Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Debuts With Series' Lowest Rotten Tomatoes Score
The latest sequel is off to a rough start with critics.
The Ghostbusters franchise undoubtedly has a passionate following among fans, regardless of how well each entry fares with critics. With Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire set to hit theaters this weekend, reviews for the latest outing have landed online, and review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes calculates that it has the lowest score the franchise has earned to date. Given that other entries in the franchise also have poor reviews but still get a lot of love from fans, we doubt the critical reactions will have much of an impact on how fans enjoy the adventure, whether they are audiences who connected with the original movies in the '80s or the more recent installments from the last decade. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hits theaters on March 22nd.
With more than 60 reviews calculated, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire currently sits at 45% positive reviews. As far as major studio releases go, movies can often garner nearly 200 reviews in their initial release, so while it's possible the number could climb, these early metrics likely mean it won't surpass some of the better-performing entries in the franchise.
The original 1984 Ghostbusters has the best score, sitting at 95% positive reactions. With that ambitious debut film not only offering Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis the chance to show off their comedic chops, it also blended that comedy with a high-concept ghost story, making the film is a bonafide classic. The follow-up film, 1989's Ghostbusters II, didn't resonate quite as strongly with critics, as it only scored 55% positive reviews.
The franchise was revived in 2016 with a new take on the concept, though it echoed the initial approach of bringing together top-tier comedic talent as Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones all stepped into the iconic flight suits. That Ghostbusters earned strong praise from critics, sitting at 74% positive reviews, though its large budget and disappointing box-office performance failed to see these characters explored in further adventures. In 2021, Jason Reitman helmed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which served as a sequel to Ghostbusters II and continued the legacy of the original characters, and while some fans were excited to see that storyline revived for a new generation, critics weren't quite as impressed, as it sits at 64% positive reviews.
In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who've developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire lands in theaters on March 22nd.
What do you think of these first reactions to the film? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!