Finally, a great sequel. It only took 40 years
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (PG, 115 mins) Directed by Gil Kenan Reviewed by Graeme Tuckett ****
We don’t talk much about Ghostbusters II. In 1989, five scant years after the original Ghostbusters became an unexpected box-office behemoth, the original cast and crew reassembled, including director Ivan Reitman, writers Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, and stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver.
But Ghostbusters II is remembered today as proof that trying to replicate something magical usually finishes up as a bit of a damp mess.
Ghostbusters II made its money back and no-one associated with it should hang their head in shame, but it did effectively kill the series and relegated the Ghostbusters franchise to an endless series of TV spin-offs and merchandise.
And then, maybe guided as much by hubris as good intentions, the folks at Sony rebooted Ghostbusters in 2016 with Kate Mckinnon, Kristen Wiig, Melissa Mccarthy and Leslie Jones taking up the taki and shouldering the proton blasters.
And again, the film wasn't great. The script was muddled and nothing like unhinged enough to give Mckinnon and co. a chance to blow the roof off in the way we all know they are capable of.
Personally, I liked Ghostbusters (2016) a lot. But, I was in an undentably good mood the night I saw it and a million internet commentators saying it ruined their childhoods are hard to ignore.
So, y’know, it took a brave bunch of creatives and producers to dip their toes back into the slime in 2021 and try again. But Ghostbusters: Afterlife actually turned out OK. The story was a direct continuation of the 1984 film, with Jason Reitman – son of Ivan, and director of Juno and Up In The Air – taking over the helm.
The always excellent Carrie Coon (The Post) stepped in as a daughter of Harold Ramis’ character from the original. Next to Coon, Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’connor and a great handful of returning original cast made Ghostbusters: Afterlife into more of a hoot than any of us really had a right to expect.
But to see yet another sequel turn up in cinemas, not even three full years after Afterlife, still didn’t fill me with confidence. Sometimes, it’s good to wait e before going back to the well. And the lessons of the 1989 flop should have been learned.
But, what do I know. Despite being presumably rushed into production as soon as Afterlife became a hit, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has also turned out just fine. In fact, I think this might be the best Ghostbusters sequel so far. And it’s only taken 40 years.
The plot is a virtual retread of the 1984 film, with a new big-nasty arriving in New York via some ancient knick-knack with an improbable back story attached. The Ghost-busting Spengler family of Coon, Rudd, Wolfhard and Grace assemble and, as they must, get their arses handed to them in round one.
The team bring in some assistants to help out – and this is where Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire really hits its straps.
The original-cast cameos you are hoping for – mild spoiler – are all present and correct. But new players James Acaster and Kumail Nanjiani – both of them terrific comics – dial in some of the loudest laughs here.
There’s a bonus well-handled sidebar to the main action involving a conflicted first-love for 15-year-old Phoebe Spengler, with a young woman she meets playing chess in Washington Square.
She might have died 40 years ago in a tenement fire, but you just know that true love is gonna find a way.
Even at 115 minutes, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has clearly had a few scenes snipped away and there’s at least one irritating continuity glitch here that screams “reshoots!”.
But I still laughed many times and walked out knowing I’d seen a pretty good film. It feels like Ghostbusters is back in safe hands.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is in cinemas nationwide.