The Ghostbusters franchise has never seen complete success in its tenure. While the original Ghostbusters starring Bill Murray has been a cult classic that has been paid tribute to and has been parodied multiple times over the years, the subsequent films have been a hit or miss. It hit a new low with the all-female reboot starring prominent SNL alumni.
However, the franchise seems to have gone further down the hole as its latest entry Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire gets the franchise’s worst Rotten Tomatoes score. The film came on the heels of the well-received Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which starred Paul Rudd and a new cast. Despite the presence of the beloved characters and the return of the OG Ghostbusters, the new film seems to be unimpressive. However, fans still seem to be excited.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Beats The All-Female Reboot To Be The Worst Rated In The Franchise
The Bill Murray-starring 1984 horror comedy Ghostbusters became an instant classic upon release, with its titular song produced by Ray Parker Jr. being a pop cultural phenomenon. While there were animated shows and a video game as a part of the franchise, the sequels of the film have never reached the heights of the originals.
However, there seemed to be hope when a direct threequel to the original was launched. Directed by Jason Reitman, the son of Ivan Reitman who helmed the first film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife starring Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfard, and Carrie Coon, with the original Ghostbusters cast also returning. The film had a good rating, with many praising the nostalgia and performances.
The franchise, however, seems to have taken a tumble yet again as the sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire gets negative responses. The Rotten Tomatoes score for the film after early screenings by critics goes up to 44%, making it rotten. It also makes it the worst-rated film in the franchise, even beating the hated and trolled all-female reboot Ghostbusters.
Ghostbuster fans are no stranger to being the center of controversy. The film which previously held the record for being the worst-rated movie of the franchise i.e. the all-female reboot Ghostbusters was trolled and ostracized by the fanbase. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, the film drew a lot of hate for the film.
The trailer of the reboot reportedly received dislikes in the millions and was even the most-disliked trailer on YouTube (via BBC). The film was reportedly downvoted on IMDb even before release. This led to the makers also adding a scene addressing the reaction in the film. It was also a commercial bomb, earning only $229 million against a $144 million budget.
Fans Are Still Up For Watching Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Many criticized Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire for heavily leaning on fan service and baiting. Many instances and characters from the original Ghostbusters reportedly make their way into the film including the Library Ghost, Slimer, and the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man. However, none of them are reportedly used well in the film.
According to Discussing Film, the movie spends too much time on the original gang without them having any development,
“The story gets constantly hijacked by the need to check back in with the original gang. There’s a way to do this where the classic Ghostbusters have aged into their old roles. But [they] are practically the exact same characters they were back then. They’re nostalgia bots, here to spit out classic lines and remind the audience of the good old days. Only, they just look tired. Or worse, like they don’t want to be there at all.”
However, fans seemed to still have interest in the film as they took to social media to express their excitement to see the film. Citing the critic’s score for the film would not define their viewing experience, there still seems to be motivation for the fans to have a fun watch.
I'm going to have to watch the film myself and form my own opinion as everyone should. Regardless of that I am shocked that it's this low. The previous was liked and was seen as a first step in making the brand popular again after 2016.
— Eddie (@OHMYDIAZ) March 20, 2024
We only listen to the audience score
— DJ Kooli 🎧 (@DjKooli) March 20, 2024
I’m still gonna watch it… critics don’t matter
— Draven (@DravenMayberry) March 20, 2024
Th first one was loads of fun. I didn't even bother with the reviews. I will do the same with this one.
— Hafeesco (@Abdul_charming) March 20, 2024
The critics rated other movies bad that were actually good so this could still be really good.
— Chris The Mutant ❌ (@NotChrisG1) March 20, 2024
The film is set to release on March 22 but with the negative reviews mounting, it seems to be yet another case of a franchise overstaying its welcome with needless fan service.
