Busted
Maybe the same-old same-old is precisely what the fanboys want.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Director: Gil Kenan • Writers: Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Kumail Nanjiani, Celeste O’Connor, Patton Oswalt, Logan Kim
USA • 2hrs 5mins
Opens Hong Kong March 21 • IIA
Grade: B-
It’s nice to know that Star Wars isn’t the only franchise entirely unable to just let go of the old shit and move forward. After the butt-hurt fanboys had conniption fits about girl Ghostbusters in 2016, the producers promptly got on the phone to the scion of an original ’Buster crew member, Jason Reitman, son of Ghostbusters director Ivan. They tried, they really did. Ghostbusters: Afterlife had a fresh location (Oklahoma), and a fresh squad made up of flat broke single mom, Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) – spawn of Egon – and her surly teens, science genius Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and McLovin Lite Trevor (Finn Wolfhard). They found the old car, the ghost of Egon made an appearance, and there was yet another possession by some ancient evil that got Callie and aw-shucks schoolteacher Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd, whose nice guy act is getting stale) all horned up. It was very, very much a call back to the 1984 film, but there was enough new blood to make you think, sure. Why not?
So because the fans that (really don’t) own the IP expressed general approval, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire doubles down on repeating and retconning the story, to get everyone back in New York, back in the firehouse, and put Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman and Wintson Zeddemore (Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson) back in charge. Even the “hilarious” receptionist Janine (Annie Potts) gets resurrected. And girls? What girls? There were no ghostbusting vaginas. Never mind. The “Not my Ghostbusters” crowd might be entertained, and with the exception of the goddamned laser beam to the sky Frozen Empire is relatively innocuous. It’s just cowardly and way too eager to please. Seriously, this movie’s thirsty.
Teenager
After a car chase through Manhattan in the hearse to trap the Demon of Hell’s Kitchen or some such, the gang is busting ghosts in NYC, where everyone agrees yes, those are a thing, and doing a decent job of being urban heroes. There’s some family “tension” in the car, which only gets worse when city inspector-now-mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton) takes them to task for doing damage to city property, recklessness and child labour violations (Peck’s right… again) and gets Phoebe booted from the crew. She calls her mother names, she rebels by taking on her own gigs, she runs into the arms of Melody (Emily Alyn Lind), a ghost (huh?) who died in a tenement fire, but who really “gets her.” When shady semi-scammer Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) sells Ray – who runs an emporium of the supernatural – a brass ball (heh heh heh) that houses the Mother of All Ghosts, it’s up to the Ghostbusters to put him back inside after Phoebe’s hormones get the better of her and let him out.
The vast majority of the action between the opening turn of the 20th century prologue and the chase comprises a series of side quests and angsty teenagering, with a bit of relationship and parenting drama on the side. Turns out the brass ball (heh heh heh) is a family obligation and Nadeem is some kind of wizard. There’s also a new storage facility for the ’Busters, where Lucky (Celeste O'Connor) works. Oh and Podcast (Logan Kim) is there.
Frozen Empire isn’t bad. It’s boring, and above all it has a hard time getting out of its own way. The script by director Gil Kenan (2015’s Poltergeist) and Afterlife writer-director Jason Reitman makes so much room for the godhead Murray to drop in and crack a smug joke – and leave space for the audience to chuckle and cheer – it brings the film to a screeching halt every time. Murray’s not in much more than 15 minutes, but his self-satisfied presence is so dominating it crushes everything around it, including the next generation whose movie this is supposed to be.
The callbacks and fan service (Slimer!) that are admittedly going to tickle diehards (which I am not. Does it show?) probably position the franchise for more – more films, more comics, more toys; Sony is clearly hoping for Minions action from the mini-Stay Pufts. It’s just still the same old, when new would be have been welcome. Nanjiani does his Nanjiani thing, and he’s the source of some good slow burn side-eyes, but Wolfhard, Kim and O’Connor may as well have stayed home. If you’re starting with an ’80s recap with Ray Parker front and centre (that song was crappy then, it’s crappy now) you’re clearly not ready to move on. — DEK