GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE Review: The Fifth Time Is Not the Charm [Video]

After 40 years, a mediocre sequel, a not particularly well-received reboot, and not one, but two legacy sequels, not to mention cartoons and other ephemera, it’s probably time for the Ghostbusters franchise to hang up the proton packs, pack up the neutrona wands, and store the ghost traps for good.

That won’t happen, of course, not where a major studio and potentially lucrative intellectual property (IP) like the Ghostbusters series is involved. Quality storytelling counts less, far less than financially exploiting the nostalgia of long-time fans.

Which brings us back to the second legacy sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. This time, Jason Reitman (Young Adult, Up in the Air, Thank You For Smoking), the son of the original duopoly’s ‘80s entries, isn’t directing. He’s just co-writing and producing. Reitman handed over directing reins to Gil Kenan (Poltergeist, City of Ember, Monster House), possibly out of disinterest in helming again, possibly out of boredom, …

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