Overstuffed ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ fails to justify its existence

Trying to appease all types of fans and regular moviegoers, the new “Ghostbusters” film, subtitled “Frozen Empire,” introduces a half-dozen decent ideas and fails to deliver on any of them.

Without divulging spoilers, “Frozen Empire” assembles 12 different characters for a finale in which only two of them have anything to do. Everyone else just sort of stands around (though Bill Murray’s five-minute appearance includes a few strained laughs).

A direct sequel to “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” from 2021, “Frozen Empire” follows the Spengler family (plus Paul Rudd’s sorta-stepdad) to New York City as they take over ghostbusting duties at the original movie’s firehouse, all funded by former Ghostbuster-turned-billionaire philanthropist Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson, who, along with Dan Aykroyd’s Ray Stantz, are the OG players who have much more screentime here compared to Murray and other returnees Annie Potts and William Atherton). Fifteen-year-old Phoebe (McKenna Grace) is the brains of the operation, but her mom (Carrie Coon) rightfully grounds her from field duties after a dangerous encounter with a sewer-dwelling ghost dragon.

Phoebe then begins an unlikely friendship with a teenage ghost (Emily Alyn Lind) who has some connections to the film’s big bad, a godlike entity named Garraka who is attempting to escape from an ancient orb inherited by a disinterested man-child (Kumail Nanjiani, a bright comedic spot in an otherwise lifeless screenplay).

As undercooked and predictable as Phoebe’s character arc becomes, it’s the only plot strand in the movie that approaches completion. Much of “Frozen Empire,” written by Gil Kenan (who also directs) and Jason Reitman, is wasted introducing nuggets of other story strands that become meaningless once Garraka starts blasting icicles across the city.

The script operates like the opening scenes of a pilot episode for a “Ghostbusters” TV show that doesn’t exist. One strand follows Winston’s expansion of the city’s Ghostbusting Empire. Another has Ray contemplating life as a ghost. Paul Rudd’s Gary Grooberson wants to be a more assertive step-parent. His girlfriend (and Phoebe’s mom) likes that idea! Phoebe’s brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) tries to catch Slimer! Phoebe’s friend (Logan Kim) has an internship with Ray! Trevor’s friend (Celeste O’Connor) is working for Winston!

“Frozen Empire” forces all the major players from “Afterlife” into an overreaching story that can’t fit half of them, then tosses in the original crew for nostalgic purposes. It even tries to introduce new players (including Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt and James Acaster) for their own half-executed plotlines.

By the time everyone is introduced and given a singular personality trait, it’s time for the third act confrontation, which, unfortunately, even lacks the scale and stakes of “Afterlife’s” shameless rethread of the 1984 film.

While never unpleasant to watch, “Frozen Empire” lacks energy, cohesion and purpose. Of everyone involved, McKenna Grace pops the most (though with the benefit of being the only character with a full arc). The OG cast and about 1,200 visual references exist here solely to tickle the nostalgia bone, though none of it comes across as authentic, necessary or even vaguely diverting on its own.

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.