REVIEWS BY DAMON SMITH FREEZY DOES IT
THE LATEST CHAPTER IN THE GHOSTBUSTERS SAGA SERVES AN ICY BLAST OF NOSTALGIA
A FROST-bitten new instalment of the supernaturally comedic franchise is dedicated to the memory of Ivan Reitman, director of the original Ghostbusters and its sequel. Reitman died in 2022 following the release of the rollicking reboot Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
His son Jason passes the directorial baton to co-writer Gil Kenan for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire to thaw out a motherlode of nostalgia.
The Ecto-1 Cadillac ambulance convertible weaves through city streets; surviving main cast of the 1984 film (minus Sigourney Weaver) reprise their roles; miniature Stay Pufts run amok, and Paul Rudd’s goofy science teacher quotes lyrics from Ray Parker Jr’s chart-topping theme song.
Gluttonous ghost Slimer leaves his ectoplasmic mark; the New York Public Library witnesses more wanton destruction and one of the original film’s antagonists – Environmental Protection Agency inspector Walter Peck (William Atherton) – is still a thorn in the Ghostbusters’ side, as New
York’s embittered mayor.
Bustin’ ghosts feels good 40 years after that first paranormal investigation.
Callie – daughter of Egon – Spengler (Carrie Coon), her children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and boyfriend Gary Grooberson (Rudd) continue to capture phantoms using proton packs and ghost traps from the firehouse in New York.
A pursuit of the Hell’s Kitchen Sewer Dragon results in considerable damage to city property and 15-year-old Phoebe is banned from participating in call outs.
The teen seeks comfort in a burgeoning friendship with a spectre in limbo named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind).
Soon after, slacker Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani) unwittingly ushers in a new ice age when he sells his grandmother’s possessions to Dr Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd).
Among the trinkets is a brass orb encrusted with hieroglyphs, which imprisons the demon Garraka. This fearsome adversary wields a devastating power known as “the death chill” and the old gang comprising Raymond, Winston (Ernie Hudson), Peter (Bill Murray) and Janine (Annie Potts) answer the ghostbusting call in mankind’s coldest hour.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire retains the light-hearted tone of earlier chapters, bolted to a heavy-handed tale of family unity in adversity, with an obvious emotional pay-off.
Lead characters stave off a deathly chill in boiler suits. Perhaps it’s global warming, but we’re witnessing a nice age.
■ In cinemas now