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Review: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

I have about a dozen movies that I love so much that I used to always have the files or DVDs ready to be played at any given time. Ghostbusters (1984) has always been on that list. I actually had the movie file on my desktop until recently. I think I’ve seen it about two dozen times.

So my ratings of the Ghostbusters franchise so far

Ghostbusters (1984) : 10

Ghostbusters II (1989) : 7

Ghostbusters (2016) : Not interested.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife: 6

Now, Frozen Empire.

So… yeah. I was looking forward to Frozen Empire a lot. Afterlife didn’t suck too much, so getting a chance to watch a Ghostbusters movie in the theaters would have been great.

But I missed it. Oh well.

Frozen Empire, I liked much more than Afterlife.

It was trying a bit too hard at times, and the ending was a bit too convenient, but it was totally fine.

I do feel like the movie missed the point of Ghostbusters being a (high concept action) comedy first, and horror/fantasy second.

Only with Venkman on screen was the movie funny. Sure Nanjiani was slightly funny, but Rudd was not. So the only actually naturally funny bits of the movie was when Murray was on screen. So… like 2 min total.

They tried to weed out any “plot holes” and tried a bit too hard to explain everything before it happened, but I can understand that. This was a highly anticipated movie. They were just playing it safe. Maybe that’s why they took out the humor?

It’s got a very similar story flow as the original GB. Ancient baddie, GB trying to figure it out, realizes that a non-GB person is connected, and they shoot their proton packs and all is good.

Anyways, it’s better than Afterlife, but not by much.

Spoilers (click to open)

A LOT of nostalgia-bait. Like, a LOT. I’m not too fussy about it though. They didn’t make it the whole point, so I’m ok with it. Winston, Peck, Janine, library guy, slimer, and even the library ghost were all in it. A lot of sound effects and music as well.

Some new elements, like new tech advances, especially Winston’s new stuff, new ghosts, and a ghost friend.

Some boring exposition at the lab.

OK, Melody. That was interesting. I like how Melody became Phoebe’s friend and how that became a key in beating the ice baddie. Do I think she needed more backstory? no. Do I think it was (yet again) slightly over-explained in that scene where Melody claims to have tried the best she could? yes.

Phoebe modified the packs, was it only hers? I thought she did the whole crew’s. Lucky knew the proton packs wouldn’t work as is, why did they just shoot it at the ice baddie together?

Why did Najiani just appear with the armor, but the armor serves no purpose?

Melody could just use the last match and that’s it? Her purpose finished? Then why didn’t she do it earlier?

But still, not too bad.

So my score is… about a 7?

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