Icemen cometh
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTIN’ STILL FEELS GOOD AS FAMILIAR FACES GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE (12A)
IN 1984, if you found an invisible man sleeping in your bed or suffered a dose of a freaky ghost, you invariably called 5552368 to connect to a converted firehouse in Manhattan, home to friendly neighbourhood protectors Spengler (Harold Ramis), Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Venkman (Bill Murray) and Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) in ectoplasm-spattered jumpsuits.
Director Ivan Reitman unleashed a gargantuan Stay Puft Marshmallow hmallow
Man on New York City for r the spectacular finale of his supernaturally comedic c haunt, smothering the e wise-cracking cast in shaving foam to replicate the aftermath of a close encounter with the hulk- ing mascot’s melting, suggary limbs.
The film-making baton passed assed smoothly from father to son on ( Jason Reitman) for the 2021 1 series reboot Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and now it passes to co-writer Gil Kenan for a frost-bitten adventure, which thaws out a mother- lode of nostalgia in memory ry of Ivan, who died in 2022. The next generation of Ghostbusters: Spengler’s daughter, h single i l mother Callie (Carrie Coon), her children Trevor Trev (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe Phoeb (Mckenna Grace) and her seismologist boyfriend Gary Ga Grooberson (Paul Rudd) R pilot the Ecto-1 vertible v Cadillac C ambulance through concity streets, st wreak havoc with proton pr packs, and playfully quote quo lyrics from Ray Parker Jr’s chart-topping c theme song.
Their Thei prime target is horned demon dem Garraka, released from fro a brass orb encrusted with hieroglyphs to usher in a new ice age.
Mankind’s darkest and coldest c hour necessitates slick sl special effects reminiscent nis of disaster epic The Day After Tomorrow. It’s spectacular but wildly improbable – not one hapless h New Yorker is impaled on giant ice spears erupting from the ground.
Sub-zero devastation sends a chill down the spine of a heavy-handed tale of family unity in adversity, with an obvious emotional pay-off. New characters including James Acaster’s kooky parabiCv ologist evaporate surprisingly quickly from the memory but returning faces cast a warm, comforting glow.
Bustin’ ghosts feels good 40 years on.