Ghostbusters is back and this time we see two teams on screen. Does this mean the movie will be better? We evaluate the upcoming hit “Ghostbusters: Empire of Ice.”
I think anyone who grew up in the 80s or 90s remembers the “Ghostbusters” craze. The amount of paraphernalia associated with these films could be overwhelming, but after some time, the theme faded and the brand was ignored for years. In the era of comebacks and remakes, we have seen a resumption of the series (I will not mention the 2016 production), which has managed to combine classic parts with a modern style.
After such a successful premiere, it was clear that “Ghostbusters: Legacy” was just a prequel and that the series would return. The first promotional materials for “Empire of Ice” were very promising: a dark main antagonist, a continuation of the stories of new heroes and the return of the old team. Do we need something more? Well, it turns out that might be too much.
Ghostbusters. Ice Empire – Review
“Ghostbusters: Empire of Ice” does not even last two hours, and yet throughout the film we follow the fate of many characters, all of whom – with one exception – cannot spread their wings. Some remind us of themselves and disappear, others appear in the background all the time, and some act as members of the main cast, although they are only occasional appearances. This disruption means that the story itself doesn't flow naturally, which makes watching “Empire of Ice” not that smooth.
The surprisingly frequent passages of New York in the morning, at sunset, or in the middle of the day (and since I remember them strongly, they were very frequent) were necessary to fill in certain gaps in the text and move the action from one place to another. one place to another. It's clear that there were a lot of ideas for the film and that an attempt was made to include them in the final version of the film – perhaps if it had been decided to shoot more scenes and make the whole thing longer, it wouldn't have felt like it. Very fragmented.
Ghostbusters. Empire of Ice lasts just under two hours
I don't know if this was entirely intentional, but the effect of the above is very high dynamics and high pacing for the film. There is no room for elaboration here – subsequent topics and explanations follow one another, we follow them, staring at the screen and trying to keep up. It was very nice to see three of the original four killers again, but Bill Murray's involvement was very minor and didn't fit well with this movie at all. Dan Aykroyd's character is the best in this regard, while Ernie Hudson's character is slightly worse.
Paul Rudd (with good humor) seems positive, but Carrie Coon's involvement is downplayed. The work focuses primarily on McKenna Grace's heroine, Phoebe Spengler. And that's not all of them, because there's also Podcast, Lucky and Lars, who also have some influence on the course of events. However, 40 hours is definitely not enough to include all of them and allow them to truly contribute to the film. A lot of time is spent leading the viewer through the entire story, but as a result, the film's finale seems to have been shortened and rushed against this background, which is why the tension built from the beginning does not find a proper outlet.
You can feel the magic, but you have to try to see it
However, the new Ghostbusters are great fun and a chance to return to the world that many of us love. I don't know if this movie will make new viewers fall in love with the series, but it should keep up the interest of those who have already boarded this train humming the main musical theme to themselves. “Legacy” did a much better job of balancing the story for new and old fans, while “Empire of Ice” feels like a writer/director’s dream come true and a movie meant to please the widest possible audience. Instead, perhaps the best option is to try to focus the project on specific paths and clarify some issues, while abandoning others.
“Ghostbusters: Empire of Ice” is a good movie, but not a very good one, although I see a lot of opinions that “Legacy” was weaker. Perhaps a golden middle has been found here as both productions reach everyone. The question is what will happen in a potential third film and whether the franchise is willing to give it up legacy Previous installments are a huge step forward.
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