Ghoulish reboot sequel has lots going on; language, scares.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Creepy, scary monsters and ghosts, especially the central evil spirit/god, Garraka. Frequent peril and danger to main characters, including teens. Jump-scares. Several humans are frozen; some shatter into pieces, dead. A limb continues operating after separated from its body. Dangerous driving and lots of property damage; explosions, ice spikes. Proton pack weapons are wielded frequently. A teenage ghost talks about dying in a fire. An animated stone lion threatens humans. Tiny (and adorable) Stay-Puft marshmallow men are violent to themselves and each other -- they put their arms through a grinder, melt their faces with a lighter, squash themselves, etc. -- but since they're marshmallows, they bounce back. Projectile vomiting from unrealistic fantasy creatures. Lots of goopy ectoplasm. Arguments/yelling.
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Teen talks about a "nipple" painting that shows art with an exposed breast. A room with chains and devices hanging on the walls is repeatedly referred to as a "sex dungeon" by teens. A couple fistbumps each other when mentioning how they "got some action." Mildly suggestive jokes. Brief reference to a "hooker." Horned villain is described as "tall, dark, and horny."
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Language includes: "ass," "a--hole," "crap," "damn," "hell," "s--t," "shut up," "son of a bitch," "demented," "Jeez," "sucks," "stupid," "moron," and "testicle." There's a joking reference to a famous historical figure using "the F-word."
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Cheetos are featured prominently (and is connected to a merchandising deal). Dunkin' Donuts also seen extensively, with logo visible. Ivan Reitman's early film Cannibal Girls is shown/name-dropped, but that's more of an Easter egg for franchise fans than a product promotion.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Scene inside a smoke and vape shop. Adult makes a positive, funny comment while taking a swig from a bottle of alcohol. Reference to people drinking a bottle of beaujolais wine.
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Themes of family and finding a place of belonging, as well as teamwork, curiosity, and perseverance. Face down the thing that scares you. You have the skillset to solve the problems at hand. It's important to have honest communication and not let frustration and resentment fester. Retirement doesn't have to mean that the exciting part of life is over.
Positive Role Models
some
Teenage quantum physicist Phoebe is extremely smart, curious, fearless, and capable -- though she also makes some iffy decisions when she feels misunderstood and left out. Gary is eager to be part of the Spengler family and tries hard to connect with Phoebe. All of the Ghostbusters and their team members are bright, motivated paranormal scientists and engineers who work together to defeat evil (though they often take risks and defy misguided authority to do so). Despite trying to dodge all responsibility, Nadeem steps up when he needs to.
Diverse Representations
some
The Spengler family is White, as are several other key characters, including original Ghostbusters Ray, Venkman, and Janine. But, even more than in the previous film, this movie focuses on a female character: McKenna Grace's Phoebe is a smart, brave 15-year-old with a genius-level grasp of physics, mechanics, and science who's also emotionally complex. Supporting characters include Lucky (Black actor Celeste O'Connor), a female teen engineering intern, and Podcast (Korean American actor Logan Kim), a teen male broadcaster. The original Ghostbusters, now in their 70s, are still an active part of the story and are game to help save New York City. Winston (Black actor Ernie Hudson), now a wealthy, powerful CEO, has a more prominent role here than in any of the 1980s Ghostbusters movies. Indian-American actor Kumail Nanjiani has an important supporting role. New York City residents are racially diverse. Two teen girls have a spiritual connection, but it's never labeled.
Parents need to know that Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the sequel to 2021's hit reboot. It brings together Ghostbusters new and old (even Bill Murray!) to fight an icy supernatural baddie. Some of the frights here are creepier and ickier than in previous iterations, including a scary, glowing-eyed ghoul who can freeze and shatter humans, a true "phantom limb," suicidal mini Stay-Puft marshmallow men, and an adorable spook that projectile vomits. Characters are frequently in peril, proton pack weapons are used, and there's property damage galore (plus jump-scares). Expect a few suggestive jokes, including older teens repeatedly referring to a secret room as a "sex dungeon." Language includes "a--hole," "son of a bitch," "s--t," "Jeez," "damn," and one reference to "the F-word." One scene is set inside a smoke and vape shop, and an adult takes a swig from a bottle of alcohol. Amid all the ghostly mayhem are clear messages about family, belonging, teamwork, curiosity, and perseverance. And the target audience of older tweens and teens is likely to enjoy the movie's focus on 15-year-old Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and the other smart, capable teen characters. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
if your kids saw Ghostbusters (1984) then your good for this one.
when trying to decide if your kid can see this movie. I would first ask has you kids seen any of the other ghostbuster films because this is the exact same level of scary and bad words and sex comments as all the others . actually on the sex catergory it’s actually less than 1984s by a lot. the word shit is used a few times and the big bad in this will frighten some children as expected. it’s way more laughs than scares in this , however there are a few jump scares.
Slightly lesser sequel is still enjoyable; language
This was a great film and certainly better than I expected. It’s difficult to describe why it makes you feel good but it just does— kind of in line with the rest of the series. They certainly get things more in line with the rest of the series with this one, with a comedic tone that Afterlife lacked and a return to NYC. The pacing was a bit off, it was difficult to distinguish the second act from the first, it almost felt like there was no second act at all. But there’s still plenty to keep you entertained, there’s more ghost busting here than in any of previous entries in the series.
Content guide:
Supernatural action/violence: The supernatural. Transformation scenes in which characters are momentarily possessed by supernatural entities. The discovery of frozen characters with brief sight of a severed hand attached to a spinning phonograph handle; however, there is no injury detail. A human is frozen by a supernatural entity before exploding into ice pieces without detail. Comedy breaks it up throughout. Although minors are involved, there is an emphasis on their courage and resourcefulness. An unrecognizable object is identified as a severed human finger (no injury detail). Tiny Stay Puft Marshmallow Men are melted in humorous scenes. One of them briefly has their face burned off with a truck’s lighter piece.
Language: “What the fudge is wrong with you?”, a reference to “the f word,” 'son of a b**ch', 'd***less', 'a**hole', 'a*s', 'screw', 'crap', 'God', 'damn', 'hell', and ‘moron.’
Suggestive references: Suggestive references to a room resembling a “dungeon,” “hookers,” and the term “horny.”
What's the Story?
In GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, the Spengler family -- mom Callie (Carrie Coon), her partner Greg (Paul Rudd), and her kids Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) -- have taken over the original Ghostbusters' firehouse and specter-capture-and-containment operation in New York City. When veteran Ghostbuster Ray (Dan Aykroyd) comes into possession of an ancient artifact containing a mysterious sinister force, things get real cold real fast, and Ghostbusters new and old will need to work together to once again save the city. (Which is especially fitting since this film's theatrical release coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Ghostbusters franchise.) Meanwhile, Phoebe befriends an angsty teen ghost (Emily Alyn Lind), Trevor is trying to get Callie to treat him like a grown-up, their friends Lucky (Celeste O'Connor) and Podcast (Logan Kim) are putting a new spectral research facility to use, and Greg is working on figuring out his parental boundaries.
Fans will likely cheer -- and maybe gasp -- but the fifth film in this enduring franchise is a little too "deja boo." Fittingly, given that the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is timed with the 40th anniversary of the original movie, it brings back all that's most loved (and not problematic) from the pop cultural phenomenon -- including the framework. Gozer was already reused in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but this movie's icy new demon -- Garraka -- steps in to do exactly the same thing: Open a portal to another dimension and thus destroy New York City, unless the Fire Mastercan control him.
The beats are similar, but perhaps a familiar ghost story is necessary to balance the movie's many human stories that need acknowledgment. There are the four members of the Spengler family, the four OG Ghostbusters, Afterlife's two additional teen Busters, and three significant new characters played by Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, and Lind. It's fun, but it's also as chaotic as a swarm of unleashed spirits buzzing the Empire State Building. And while the central story focuses on Phoebe, who's feeling frustrated and unattended after the city says she's too young to work as a ghostbuster, we don't get quite enough emotional insight into her character to understand some of her more questionable actions. Given the heart-swelling warmth of Afterlife, it's all the more disappointing that Frozen Empire sometimes feels hollow and cold. For the first film made without the late Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, and Gil Kenan succeed in continuing the franchise as a big screen specter-cle -- and longtime fans will definitely enjoy the steady stream of cameos -- but don't expect this one to haunt you.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why the Ghostbusters franchise has endured. How do the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire filmmakers reward fans of the original while introducing a new story for a new generation? Kids: How would you reimagine your favorite movie for a different/new audience?
Compare the ghosts and monsters in the 1984 Ghostbusters to those in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Do you think they're scarier now? If so, why?
How do the characters demonstrate courage, perseverance, and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?
Are ghostbusting and scientific research a passion or a purpose for Phoebe, Greg, and Ray? What's the difference? What pursuit do you enjoy, even if you don't get paid for doing it?
MPAA explanation:
supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive
references
Last updated:
August 2, 2024
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By Tara McNamara
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