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TheGhostbustersfranchise has never seen complete success in its tenure. While the originalGhostbustersstarring 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 prominentSNLalumni.
However, the franchise seems to have gone further down the hole as its latest entryGhostbusters: Frozen Empiregets the franchise’s worst Rotten Tomatoes score. The film came on the heels of the well-receivedGhostbusters: 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 EmpireBeats The All-Female Reboot To Be The Worst Rated In The Franchise
The Bill Murray-starring 1984 horror comedyGhostbustersbecame 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: AfterlifestarringPaul Rudd, Finn Wolfard, and Carrie Coon, with the originalGhostbusterscast also returning. The film had a good rating, with many praising the nostalgia and performances.
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The franchise, however, seems to have taken a tumble yet again as the sequelGhostbusters: Frozen Empiregets negative responses. TheRotten Tomatoesscore 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 rebootGhostbusters.
Ghostbusterfans 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 rebootGhostbusterswas 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.
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The trailer of the reboot reportedly received dislikes in the millions and was even the most-disliked trailer on YouTube (viaBBC). 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 WatchingGhostbusters: Frozen Empire
Many criticizedGhostbusters: Frozen Empirefor heavily leaning on fan service and baiting. Many instances and characters from the originalGhostbustersreportedly make their way into the film including the Library Ghost, Slimer, and theStay PuftMarshmellow Man. However, none of them are reportedly used well in the film.
According toDiscussing 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.”
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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.
We only listen to the audience score
I’m still gonna watch it… critics don’t matter
Th first one was loads of fun. I didn’t even bother with the reviews. I will do the same with this one.
The critics rated other movies bad that were actually good so this could still be really good.
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.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
