Movie Review - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Director: Gil Kenan
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy, Comedy
Runtime: 115 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, William Atherton
 
Description: When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

Review: Inside a mysterious object lurks a dark force that could unleash the ice age on the world once again. It is up to the Ghostbusters to stop this new evil.

“Ghostbusters” (1984) remains a classic that reflects the spirit of its time and has been and always will be one my all-time favorite films. When “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was announced, I was not excited about it, at all. But it was a pleasant surprise and I actually loved that film. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” really peaked my interest now. And although it’s a fun time, it’s not as good as its predecessor.
The opening scene, in which the new generation of Ghostbusters hunt a ghost, is immediately the highlight of the film. We see the characters work together, making sarcastic remarks and doing their tasks perfectly.

At the end of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” it was a fun surprise to *SPOILER* see the old cast members showing up for the finale. Annie Potts, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and especially Dan Ayrkroyd have a bigger role in this part. Even William Atherton returns for this sequel. Some new characters are introduced, with Kumail Nanjiani being the most prominent one. He was supposed the be the comic relief, but I found him a bit annoying. Patton Oswalt is in it as well and I would have loved to see his character in more scenes.

As for the returning cast, they are given little to do. It’s not as adventurous as you might expect and is trying to evoke nostalgia in the wrong way.

I would probably watch another installment with this cast, because I found “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” entertaining enough. But director Gil Kenan didn’t succeed into making it as amazing as Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”.

Rating: 3/ 5

20s Movie Review - Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Director: Jason Reitman
Genre: Adventure/ Comedy/ Fantasy
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Annie Potts, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Bob Gunton, Sigourney Weaver

Description: When a single mom (Carrie Coon) and het two kids (Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard) arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.

Review: I was not excited for this movie at all, when I heard about it for the first time. When I saw the trailer I got a bit more excited and after seeing it I’m sad I never saw it in theaters.

WARNING!!! THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!

Callie leaves with her son Trevor and daughter Phoebe for a small town in Oklahoma, where she inherited the house from her absent father. It soon becomes apparent that Callie’s father had some rather strange habits and the village was not particularly fond of him. Phoebe learns that her grandfather was one of the original Ghostbusters, and using old items of his, she figures out how to track down ghosts.
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is a movie you can watch as a standalone. It is not so much a sequel, but rather a story that takes place years after the original “Ghostbusters” from 1984. Phoebe and Trevor are the grandchildren of Egon Spengler, one of the four original Ghostbusters.  The actor who portrayed him back in the day, Harold Ramis, is no longer with us. To honor him, he was incorporated into the film anyway, and they did this very respectfully.
Phoebe is a scientist who is way too smart for her age. Unfortunately, she does have to go to summer school because she is new to the town. There she meets Mr. Grooberson, who is interested in the unexplained earthquakes the town is dealing with. Together they find out there is more going on than just earthquakes.
Paul Rudd is an actor I always enjoy watching. I’m surprised that his role isn’t as big as I expected it to be. I wished he was in it more. He’s well-accompanied by Carrie Coon and Finn Wolfhard, but it’s really Mckenna Grace’s movie. I think I go to far to say that she carries the movie, but she is such a talent and the best and most interesting character in the film.
Director Jason Reitman is the son of Ivan Reitman, who, of course, directed the original “Ghostbusters”. You can see Reitman’s love for the film, how he paid respects to the late Harold Ramis and how he treated the original source material with such respect as well. As I stated before, it’s a film you can easily watch without seeing “Ghostbusters” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” stands on its own too. But the film maybe even more enjoyable if you know the original film or if you are a fan, like I am. So much nostalgia, not only for nostalgia sake. And that moment where we see Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, I jumped for joy.
I thought I didn’t need this film, but I clearly did. I also believe that the people loving the original film as much as I do, will appreciate “Ghostbuster: Afterlife” more.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Annabelle Comes Home

Director: Gary Dauberman
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 106 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Michael Cimino

Description: While babysitting the daughter (Mckenna Grace) of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), a teenager (Madison Iseman) and her friend (Kate Sarife) unknowingly awaken an evil spirit trapped in a doll.

Review: The universe around “The Conjuring” has formed well. “Annabelle Comes Home” is the seventh horror film within the franchise and the third film where the scary doll Annabelle has a role. The previous films were set before “The Conjuring”, but the by Gary Dauberman directed film is set right after these events. Demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren retrieve the doll from its traumatized owners. They take the doll home and put it away in a display case, which is secured by a priest so it cannot get out. But the case must never ever be opened, therefore they put a warning sign on the door.
A year later, when Lorraine and Ed leave their home for a day, they leave their daughter Judy with babysitter Mary Ellen, whom they’ve known for a while and loves Judy. Mary Ellen’s best friend Daniela also pays a visit, but she is there for a different reason. Her curiosity gets the better of her and Daniela manages to enter the ‘secret room’ that the Warren’s store their cursed and haunted artifacts in. When she opens the display case with Annabelle in it, all hell breaks loose and the girls have to fight the demonic entities.
That the creepy doll gets a third film has a reason. Even though the other films got mediocre reviews, “Annabelle Comes Home” is a pleasant and entertaining horror movie. There is a pretty good build-up in tension and has some effective scares.
Although there is little innovation, they still manage to create an entertaining film. "Annabelle Comes Home" is made in the same way as "The Conjuring" and, unlike the previous parts, really feels like part of the now popular franchise. The fact that protagonists Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga only play a supporting role is not a negative, because the acting of the young protagonists is convincing.
The film is a bit messy though, because it has way to many ‘ghosts’ and ‘spirits’ that the characters have to deal with. It eventually becomes a bit too much and they try to add to many of it into one film.
Overall “Annabelle Comes Home” is not as bad as you might expect, and it will be a fun film for an entertaining horror movie night.

Rating: 3 / 5

Movie Reviews - I, Tonya

Director: Craig Gillespie
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, Sebastian Stan, Bobby Cannavale, Mckenna Grace

Description: Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the activity is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband (Sebastian Stan) intervenes.

Review: Driven by her rivalry with Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding stepped onto the ice in Lillehammer in 1994. Her second time at the Olympics, but also her last. Her performance was dominated by a broken lace. She didn’t win a prize, while Kerrigan got a silver medal.
“I, Tonya” is not your everyday biopic. It’s a light satire, filled with irony and based on contradicting interviews. The real truth will probably never be revealed.
Leading lady Margot Robbie, who is fantastic by the way, even breaks the fourth wall a couple of times. Telling us how it really happened.
Nancy Kerrigan was Harding’s biggest rival and the all American girl. The complete opposite. When both girls were amazing figure skaters, Tonya was maybe better. She took more risks. But Harding’s image and background didn’t fit in that world. When Kerrigan was attacked after a training and someone shattered her knee, rumor had it that Harding had something to do with it. It was all over the news and at the time, she and Bill Clinton were the most famous people.
What is true and what isn’t, will always be the question. What we do know, is that Harding had a rough life. Her father left her when she was young and she stayed with her demanding and cold mother. LaVona was the one dragging her on the ice when she was four, constantly pushing her. She was loveless, tough and convinced that Tonya only did well when pushed.
And then there is Tonya’s stormy and violent relationship with Jeff Gillooly. He beat her and treated her bad.
Tonya didn’t blend in with the rest of the girls. She didn’t dance to classical music, but choose ZZ Top and she made her own outfits. But she was also the first American woman to perform a triple Axel, with success. She was good at what she did, but somehow always ruined it for herself. But Tonya kept fighting. When she fell, she got up, no matter how hard it was. And she deserves a certain respect for that.
Like I stated before, Margot Robbie is fantastic in her role. But it’s Allison Janney that steals the show as Tonya’s mother LaVona. Her character is comical and almost cartoonish, but she is also a terrible woman and treats her daughter like trash.
“I, Tonya” manages to combine extreme characters and the real humans they are deep inside. This movie really surprised me with its tone, not at all what I expected. Such a great film!

Rating: 4,5 / 5