Thank you to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for providing this Geek Daddy with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital combo pack of the home video release of GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE so my family could have a fun family movie night this weekend. Now available to add to your home entertainment video library is the theatrical release of the fourth installment of the Ghostbusters movie franchise complimented by the inclusion of over an hour of extras including deleted scenes and behind the scenes making of the film features.
In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started -- the iconic New York City firehouse -- to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who've developed a top-secret research lab. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Directed by Gil Kenan, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire features Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray and Annie Potts. The movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has a run time of 115 minutes.
In addition to the featured presentation, the 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital home video release of the movie includes the following bonus content:
Deleted & Extended Scenes;
Easter Eggs Unleashed;
Return to the Firehouse: Making Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire;
Busted: Capturing the Ghosts of Frozen Empire;
Manifesting Garraka;
New York, New Gear;
Welcome to the Paranormal Discovery Center;
Knowing the Score;
Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Gil Kenan
In addition to the complimentary Blu-ray + DVD + Digital combo pack received by ageekdaddy.com, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is also available in a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital combo pack. For collectors of physical media, the film is also available in WALMART exclusive steelbook cases.
There is also a limited edition 2-movie giftset with both Afterlife and Frozen Empire on 4K, Blu-ray and Digital packaged with a Ghostbusters ice mold for making some out of the ordinary ice cubes.
Who you going to call for a spooktacular family movie night? Ghostbusters!
Do you enjoy scary attractions like haunted houses at Halloween time? We have some spooktacular places to visit here in Metro Detroit like Eloise Asylum, Hush Haunted Attraction, and the Erebus Haunted Warehouse; but I've come across rave reviews about HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS at Universal Studios Orlando theme park that may make a Fall vacation to check them out worthwhile...especially because this year they are incorporating GHOSTBUSTERS into the event.
On select nights from August 30 - November 3, Universal Studios Orlando closes early and reopens for a special ticketed event called HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS where a few rides are open (Revenge of the Mummy, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and Transformers) but the primary attraction is participating in event only scary attractions. During HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS ten haunted houses are opened to explore with five scare zones situated between them filled with scare actors on the prowl you need to navigate through to make your way around the amusement park. Plus, there is Halloween-themed live entertainment as well as themed food and drinks available to enjoy around the park as well.
The haunted houses utilize movie studio caliber costumes, props and special effects to provide a Hollywood blockbuster quality experience that exceeds what most local Halloween attractions are able to provide. In 2024, two of the amusement park's haunted houses are going to have movie themes too: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and A Quit Place.
An ancient artifact has released a chilling new entity, Garraka in the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire haunted house. He’ll stop you cold. Only the Ghostbusters can keep you from getting iced.
In the A Quit Place haunted house, make a sound and you won't last long. Monstrous creatures will hunt you down as the world of the first two films comes to terrifying life.
My teenagers are at an age that they don't want to go on family trips with mom and dad anymore ... even to places like Disneyland or Universal Orlando because they don't want to be treated like kids. But these haunted houses are targets to an audience of teens, young adults, and those of use who categorize ourselves as kids-at-heart (aka over 40). In fact, there is a warning on the promotions for HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS that the event is not recommended for children under 13. A night of scary attractions and amusement park rides may just be the family outing we've been looking for. Plus, Ghostbusters has piqued my interest!
Would you take a Florida vacation just for some Halloween themed fun? I'm really thinking about it!
Thank you Sony Pictures for inviting me to the Detroit premiere of GHOSTBUSTER: FROZEN EMPIRE that was held at Emagine Theatres' Royal Oak, Michigan location. The Ghostbusters franchise celebrates forty years of busting ghosts with a new sequel to the hit summer flick of 1984 that started it all...the original GHOSTBUSTERS movie. GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE is rated PG-13 for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) though from this dad's perspective I didn't see anything particularly troubling that would be prohibitive of younger viewers who aren't inclined to having nightmares about ghosts from seeing it.
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE returns the franchise to New York City after its cross country road trip to Oklahoma in the last movie. To honor the legacy of Egon Spengler and reward his daughter and grandkids for their contributions in foiling a new plot by Gozer the Gozerian to unleash anarchy, Winston Zeddemore bankrolls Spengler's daughter Callie (Carrie Coon) and her two children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) to reinitiate the Ghostbusters business in New York City. They bring along with them the kids former science teacher and Callie's current love interest, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) as part of the Spengler family making up the new Ghostbusters team.
The movie begins with a haunting flashback scene and a fun, energetic ghost chase that highlight why this franchise can captivate you and has developed such a fanatic following with cosplayers and fan clubs around the world. Starting off the film with the Ghostbusters return to New York City and the campy tone of the original movies shows why this franchise is beloved by so many people forty years after the original movie debuted. I was GEEKED as the movie rolled through its first scenes that this might be the best Ghostbusters movie yet.
Yet then the movie's pace began to freeze like the victim's of the ghostly menace emerging to threaten the Big Apple. A big part of the movie begins to focus on a teen angst side plot involving Phoebe that while played well by Grace just is to be honest is awkward and awful dragging down the energy of the movie and really just was not very enjoyable to watch. Additionally, a lot of the one-liners and physical comedy that makes Ghostbusters entertaining were falling flat in this movie not causing me to chuckle while it was obvious that was the intent of the Director. The slow pacing along with a lack of ghost busting action scenes and moments that generated enthusiasm for the movie by the audience laughing out loud together put a damper on the film for me.
I really enjoyed GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE but one criticism was that it lacked a character with the appeal of Rick Moranis' Louis Tully. GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE attempts to address that with the inclusion of comedian Kumail Nanjiani who takes on a similar, though more heroic role, as Louis Tully. While I give credit to Nanjiani for having some nice moments in the movie, overall his role in the movie falls flat contributing to a lack of positive energy in the vibe of the film. I see what the film's producers were trying to accomplish with Nanjiani's casting and character but unfortunately in my opinion they whiffed in the effort.
The film also brought back two popular characters from GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE for some continuity between the movies, Lucky (Celeste O'Connor) and Podcast (Logan Kim). Lucky's role is puzzling because she has an important leadership role in a new paranormal research center Winston has created to support the new Ghostbusters' operations but states she is in town just for a "summer internship." Lucky also was a love interest of Trevor Spengler in the last movie but there is no connection between the characters, not event as friends of colleagues, in this film. Podcast has run away from home pretending to be at Space Camp so he can live with Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) over the summer to learn more about paranormal investigating. Aykroyd and Kim have some nice scenes together but it lacks the same impressive chemistry the Podcast actor had with Phoebe Spengler in Afterlife which is a detraction instead of an improvement from the previous film.
The film adds two shining performances in engineer James Acaster (Lars Pinfield) who plays a believable science geek and scheming specter Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) who provides a nice performance for a poorly scripted role. GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE also brings back a key adversary from the original 1984 film, Environmental Protection Agency investigator Walter Peck (William Atherton) who is now Mayor of New York. Atherton's character remains as unlikeable as ever and just as much as a thorn in the side of the Ghostbusters.
There are some nice nostalgic moments in GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE including returning to the original Ghostbusters firehouse headquarters and the library featured in the first movie. There are also some nice cameos including super geek Patton Oswalt and Slimer the ghost. I have to admit the Slimer scenes are great!
Of course, the remaining living Ghostbusters, Ray, Winston and Venkman (Bill Murray) along with their assistant Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) suit up to help save the day. The big climatic battle scene that brings together the new and old Ghostbusters isn't overly dramatic which is disappointing with Ray, Melnitz, Venkman and Winston more being there to be in the moment than contributing to overcoming the movie's primary threat. Yet, seeing the four of them suited up with proton packs is a nostalgic treat for any Ghostbusters fan.
GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE also brings back the popular miniature Stay Puft marshmallow men from the last movie. They engage in similar hijinks as in Afterlife. They also are featured in a mid-credits post-movie scene. So, don't run out of the theater as the credits roll though you don't need to stay for the entire scroll through them.
All in all if you are a diehard Ghostbusters fan this is a must-see at a theater on the big screen. For casual fans it can be a pass though I did find it entertaining enough to recommend having you pick it up on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD or Digital for a family move night when it eventually is released on home video. You can preorder the home entertainment release now on Amazon.com. GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE gets a three out of five star Geek Daddy review.
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