There's one thing that can be said for 2016's, all female Ghostbusters reboot, and that is, it's not anywhere near as bad as Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
Although you don't realize it almost all the key moments of the actual plot are spoiled in the movie poster shown here.
It's a wildly over thought, and overly convoluted story, with much exposition, that boils down to a big end level boss, a beam of light shooting into the sky, all the captured ghosts escaping, and all the Ghostbusters teaming up to clumsily restore order again by the end of the film.
Side note: That mayor everyone thinks is a dick is the kind of mayor you want. He really knows how to get things done in record time. I've never seen a building get condemned and the legal tenants get evicted so fast, ever!
There's not much here that this franchise hasn't done before, in every film, only this time everything freezes too because... I don't know, I drifted off during that exposition? Though, with all those stabby icicles randomly emerging from the ground everywhere in various panic filled action scenes, I don't think even one person got skewered.
I know I'm late to the party with reviewing this film. Like the last installment, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, I was waiting for it to come to a streaming service so I could watch with no additional cost to me. When it finally did, there was no urgency to watch it, since I knew it wasn't great.
As such, this isn't actually a review. As someone who likes the original Ghostbusters movie, and the premise of Ghost exterminators in New York, I thought I'd put some ideas forward on how this mess could be fixed in future films.
Quit the Nostalgia
All the nostalgia you need is in the car, the suits, the proton packs, the logo, even the fire house. Things that actually make the Ghostbusters, you know, the Ghostbusters.
I like that Winston (Ernie Hudson), somehow got rich and is bankrolling everything, but lets stop having everyone still left over from the original film suiting up to fight the final battle alongside the new cast. Just stop it.
I love that the original cast are still happy to show up but they're just taking up screen time that could be used to tell a more interesting story.
Venkman (Bill Murray) just shows up because, I guess he noticed it was getting a bit ghosty in New York, and he thought he'd chip in?
...and Slimer. Does he really need to be in every film?
It Doesn't Need to Be World Ending
Honestly, I'd just like to see the Ghostbusters doing their daily job. Not every film needs to end with a big boss battle and the Mayor eating humble pie.
Maybe do a trilogy, where a few threads come together across each film, leading to a big third film event instead?
Give the Audience Something to Do
Ghost hunting is actually a thing that has a whole folklore around it. Maybe draw upon that a bit more and be a little bit more mysterious. I know I'd enjoy more of a who done it, mystery style film, where we gradually learn about the ghosts and their purpose, rather than the exposition dump we get in these films.
No More Kid Ghostbusters
While I did appreciate that Frozen Empire calls out Phoebe Spenglar (Mckenna Grace) as being too young to be working as a Ghostbuster, I don't want to see kid Ghostbusters. The original movies weren't really kids films.
Yes I know there were Ghostbuster cartoons, and I expect that's why these reboots have kids in them, but I don't need the teen angst storylines taking up time that could be better spent on the actual Ghost storylines.
If we actually do get another movie, hopefully Phoebe will be all grown up by then.
Finally...
Under any circumstances do not now, or forever in the future, have a big beam of light shoot up into the sky. It's so over used, in so many movies. Don't do it.
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