Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 4K UHD Review

The newest Ghostbusters movie has made its way home on 4K and Blu-ray.

By Charlie Ridgely

The Ghostbusters franchise is currently in the midst of its second shot at a reboot, with Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan spearheading a series that leans more into family friendly adventure than the adult-ish comedy of the original Ghostbusters movies (or the 2016 Paul Feig film). It's a departure from the franchise's tone, but it has been determined to root itself in nostalgia, going as far as to bring back most of the original cast for small roles. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire brought the action back to New York City when it hit theaters earlier this year, and Sony has now brought the action home with a full 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release.

The Movie

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire really ramps up the action and the silliness after 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Kenan takes over as director from Reitman and puts more of a focus on this new generation of characters living with the legacy of the original team.

If Afterlife was a step down from the classic Ghostbusters movies, Frozen Empire is a couple steps even lower. It's a movie crowded with characters and obsessed with nostalgia, paying little mind to crafting any sort of memorable narrative. McKenna Grace's Phoebe Spengler has the only solid story throughout the film — even Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd's relationship feels like a serious disappointment after the sparks they created in Afterlife.

This is one of those movies where you struggle to remember what happened immediately after watching it. You won't feel burdened by boredom halfway through; it's at least entertaining enough. But Frozen Empire certainly won't leave you thinking you made a good use of two hours.

The Disc

The movie may not be great, but that isn't the disc's fault, and Sony's physical media team did a great job putting the Frozen Empire 4K together. The 4K presentation arrives in Dolby Vision and HDR 10, looking great from the very first scenes. There's an immense amount of detail on this picture (the iconic brick fire station looks immaculate in a couple shots early in the film). The 2160p image is at its best and most vibrant in the scenes that feature the various ghosts, with their style and colors providing a wonderful contrast to the New York backdrop. And the way these things movie feels smooth and lively.

The audio mix is the real start of the show here, especially if you have a solid surround system. There's a ton of deep base baked into the sound that helps creative a more exciting, sometimes immersive experience. Even with the added lows, the dialogue always comes through clear.

The Features

Not every new physical release gets the special features haul we used to expect on DVDs and Blu-rays, so the loaded releases are worth celebrating. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire has a substantial list of features on its 4K/Blu-ray combo, including a feature commentary with Gil Kenan and a half-dozen deleted scenes.

None of these features are reinventing the wheel, but they're a nice compliment to the film they come with. And it's just nice to see a disc loaded down with additional options.

The Verdict

Sony has a great track record when it comes to these 4K transfers, and that good work continues with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. The problem with this just comes down to the quality of the film, which is sorely lacking.

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If you enjoyed the movie, this is an awesome release that should probably be in your collection. But a great looking disc and solid special features don't make up for a bad film, so it's hard to completely recommend it.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is available now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. A copy was provided for the purpose of this review.

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