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4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Review: GHOSTBUSTERS: FOZEN EMPIRE

Home » 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Review: GHOSTBUSTERS: FOZEN EMPIRE

Jun 25 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

When we last saw the Ghostbusters, Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) had taken up her grandfather’s mantle, resurrecting a ghostbusting team along with her brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and some new friends, and was later joined by the remaining O.G. Ghostbusters to once again stop Gozer, rescue her mother, Callie (Carrie Coon), and science teacher, Gary (Paul Rudd) who had become demon dogs, and ultimately save the world. After the event in Oklahoma, a very wealthy Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) invited the Spenglers to join him in New York City, where he would fund the new Ghostbusters. The whole demon dog thing brought Callie and Gary together, and they’ve been dating and going strong ever since.

So, for the past 2 years, the Spenglers (and Gary) have been living in the iconic Ghostbusters firehouse headquarters, riding the Ecto-1 around the busy streets of Manhattan, capturing spirits and ghosts run amok. While the foursome works together like a well-oiled machine, they still have their family arguments, and sometimes leave a lot of damage in their wake. After one particularly destructive incident, Mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton)—yes, the former EPA guy—forbids 15-year-old Phoebe from participating in any ghostbusting activities as a minor. So while she’s sidelined and depressed that she’s not going to be allowed to contribute to the team for the next three years, Gary and Callie continue on with the ghostbusting, though they soon discover that the ghost containment unit in Ghostbusters HQ has become dangerously full and is on its last legs. At the same time, Trevor attempts to prove himself an adult by handling a situation in in the attic involving a familiar pudgy green ghost.

Meanwhile, Podcast (Logan Kim) is back, working as a summer intern/producer on a podcast with Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), where Ray tests the haunted nature of objects people bring to his shop. Looking to make a quick buck, Nadeem (Kumail Nanjiani) brings in a strange metal orb he found in his grandmother’s belongings. The PKE readings of the orb are off the chart, and so the team enlists the assistance of the folks at Winston’s Paranormal Discovery Center—a research lab coming up with new gadgets to help capture and study ghosts and spirits—to find out what lies within the object. In charge of the lab is resident parabiologist Lars (James Acaster), and his newest intern, Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), who is happy to be reunited with her friends. However, paranormal expert Dr. Hubert Wartzki informs them that the orb may have been used to contain a powerful spirit named Garraka, who channeled fear into a weapon, using his death chill to literally freeze people to death from fear.

After Garraka manages to escape, the whole city is in danger of becoming a massive frozen wasteland, and the Ghostbusters must find a way to stop him. The key may like in an ancient prophesy regarding Nadeem and his family legacy of “Firemasters”, but Nadeem hardly looks or acts like the hero type. Can the gang find a way to stop this evil spirit before it’s too late? (I think we know the answer!)

Ghostbusters: Afterlife introduced viewers to this next generation of Ghostbusters, as we saw the Spenglers (and Gary) form the new team. It also brought back the original Ghostbusters for a touch of nostalgia. In this second film, the nostalgia level is amped up to an 11 as we return to the same setting as the original films, bringing back the iconic New York City firehouse, as well as some familiar characters and spirits. Even the film’s delightful score feels very similar to that of the original films. However, while Afterlife felt a bit like a rehash of the first movie, bring back Gozer and the demon dogs, Frozen Empire gives viewers an entirely new, interesting and menacing villain. I really enjoyed this story, and the way the writers also gave each of the characters their own journey along the way, such as Gary trying to figure out his role in the family, Phoebe trying to find her role in the team, and Trevor trying to get people to treat him like an adult. The writers also found somewhat organic ways to bring back Lucky and Podcast from Afterlife, and explain why they were in New York City. We also see all of the (living) original Ghostbusters and Janine (Annie Potts) return.

While there’s a lot of nostalgia and familiarity in Frozen Empire, the filmmakers have also done an excellent job of expanding this world, introducing us to new gadgets such as a drone trap, new vehicles like the Ecto-C bike, and lots of new spirits and ghosts with creative and unique abilities and appearances—such as a spirit that can possess any inanimate object, and a tiny cute ghost that can spew a lot of slime. There’s also a more human-like ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind), who’s trying to resolve and move on from her tragic past. In addition to the thrills and character drama, this latest film also has even more humor than the previous movie, bringing in comedians like James Acaster, Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt to play some of the new characters and add a lot of levity. Though even with the humor, the film still manages to provide thrills, excitement and real stakes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this latest installment of the Ghostbusters franchise. It finds the perfect blend of nostalgia, action and character development. While I love seeing the original cast, I also enjoy this next generation of Ghostbusters and feel like we don’t need to keep seeing the O.G. cast popping up to help save the day. It feels like the filmmakers are a bit hesitant to completely pass the torch, but I think this next generation of Ghostbusters are ready and able to fully take over. I would love to see more adventures with these characters.

Sony’s 4K release looks and sounds amazing. The video presentation provides a clean, crisp picture with an excellent level of detail throughout, even in the darker sequences, such as when Trevor is exploring the attic. The effects are well done and realistic and blend in naturally. I especially love the creature design of the new villain. The film is presented with Dolby Vision color grading, and the picture never looks oversaturated, such as the constantly glowing and flowing blue flames that make up Melody’s “body”. It’s a really impressive presentation, and I can’t imagine the picture looking any better. The Dolby Atmos audio track is also top notch, providing clear dialogue throughout, showcasing the film’s delightful score, and providing a really immersive experience. Whether it’s the crackle of the proton streams as the Ghostbusters try to contain their runaway spirits, or the sounds of these ghosts whizzing around the screen, or the rumble of the containment unit as it struggles to store another ghost, you feel like your are in the middle of the action.

The physical 4K release includes both a 4K UHD disc and a Blu-ray disc packed on either side of a standard 4K keepcase, placed in a glossy carboard slipcover. An insert provides instructions on how to redeem a 4K Movies Anywhere-compatible digital copy of the film. The release also contains a director commentary track, and over an hour of bonus material, including behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew, some deleted scene, an Easter egg discussion, and more. The bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray disc and digital copy, except for the commentary track, which is also available on the 4K disc.


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Film: (1:55:05)

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