Sony Pictures unleashes its “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” sequel in cinemas on Friday, but reviews are now coming out and the verdict is not good.
The film sees the Spengler family returning to the New York City firehouse to team up with the original Ghostbusters who’ve developed a top-secret research lab. The discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, and Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to save the world.
With 90 reviews counted on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has pulled in just a 47% (5.4/10) score on the aggregate service. That’s a franchise low and behind the 64% (6.2/10) score for ‘Afterlife’.
Reviews slam the amount of nostalgia bait, apparently even more egregiously relying on it than ‘Afterlife’ did, and many cite issues with the pacing and third act. Here’s a sampling of review quotes:
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire doesn’t mess with the well-honed formula, carefully balancing its laughs and scares in the breezy manner that makes for pleasurable, if lightweight, viewing.” – Frank Scheck, THR
“This franchise might not be entirely dead just yet, but its latest resurrection doesn’t make nearly enough good arguments to keep pumping life into it.” – Kate Erbland, Indiewire
“The clumsy mixture of nostalgia, scares, set pieces, sincerity and wisecracks never gels, tempting a conclusion that it is perhaps time for Sony to give up this particular ghost.” – Tim Grierson, Screen
“Though the ensemble is too large, Frozen Empire does successfully find a decent balance between the multiple generations featured here, letting the younger cast drive most of the action without leaving the older characters on the sidelines.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
“One could only make the case that Kenan and Reitman are pivoting from comedy to action if either the action or the comedy played more effectively.” – Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict
“There was potential here, but Frozen Empire is an overpopulated mish-mash, with too many heroes to wrangle. What’s left is a bit of a gooey mess. We’ve been slimed.” – Alex Godfrey, Empire
“The time has come for Hollywood to allow the spurious Ghostbusters franchise to join Jurassic World and Aquaman in the bin and think of something new.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” is opening in cinemas everywhere on Friday and is reportedly targeting an opening weekend launch in the $45-50 million domestic box-office range.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
