In a tentative return to reviewing after God know how long, I thought I’d mention Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. I think it’s about three years since I last did a movie review, so I’m a bit rusty, but hey…
Okay. We’ve more or less given up going to the cinema, and I’m reluctant to pirate movies, so when we do go to the cinema, it’s a bit of a treat. It’s purely a money thing. The prices of seats at the cinema are so large now, you damned near need a mortgage to see a movie. So, we don’t go often. Mostly, we go when my husband has a day off so we can go when the prices are cheaper. But as that’s not a regular occurrence, visits are few and far between.
So, went to see Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire yesterday and it was something of a surprise. After ‘Afterlife’ which at the timed I loathed, but have warmed to, I was a bit apprehensive. Musch of the criticism was about the sidelining of the new characters and how the old characters take over. This is utter nonsense. I thought it was pretty well balanced for what is essentially a two ensemble cast. To mind my, it was handled very deftly. Certainly with more delicacy than in Afterlife. I’d go as far to say that the interaction between the two groups was rather lovely and very fitting.
The main issue I have is that Winston’s research centre seemed to have been around for a very long time. It is therefore a surprise that they didn’t investigate Egon’s dirt farm from the last movie and prevent Gozers arrival much earlier. Why Would Egon refuse help, or not seek help out? It doesn’t make sense. Bit of a niggle, as are the unnecessary, pointless references to the older movies. I mean, what function do the mini-marshmallow men have? It’s a lot of cgi for no real value. The library ghost was a wasted gag, too. Slimer was probably the only reference to the old movies that had a point, and that was handled well.
The family aspects were, again, very deftly written and the hurt caused by Phoebe being benched was exactly the right amount of pathos needed. Her storyline about betrayla and abandonment with Melody provided a terrific emotional core.
I’m also pleased that the spectre of Gozer/Zuul was ex(or)cised and we got a new villain – as much as I loved the reboot movie, you know, the one the dickless wonders hated – the villain was really just a rehash of the marshmallow man from the original movie. Speaking of dickless, it was nice to see the return of Walter Peck and to see him have to eat humble pie.
The new villain was a genuine, scary threat and his manipulation of the dead deeply uncomfortable. As it should be. Expanding the mythology, rather than playing on the same old tropes, was a welcome move and bodes well for further installments.
If there was problem, and there was, it’s that the first half went at a glacial (ho ho) pace. Despite it all being set up, and relatively dramatic, it dragged. I guess having to reintroduce two casts instead of one, plus two new and critical characters, took it’s inevitable toll, but… it really was worth it in the end.
I enjoyed it a lot more than the first viewing of ‘Afterlife’ and left the cinema quite bouyant. It’s also feel good enough without being cloying, something that did for the ending of the last one.
But, pacing and fanwank aside, it’s good fun and I’m actually looking forward to another outing.
No one is more surprised than me.
I Have Issues With It, Obviously... 