Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
The Spengler family returns to where it all started - the iconic New York City firehouse - to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who've developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a sequel that leans heavily on nostalgia, cramming too many characters into its runtime at the expense of coherent storytelling. The ancient artifact/evil force plot is formulaic and rarely surprising, and the film struggles to balance the new Spengler family with the returning original cast. Acting is competent across the board with reliable performers elevating thin material. Cinematography is serviceable with some enjoyable set pieces in New York and the firehouse, but nothing visually distinctive. Novelty is low — it retreads familiar Ghostbusters territory without offering a fresh angle or singular voice, functioning largely as a by-the-numbers franchise entry. The ending resolves predictably with a large-scale ghost battle that feels obligatory rather than earned, lacking the emotional punch of Afterlife's conclusion.