Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire looks set to arrive amidst a frosty reception as the movie has earned the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of any of the films in the franchise.
Following 2021’s Afterlife, a bright and breezy sequel that resurrected the plot from the original Ghostbusters, Frozen Empire sees the Spengler family head to New York to team up with the original members of the ghost-busting team. Matters take a chilly turn when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes a new threat on the city that could bring about a new Ice Age.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire sets unwanted Rotten Tomatoes record
Despite there being high hopes for the movie, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has earned a review score of just 45% on Rotten Tomatoes after 62 reviews have been collated.
The score, which could change as more reviews come in, sets an unwanted record for the horror-comedy franchise as it’s the lowest-rated film of any of the five Ghostbusters movies.
- Ghostbusters (1984) | 95%
- Ghostbusters II (1989) | 55%
- Ghostbusters (2016) | 74%
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) | 64%
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) | 45%
Something that may prove a saving grace for Frozen Empire is its audience score, which will only become clear after the movie’s release. For example, while 2021’s Afterlife earned a middling 64% from critics, its audience score of 94% suggests viewers found it more enjoyable. In contrast, 2016’s Ghostbusters reboot earned a 74% critics rating, but its audience score was just 49%.
What the critics are saying
Reviews for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire don’t point towards the movie being a total disaster but rather that it squanders the potential setup in Afterlife and that it relies too heavily on the nostalgia of having the original cast return.
Tim Grierson of Screen International wrote: “The clumsy mixture of nostalgia, scares, set pieces, sincerity and wisecracks never gels, tempting a conclusion that it is perhaps time for Sony to give up this particular ghost.”
USA Today’s Brian Truitt said: “Although Frozen Empire improves upon the previous film and there’s plenty to dig especially for young fans, it falls short of the 1984 classic’s high bar.”
Empire Magazine’s Alex Godfrey wrote in their two-star review: “There was potential here, but Frozen Empire is an overpopulated mish-mash, with too many heroes to wrangle. What’s left is a bit of a gooey mess. We’ve been slimed.”
James Mottram of Total Film said: “Too many characters and callbacks plus a formulaic plot means Frozen Empire doesn’t touch the original movies, but it’s a likeable-enough brand extension.”
Not everyone disliked the movie, however, as Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire doesn’t mess with the well-honed formula, carefully balancing its laughs and scares in the breezy manner that makes for pleasurable, if lightweight, viewing.”
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will be sliding into theaters in the US on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
