I’ve been with the Ghostbusters since before the first movie came out, forty years ago. I remember seeing the advertising for it on the back of my comic books, I also tried writing my own version of the story before I even knew what it was or what it was about. I had a little writing pad where I would carve out short stories, and this was how I expressed my excitement for the film.

I have enjoyed every incarnation of the film franchise, and always have a lot of fun settling in for some proton packs, crossing the streams, and knowing how to respond if someone asks me if I’m a god.

I eagerly greeted Afterlife when it came out, and was eager to see where the franchise went from there.

Sony now brings the ghost trap home with the Blu-ray release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire which blends the classic and new casts into one big visual effects-driven film. And that works for and hinders it. I love seeing the original cast returning to their iconic roles, and it’s fun seeing the newer cast settling into their parts, McKenna Grace is absolutely delightful.

The series seems to be on the verge of redefining itself, something it will have to do if it continues. The fascinating thing about the concept is that it can walk the line between comedy and horror, in fact, some truly horrific moments in this film could be leaned into. It would be something to see a Ghostbusting film that leans towards the scary, spiced with humour.

And if it didn’t work, the next one could do something else. The franchise is flexible.

The story is good fun, as the Spengler family has settled into the firehouse in New York City, and continues serving the community, but when a strange globe comes into Ray’s (Dan Akroyd) possession, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Venkman (Bill Murray) return to the ranks, something Winston as been financing for years.

The Spengler family, Phoebe (Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), Callie (Carrie Coon) and Gary (Paul Rudd) are trying to connect as Gary figures out his position in the family as a possible patriarch, and Phoebe gets sidelined by the mayor, the nefarious Walter Peck (William Atherton).

There’s lots of fun stuff throughout the film, Rudd and Grace seem the most comfortable not only with their characters, but the world the franchise is set in, and the history it carries when the original characters show up.

There’s lots to enjoy, and while there are some things that don’t work as well as they should, overall, it’s a fun experience, and the special effects are very good bringing the ghosts, spectres and boogeymen to life wonderfully.

It also brings up an interesting idea, explored briefly in this film and the previous one, of what happens when people die, why we may linger, and why they don’t look like some of the other ghosts that haunted the Big Apple.

I loved all the little nods to previous moments, the way they incorporated some of the promotional material and toys that were released in the 80s into the fabric of the story.

Part nostalgia, part spooky adventure with a heart, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was an enjoyable romp as far as I’m concerned, and I was more than eager to dig into the extras included on the disc when the film was finished.

The bonus features include extra and deleted scenes, a look at the Easter Eggs hidden throughout the film, how Garraka, the film’s baddie was brought to life, a look at the changes in the gear, even as the locations are familiar, a look at the score (here I had a bit of a problem, as much as I love the nods to Elmer Bernstein’s score, the recent instalments have lacked pop and source music, something that filled the first two films). There’s also a commentary by director and co-writer, Gil Kenan. Rounding out the collection is a featurette about the making of the film and a look at the ghosts seen throughout the story.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a solid entry in the franchise, and as much as I love the original characters, it’s time to start letting them bow out and take the franchise in new directions, while still honouring where it came from.

It’s fun, flashy, and bustin’ makes me feel good.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is available now from Sony Home Entertainment on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K!