I came to Ghostbusters late in the piece, in my adulthood, having missed them when I was a kid. I fell for the franchise straight away with its child friendly almost Goosebumps level of horror, classic ghosts, cracking humor, and the original cast of course. 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife was a superb revisioning of the franchise paying homage to the past and paving the way to a fresh and new future. While the new installment doesn’t quite reach the heights of Afterlife, it’s still an entertaining ride nonetheless. When it doesn’t get bogged down in exposition, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an entertaining night out at the movies and a solid addition to the franchise. 

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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

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This was my plus one's first Ghostbuster film and for someone who has little to no knowledge of the franchise, Frozen Empire is pretty accessible in that regard. It gives sufficient background on established characters and plot lines without getting too bogged down in the narrative weeds. 

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The heavy exposition that weighs down most of the second act is in reference to the new big, bad, baddie, repeating exposition from the beginning of the film. This, along with some interesting editing choices, leaves the narrative at times with a sense of it being slightly uneven. 

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That being said, Frozen Empire really tries to do a lot of new things here from new and involved characters, to fresh buildings and tech, as well as the big, bad, baddie. And when Frozen Empire is in those moments as well as in its action packed, ghostbusting action sequences, it absolutely soars.

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When it doesn’t get bogged down in exposition, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an entertaining night out at the movies and a solid addition to the franchise.