LIKES:
Fun
Funny At Times
References
Graphics
Character/Ghost Design
Origin/Worldbuilding
Some Good Character Moments
Solid Acting, Most of the Cast
Summary: Ghostbusters Frozen Empire achieves the goal of being a fun movie to watch in the presentation style alone (for most of the movie). It's a great pace that keeps things moving while giving us time to marinate and get caught up with the lives of the characters. Comedy is present throughout the movie as styles blend with witty quirks, sarcastic jabs, and some situational sliming that is always a running gag in this series. Alongside those familiar styles come great references to the series, adding a fun element of egg hunting and inside information that adds to the enjoyment for nerds like me. Yet, the world-building and design of ghosts elevate the movie to theater elements with the stylized creatures that linger in New York. The main villain, in particular, has quality build in his movements, voice, and elongated features that never go overboard, but still feel like the villain from the cartoons. And the other ghosts have their unique flair that keeps to the vibes of the series. When the origin story gets added, the opening acts give those designs even more flair and further bring the ghosts (ironically) to life. And all of it with fluid animations and movement that Hollywood can bring when they commit their resources and time. Finally, the character development is good for me on some of the characters. Several stories have a relevant bite to me with performances that help bring them out in full force and sometimes convey the perfect emotion that sells those heartfelt moments to the perfect degree.
DISLIKES:
Imbalanced Characters
A Rushed Ending
Cheesy Moments
Too Much Humor?
A Villain That Doesn't Live Up To The Build-Up
Summary: As I feared, Frozen Empire does put a freeze on quality the further you get into the film. One aspect that suffered through much of the movie was the balance of characters in this very star-packed movie. Several have clear focus and favoritism getting much screen time, but some like Trevor and Janine get left in the dust with horrible screen time and use in a film of this caliber. These story elements were much weaker than I expected and did not feel needed in this movie given how diluted their roles were. Even the big bad guy, Garraka, was underutilized, more threatening and menacing offscreen than when he filled the stage with his imposing figure. A shame given how cool he looked and the potential of his powers. Even more so, the jokes interrupted some of the horror and story elements when silliness was needlessly extended or integrated. These moments are few, but when they appear they throw off the momentum of the moment for me and are often not that funny. And like the humor, the sentimental moments come off cheesy as well, approaching soap opera levels that again did the opposite of what I think they wanted. Finally, all of this culminates in a lackluster ending that felt rushed, simplified, and heavily edited to something incomplete. It ties things up nicely, but all the things in my Dislikes feel magnified and duller compared to Afterlife's fantastic ending. And that build-up to the last battle was wasted, as the finale felt very mundane and dead upon arrival by the time we got to fighting the ice specter
The VERDICT: I had fun with much of Ghostbuster's latest entry. It's a very fun movie with entertaining antics, a good pace, and plenty of humor to keep things in the entertainment avenue. The actors were great and the world-building/design is stunning, making the busting adventure as life-like as they can to keep up with the modern-day graphics without sacrificing quality. In all honesty, the movie had another ride for being an awesome spectacle with a touching finish and that same heartwarming ambiance that Afterlife brought with it. Sadly, the final act seemed to trip up the movie taking the epic climax and shoving it into a rushed and weakened state that felt off compared to the movie. With imbalanced characters, a misused villain, and silly elements getting in the way of the spooky story, it felt a step back given the promise of the trailers. Still, the movie's fun elements still were enough to encourage getting out and seeing this film and hopefully at the theater as well. My scores are:
Comedy/Adventure/Sci-Fi: 7.5 Movie Overall: 7.0.
Fun
Funny At Times
References
Graphics
Character/Ghost Design
Origin/Worldbuilding
Some Good Character Moments
Solid Acting, Most of the Cast
Summary: Ghostbusters Frozen Empire achieves the goal of being a fun movie to watch in the presentation style alone (for most of the movie). It's a great pace that keeps things moving while giving us time to marinate and get caught up with the lives of the characters. Comedy is present throughout the movie as styles blend with witty quirks, sarcastic jabs, and some situational sliming that is always a running gag in this series. Alongside those familiar styles come great references to the series, adding a fun element of egg hunting and inside information that adds to the enjoyment for nerds like me. Yet, the world-building and design of ghosts elevate the movie to theater elements with the stylized creatures that linger in New York. The main villain, in particular, has quality build in his movements, voice, and elongated features that never go overboard, but still feel like the villain from the cartoons. And the other ghosts have their unique flair that keeps to the vibes of the series. When the origin story gets added, the opening acts give those designs even more flair and further bring the ghosts (ironically) to life. And all of it with fluid animations and movement that Hollywood can bring when they commit their resources and time. Finally, the character development is good for me on some of the characters. Several stories have a relevant bite to me with performances that help bring them out in full force and sometimes convey the perfect emotion that sells those heartfelt moments to the perfect degree.
DISLIKES:
Imbalanced Characters
A Rushed Ending
Cheesy Moments
Too Much Humor?
A Villain That Doesn't Live Up To The Build-Up
Summary: As I feared, Frozen Empire does put a freeze on quality the further you get into the film. One aspect that suffered through much of the movie was the balance of characters in this very star-packed movie. Several have clear focus and favoritism getting much screen time, but some like Trevor and Janine get left in the dust with horrible screen time and use in a film of this caliber. These story elements were much weaker than I expected and did not feel needed in this movie given how diluted their roles were. Even the big bad guy, Garraka, was underutilized, more threatening and menacing offscreen than when he filled the stage with his imposing figure. A shame given how cool he looked and the potential of his powers. Even more so, the jokes interrupted some of the horror and story elements when silliness was needlessly extended or integrated. These moments are few, but when they appear they throw off the momentum of the moment for me and are often not that funny. And like the humor, the sentimental moments come off cheesy as well, approaching soap opera levels that again did the opposite of what I think they wanted. Finally, all of this culminates in a lackluster ending that felt rushed, simplified, and heavily edited to something incomplete. It ties things up nicely, but all the things in my Dislikes feel magnified and duller compared to Afterlife's fantastic ending. And that build-up to the last battle was wasted, as the finale felt very mundane and dead upon arrival by the time we got to fighting the ice specter
The VERDICT: I had fun with much of Ghostbuster's latest entry. It's a very fun movie with entertaining antics, a good pace, and plenty of humor to keep things in the entertainment avenue. The actors were great and the world-building/design is stunning, making the busting adventure as life-like as they can to keep up with the modern-day graphics without sacrificing quality. In all honesty, the movie had another ride for being an awesome spectacle with a touching finish and that same heartwarming ambiance that Afterlife brought with it. Sadly, the final act seemed to trip up the movie taking the epic climax and shoving it into a rushed and weakened state that felt off compared to the movie. With imbalanced characters, a misused villain, and silly elements getting in the way of the spooky story, it felt a step back given the promise of the trailers. Still, the movie's fun elements still were enough to encourage getting out and seeing this film and hopefully at the theater as well. My scores are:
Comedy/Adventure/Sci-Fi: 7.5 Movie Overall: 7.0.