this all makes me sound like an old curmudgeon who doesn’t want to share his toys with a new generation, but I’m not saying that other performers can’t be brought on board.
This new generation — and even the four funny women from the 2016 reboot — can certainly be Ghostbusters. They’ll just never be the Ghostbusters, and I doubt any future movies will disavow me of the notion, especially since Murray seems disinterested in anything that involves him being on set for more than a day or two. But if they’re going to keep trying anyway, I suppose they could certainly do worse than FROZEN EMPIRE, a spirited attempt at getting the band back together, even if they’re sharing the stage with a tribute band that’s in the spotlight a little too much for my liking. It says a lot that the past eight years have produced more GHOSTBUSTERS movies than the preceding 30 years, yet none of them have filled the void. Chalk it up to unrealistic expectations or personal bias, but that mythical take on GHOSTBUSTERS 3 is going to linger on forever because the original crew can never return to exorcize it.
But, like its predecessor, FROZEN EMPIRE suggests we’re just getting started with this Ghostbusters relaunch, so I’m sure the new crew will have further chances to claim the mantle in the coming years. Who knows — maybe I’ll eventually warm up to them and consider them to be part of one big Ghostbusters family that ultimately produces a more definitive and satisfying sequel. I’m ready to believe.
Tags: Annie Potts, bill murray, Carrie Coon, Celeste O'Connor, Dan Aykroyd, Dario Marianelli, Emily Alyn Lind, Eric Steelberg, ernie hudson, Finn Wolfhard, ghostbusters, harold ramis, ivan reitman, James Acaster, Kumail Nanjiani, Logan Kim, Mckenna Grace, Nathan Orloff, New York City, Patton Oswalt, Paul Rudd, Shane Reid, Sony Pictures, The 1980s, William Atherton
No Comments