In 1984, the Ghostbusters franchise began. Four decades later, the iconic franchise still isn't over. The passing of Harold Ramis in 2014 seemed to lead to the end of the original era of Ghostbusters. However, after 2016's reboot failed to impress audiences, the original cast joined a new cast for 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The film served as a tribute to Harold Ramis. The film was directed by Jason Reitman. Jason Reitman's the son of Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two Ghostbusters films and produced the other films. He passed away in 2022, so the newest film, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, is dedicated to him. Gil Kenan is the new director, and he and Jason Reitman wrote the film.

Egon Spengler's family, which includes his daughter, Callie, and his grandchildren, Trevor and Phoebe, have become Ghostbusters. Along with Callie's boyfriend, Gary Grooberson, the Spenglers have been living in the Fire House and have been busting ghosts. A ghost from several generations ago has been threatening to return. The icy Garraka is planning on bringing lots of danger to the world. Garraka is such a big threat that the Spengler family will need the help of their friends, as well as the original Ghostbusters, to save the world.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife helped save the Ghostbusters film franchise after the 2016 reboot hurt the franchise's reputation. The film mostly focused on a new team of Ghostbusters, but the classic Ghostbusters did appear in the film. The newest film gives the new characters and old characters a lot to do.

Like in Afterlife, the film is focused on Phoebe. Out of all of the newer characters, Phoebe has received the most development. Although it's never officially confirmed in the films, it's hinted that Phoebe has autism. I can connect to Phoebe and relate to her. She has a lot in common with Egon, while having enough unique traits to feel like her own character. Frozen Empire expands her story and her role in life. The drama between her and her family adds a lot to the film. The complicated friendship between her and somebody new that she meets is one of the film's most intriguing elements.

Kumail Nanjiani is a new addition to the cast. In addition to being important to the plot, his character adds a lot of comedy relief to the film. Patton Oswalt has a small role, but as always, he's a fun person to have around. The new villain, Garaka, is intimidating and cool. Emily Alyn Lind's Melody is a very interesting character that adds a lot of dramatic tension to the film.

For people that love the original Ghostbusters film, they have a lot of fan-favorite characters to look forward to seeing again. Every classic character is used in an effective, memorable way. Even the characters that just have cameos are used well. For those that wanted to see more of the original Ghostbusters, Frozen Empire is sure to be an enjoyable experience. Frozen Empire gives Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore bigger roles than they had in Afterlife. Due to Egon dying, he can't be in the film. However, his impact on the franchise is felt throughout the film.

If you want new things from the Ghostbusters franchise, in addition to seeing some old friends, Frozen Empire is worth checking out. McKenna Grace has proven that she has the acting and heart to carry the franchise as Phoebe. Frozen Empire is able to keep the classic franchise going without losing sight of the iconic people that made the franchise a success to begin with.