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Showing posts with label Dan Aykroyd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dan Aykroyd. Show all posts

Friday, March 22, 2024

MOVIE REVIEW: GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

 






















The Spengler family returns to the iconic New York City firehouse where the original Ghostbusters have taken ghost-busting to the next level. When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must unite to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

Director: Gil Kenan

Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O'Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, William Atherton, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt

Release Date: March 22, 2024

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated PG-13 for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references.

Runtime: 1h 55m

Review:

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an overly busy movie that tries to juggle the new, legacy and expansion aspects of the franchise with mixed results.  Gil Kenan is perfectly capable of matching the feel of the original film but the tone is strangely uneven.  There are portions that channel the original's goofy charm aided by appearances from some of the original characters.  Unfortunately, it never maintains that sort of comedic energy instead veering into a more serious tone which feels off for this franchise.  The rather large cast is game throughout but the overabundance of characters makes it difficult for the film to maintain any sort of focus.  Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon have fun while they're onscreen providing an appropriate level of parent energy as their family unit has taken over the Ghostbusters.  Rudd's goofy charm is perfectly suited for this role and he's clearly having a ball playing in this sandbox.  He and Coon have solid chemistry together but the film doesn't spend nearly enough time with them or their kids, played by Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace, which is a strange choice since they were the main characters in the 2021 refresh.  Grace is still able to channel Harold Ramis's Spengler energy but she's given a rather silly subplot considering the character's general intelligence.  Wolfhard's character doesn't fare much better with a rather clichéd storyline.  Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson have significant roles here but the script never bothers to give their characters any sort of background about how they ended up as a supernatural trader and Men in Black style director of a Ghostbusters R&D department.  Annie Potts and Bill Murray both pop up but they aren't asked to do much except provide a few quips here and there with the script more concerned with overlong exposition dumps about the central villain.  In the end, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire feels like a missed opportunity that forgets that these film are supposed to be fun more than anything else something it doesn't do nearly often enough. 


C+

Sunday, November 21, 2021

MOVIE REVIEW: GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

 






















When a single mother and her two children move to a new town, they soon discover they have a connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts

Release Date: November 19, 2021

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for supernatural action and some suggestive references

Runtime: 2h 4m

Review:

Ghostbusters: Afterlife peddles heavily in nostalgia but unfortunately it doesn’t bring much new to the table.  Jason Reitman’s film decides to follow the J. J. Abrams template of franchise revivals by lifting memorable moments from the original film and repackaging them with a new cast.  That’s not to say the film doesn’t have it’s moments where it comes to life due to a capable cast but it never really hits the sweet spot. Mckenna Grace is the film’s best addition as she delivers a fun, enjoyable performance as Ego’s granddaughter.  She has an air of authenticity and earnestness that works in the film’s favor.  Logan Kim is her defacto sidekick and they share some solid comedic chemistry which is rare among younger performers.  Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon deliver workman like performances unfortunately the script doesn’t take advantage of their talents.  The original cast appears in what amounts to extended cameos and the film works in the late Harold Ramis with mixed results.  Ultimately, Ghostbusters: Afterlife feels like it should have left a bigger impression but it’s mostly forgettable. 

C

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