Ok, so, I’m seeing some reviews of Ghostbusters Frozen Empire saying it’s a cash grab and soulless and I thought I should put my thoughts down.
‘Cash grab and soulless’ couldn’t be further from the truth.
Frozen Empire is a pure love letter to Ghostbusters. As someone who was there in ‘84 and every year since, this movie was what I dreamed of a million times as a kid and, yes, often as an adult.
Feeling more like the Real Ghostbusters animated series, it shows the Ghostbusters out there on the streets, in a world full of ghosts and ghouls; it’s silly, outlandish, funny and has a heart as big as New York.
It’s, as cliche as it sounds, a movie for fans, made by fans.
When I played with my toys as a kid, I imagined adventures like this, with characters as mad as this, in a world as alive (no pun intended) as this, as magical and full of the impossible as this.
But I can see why the critics don’t like it.
It’s messy in parts and the pacing is all over the place and there’s a storyline which, while I admire the attempt at something entirely new, I’m not sure works and yes, the finale and big bad could have gotten better handling and more screen time.
Frozen Empire director gives update on new Ghostbusters animated series
But honestly, this isn’t made for critics, it’s made for us, the true believers, the little kids who sat in front of The Real Ghostbusters on a Saturday morning all those years ago, cereal in one hand, Peter Venkman action figure in the other, dreaming of fun, ghosts (as weird as that is) and the next exciting adventure racing around in the Ecto-1.
Frozen Empire is flawed and silly but when it hits, the little kid in me was large-eyed, excited and immersed in the world he’s wanted to see for the best part of four decades. That little kid loved this movie like it was 1984 again and this grown man loved it despite the flaws.
I can’t wait to see it again, warts and all.
Thanks Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, thanks Ghost Corp and Sony Pictures for keeping this impossible world alive for that little boy in front of the telly and the man he grew to be.
Very few franchises could hit me over the years like Ghostbusters and it’s so good to know it still can.
Oh, and I’m excited as hell for the many different things this set up in the future – and maybe even the past?
‘Golden years’, indeed. I’m so very glad bustin’ still makes me feel good.
4 out of 5 Nerds
Director Gil Kenan says no Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire extended cut coming
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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