Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

After so many mishandled or abandoned series — from “Fantastic Beasts” to “Narnia” to “Percy Jackson” — it’s nice to see one that’s heading in the right direction.

Until Ghostbusters decides if it wants to throw its lot in with one era or the other, it’s always going to be between two worlds. And that purgatory makes for a middling experience that doesn’t quite satisfy.

This newest franchise entry is built on nostalgia and a stacked cast, but not enough to make it worth watching.

It's like the scriptwriters just devoured some plates of Ghostbusters' stuff and went barf... none of it makes any sense.

The plot is pretty much a cut-and-paste duplication of the original film.

As scattershot and uneven as it is unnecessary, it fails to effectively build on the foundation laid in Afterlife while at the same time relegating the “old timers” into oddly-integrated super-cameo appearances.

For long-time series fans, Frozen Empire provides two more hours of Ghostbusters content.

Considering the talent on hand and the eternal goodwill of the original film, it's hard not to deem Afterlife another missed opportunity for the franchise.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has many aspects that sound good on paper but don't work in execution.

Although rich with potential, the film is a mishmash of fan service, underdeveloped characters, and underwhelming humour.