Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the latest entry into the Ghostbusters Universe. The story picks up after the events of 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The Spengler family, along with Gary (Paul Rudd), left the quiet small town life in Oklahoma to live in New York – the place where the bustin’ began.

Frozen Empire opens with the family already busting ghost in the Big Apple. The Ghostbusters are operating out of the iconic fire house and helping keep the city safe. Ray (Dan Akroyd) has a secret paranormal research lab that extracts spirits from different objects. Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani) brings a brass orb to Ray and his team to extract whatever is inside. They learn the orb is being used as a trap for a god named Garraka that plans on unleashing a new Ice Age on the world. Garraka can control spirits and summons all the escaped ghosts to help terrorize New York and do his bidding.

The Ghostbusters, both young and old, have to work together to take down Garraka and save the world once again.

The screenplay by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan attempts to bridge the past with the future. Unfortunately, the attempts don’t add anything to the story and serve as nothing more than constant hits on the nostalgia vape pen that the audience every 15 minutes. People who love the ’84 Ghostbusters will appreciate these moments even if they don’t add anything to the film. However, having Walter Peck (William Atheron) return and is now the NYC mayor that’s constantly at odds with the Ghostbusters is a nice touch.

The biggest frustration isn’t the constant nostalgia hits or lazy plot devices; it’s how slow the film is paced. Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) is left of the Ghostbusting team and makes a ghost friend. It’s clear why this plot point is pivotal for the story but it drags on a few scenes too long. The film is a little under 2 hours and it takes a while for it to find its legs. Instead of scenes shots of a spooky orb, Phoebe and the ghost friend, or the packed containment facility, give the audience more Nadeem and his connection to the story. Or show Garraka being the big bad the film is building him to be.

Because the film takes so long, the last 30 minutes is jam-packed with nostalgia, wrapping up storylines, and the final fight. There isn’t enough time to properly address all these plot points and make them make sense. The final fight with Garraka is brief and uninteresting. It’s one of the biggest let downs because the film take the opening scene and the first 90-minutes to set up how bad and dangerous Garraka is.

Frozen Empire is equally entertaining and forgettable. It’s entertaining in the moment but the further away from the viewing, the less you remember about what happened onscreen. There are no memorable moments, lines, or scenes in the film. The most interesting actors onscreen or often shelved for more pointless exposition.

Despite Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s struggle to balance all of its characters along with nostalgia and a villain, the film still finds it’s sweet spot with comedy and entertaining ghost encounters – those elements are the core of what’s made Ghostbusters a hit for 40 years. The film could’ve benefited from more McKenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, and leaning into the comedy. It’s possible the Ghostbusters franchise is running out of steam after 40 years but there are still some interesting stories to tell. Hopefully Reitman and company and continue the Ghostbusting legacy with a newer and fresher take.

Grade: C