A review of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire suggests that it may be time to let go of the franchise and allow it to exist in the spirit realm.

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The long-lasting era of intellectual property monotony continues. The franchise fatigue is becoming more apparent as once promising movies are now struggling to stay afloat. The Ghostbusters series is making a lackluster return with a new and meaningless film, featuring a ghost whose main ability is to freeze things (similar to Batman’s Mr Freeze). This can be considered the fourth installment in the Ghostbusters series, or even the fifth including the 2016 all-female reboot (which is not being acknowledged by this franchise). The female leads of the previous movie are not included in this new movie, as the focus is on the original cast returning for cameos. There are a few comedic moments and an attempt at a LGBTQ+ love story, but overall, there is a lack of originality and excitement in this film.

One positive change has been made in the upcoming film Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Instead of being based in a small town in Oklahoma, the story’s natural setting, the plot now takes place in New York City. The main family from the previous film, consisting of Callie (played by Carrie Coon), her new partner Gary (Paul Rudd), and her two children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), have relocated to the big city and are continuing their ghostbusting business. They work out of the iconic firehouse and drive the well-known vehicle. The original characters are also still involved, with Winston (Ernie Hudson) as the building’s owner, Ray (Dan Aykroyd) having his own paranormal-focused YouTube channel, and Janine (Annie Potts) making an appearance. Even the famous Dr. Venkman (played by Bill Murray) makes a cameo, but his performance seems somewhat distracted and lacks the intentional humor he is known for.

The story begins to unfold when a deceitful man named Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani) tries to sell Ray an ancient orb that belonged to his deceased grandmother. This mystical object is the only thing preventing humanity from being ruled by the ice-powered phantom mentioned earlier. There are some clever jokes made, including references to the Spin Doctors and Mary Todd Lincoln. Grace brings a sense of sympathy and warmth to her role as a ghost hunter who develops feelings for a spirit. New characters are introduced, such as stand-up comedian James Acaster who portrays the role of a scientist named Lars Pinfield. Unfortunately, his talents are not fully utilized in the script. This is also true for Rudd’s character. Patton Oswalt delivers a strong performance as the spirited scholar Dr. Watzki.

Among the latest group, Nanjiani is the only one who truly embraces the essential element of comedy. He possesses the perfect blend of wit and rebellion. The younger members seem too naive and the 1984 graduates are too detached. It is time for Hollywood to let go of the Ghostbusters franchise and come up with fresh ideas, similar to how they have done with Jurassic World and Aquaman.

Source: theguardian.com