After the tired elegy that wasGhostbusters: Afterlife,Frozen Empireputs the new characters in the spotlight… mostly.
Its hard to believe this is the same place that a bachelor dreamed of phantasmic fellatio.
And yet, these moments of domestic discontent and teenage rebellion are whenGhostbusters: Frozen Empirework best.
At times, this focus on Spengler family blends well with the new roles for the original team.
Winston works as a distant benefactor who introduces the family to his secret, even more high-tech research team.
The same cannot be said for the other winks toward the original.
By themselves, the nods to the original films dont add up to much one way or another.
Kenan and Reitman further undermine their best idea by filling the script with too many characters and asides.
They also consult a giddy occult expert played byPatton OswaltandKumail Nanjianias the slacker scion of an ancient people.
The overstuffed script threatens to suffocate any of the main character arcs, leaving only Phoebes intact.
The result is a movie thats best when its not your fathersGhostbusters.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hits theaters on March 22.
Rating:
3 out of 5
