My son loves video games. I know that might sound like a weird way to start off an article about Ghostbusters, but I assure you, it definitely correlates with their latest movie.
Because it wasn’t until I bought my son Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered for his Switch that he became a diehard Ghostbusters fan. For example, that year, our whole family dressed up as Ghostbusters for Halloween because of his obsession, and I don’t know how many times he would go out in our backyard with his Proton Pack and pretend to bust ghosts (And why not? Busting feels good!)
So, when Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (which we gave a pretty good review) came out in theaters, I was pumped, since it would be my son’s first big screen Ghostbusters experience. Unfortunately, my car broke down the day that I had bought tickets, so we didn’t get to see it in theaters. However, we were able to finally check it out with our Netflix subscription, and he loved it just as much as I hoped he would. So, here’s what he loved the most about it.
Oh, and spoilers up ahead if you haven’t seen it yet.
Tiny Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men Were A Major Highlight For Him
If there is any character that is just as (if not more) recognizable than the Ghostbusters themselves, it’s probably the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. How could he not be? Even with his gargantuan size in the first movie, he was just so cute and adorable that you wanted to give him a great big hug.
In fact, my son knew who he was way before they even fought him in Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered, because he would see his costume in Spirit Halloween stores year after year. He’s just such an iconic character, and definitely one of the reasons why I think the original film is often considered the best in the franchise (even though, if you ask me, Ghostbusters II is the preferable movie).
And so, my son absolutely adored all of the mini Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men found in this film. Yes, we got them in Afterlife as well, but to be honest, I didn’t show my son that movie since I find it to be the least in the spirit of the team that I know he loves, so he still hasn’t seen it yet.
But, he loved their little antics in Frozen Empire, as they were constantly causing mischief, and all sorts of problems, just like the Minions in the Despicable Me movies.
Every time they came back on the screen, my son just had a big goofy grin on his face, and when they reappeared in the mid-credit scene, he turned to me and said, “They were the best part of the whole movie.” Honestly, I can’t blame him. They certainly were a highlight.
The Villain Was Really Cool, Albeit, A Little Scary
One thing my son loves about the franchise is that it’s scary, but not too scary (Scary enough, though, to make our 50 best horror movies list!). In this way, he didn’t get any nightmares when he battled any of the enemies in the video game, some of which appeared in the movies.
That said, most of the game leans heavily into the comedy, rather than the horror, and so my son wasn’t really ready for the tall, intimidating villain, Garraka, who appears in this movie.
Now, Garraka is kind of creepy, but my son, who I’ve taken to see Godzilla, doesn’t get scared too easily. So, when he first made his appearance in the film, with his emaciated look, and sharp nails, my son said, “Well, that’s creepy.” But, he also thought the character was (excuse the pun) really cool as he froze New York City.
My son also liked that, unlike some of the other Ghostbusters villains, who seemed to be a bit chatty (like Vigo), Garraka didn’t really say much at all, and my son enjoyed that he could communicate with other ghosts through his spherical chamber.
So, yes, the villain was another highlight for my son as well, who absolutely adored this flick.
He Was Happy To See The Older Ghostbusters, And Wished The Movie Was More About Them
One cool thing about the video game is that it includes the voices of all of the Ghostbusters, including Harold Ramis in his final role as Egon! In this way, before we got Afterlife, a lot of fans considered the 2009 game to be the official third film, as it followed the events of Ghostbusters II.
So, my son doesn’t connect with any of the new team. He doesn’t care about McKenna Grace, or Paul Rudd, or Finn Wolfhard. In fact, when the movie started, he said, “Where are the real Ghostbusters?”
Of course I told him, “These are the real Ghostbusters. They’re just new,” but he adamantly shook his head. He wanted to know where Ray, Peter, Egon, and Winston (his and my favorite Ghostbuster) were, and since I knew they would appear later in the movie (except for Egon, who I had to break the news to him had died in real life), I told him, “They’re coming.”
And so, he was happy when Dan Aykroyd appeared as Ray in his little occult shop, and overjoyed when Ernie Hudson showed up (and, funnily, only mildly amused when Bill Murray showed up, since Venkman is his least favorite Ghostbuster).
I was actually surprised that he was also happy when Annie Potts and William Atherton appeared as Janine and Walter, respectively. They’re also in the game, and he liked that they were in the movie, as well. In truth, he wished the whole film was just the original cast, and as good as the new members are, I’m sure he’s not the only one.
He Was Also, Of Course, Happy To See Slimer
If the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and the Ghostbusters are the most popular characters in the series, then Slimer is probably a good call for the third most popular character, and my son was happy to see him in the movie, also.
The loveable, hungry ghost doesn’t really play a major role in the story, and is instead just there to give Finn Wolfhard’s character something to do, as he tries to trap the popular apparition. But, my son knew Slimer was coming as soon as he saw the pile of empty wrappers on the floor. “Slimer’s in there,” he told me, pointing to the screen. I asked him how he knew that, and he said, “Just look at all the food. Slimer loves to eat.”
Yes, Slimer indeed loves to eat, and he was hidden in the pile of wrappers. his presence is just another example of how this movie gives the fans what they want. Speaking of which…
In The End, He Thought The Story Moved At A Good Pace, And That It Was Never Boring
I know a lot of people enjoyed Afterlife, but honestly, I didn’t care for it at all. I feel it’s my least favorite Ghostbusters movie, and that’s why I was reluctant to start my son off with it. It’s less of a comedy, and much more somber, which doesn’t really fit the mood or the tone of the others.
But, thankfully, Frozen Empire feels more like a return to form. No, it’s not perfect, and it has its nagging issues, but overall, it’s a good movie that moves at a quick pace, and my son was never bored. In fact, I was doing laundry while the two of us were watching the flick on the couch, and I occasionally had to pause the film just to check if I needed to put my clothes in the drier. This prompted my son to say, “You keep stopping at all the good parts!”
I guess I was, but, that’s only because most of the movie was “good parts,” and he was always engaged.
So, in the end, he loved it, and I thought it was pretty good, too.
What did you think? Have you checked out Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire on Netflix yet? (It’s also on Prime to rent or buy.)