Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire review: There's life in the franchise yet

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the supernatural comedy franchise's fifth outing, and it's a spirited follow-up that packs in plenty of beats to please the viewers, but perhaps groans under the weight of that nostalgia. 

It's set a couple of years after 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife. After all the chaos in Summerville, the Spenglers (and science teacher Gary Grooberson) have returned to where it all began. The new gang has taken up residence in the iconic New York City firehouse and embraced their new roles, speeding around NYC in the Ecto-1 and fending off foes. 

The gang runs into trouble when they realize the containment unit where they bank all their secured spirits is full up. But that's not the worst of their woes: Ray Stantz is sold a mysterious orb that contains a seriously scary spirit that wields the power of the "Death Chill", the ability to kill through fear alone. When it inevitably escapes its bonds, the old guard steps back into the fray once again to help the new Ghostbusters send it back to the other side. 

It's a predictable, easy-to-follow yarn, and zips along breezily enough. I don't have a problem with the core idea: it's a perfect vehicle for what the movie wants to be. Frozen Empire is packed with more action, antics, and laughs than its predecessor and falls right in step with the 80s classics. Well, most of the time, at least: Parents should note that the Ghostbusters' newest foe could prove genuinely frightening for younger viewers; he's far more intense than the Stay-Puft Man.

My issue is, chiefly, that the journey this story takes us on is a mess. To get to the actual ghostbusting, we wade through an overstuffed mixture of truly nonsensical lore dumps and a mish-mash of too many characters for the movie to deal with. This plays havoc with the pacing: the movie's stuck juggling with callbacks and cameos whilst trying to tell a new story, leaving the new story it's telling feeling a bit hollow once the credits have rolled. 

Jumping between so many characters also means we barely get to spend much time with many of our talented stars. Some of our core Afterlife stars are practically left out in the cold for the majority of the action. Plus, we don't get to spend nearly as much time as I would have liked with some of our new stars: James Acaster and Kumail Nanjiani are great, very funny additions, and it would have been fun to see them brought more on board.

McKenna Grace is the best of the bunch when it comes to the emotional side of things. Since she's just 15 years old, Phoebe Spengler is "benched" and forbidden from coming along on more missions. Teen frustrations ensue, and she strikes up an unlikely connection to a "friend" on the other side, but this relationship simply isn't handled well at all.

In short, it feels like there is a better form of this particular entry that is straining against the weight of the brand. The need to insert nods or bring back characters gets in the way of what could have been an even better adventure. With a little more space, this could have been an even more fun watch than it was. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has its flaws, but Sony shouldn't put the franchise on ice just yet. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is in theaters worldwide from Friday, March 22.