Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

In 1904, amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City, the local fire brigade was summoned to the Manhattan Adventurers Society due to a mysterious smoke emanation. Upon their arrival, an eerie scene unfolded as the smoke retreated into a room just as a firefighter reached for the doorknob, which chillingly began to frost over. Forcibly entering the room, they were met with a chilling sight: numerous icy cadavers and a cryptic phonograph message in an unfamiliar tongue. Lurking in the gloom, a sinister entity clutched an orb harboring an ancient malevolence. The orb's opening triggered the disintegration of the bodies, revealing ominous eyes from the remains.

Fast forward to the present, the Spengler family – Callie, Phoebe, Trevor, along with Mr. Grooberson – have transitioned to Manhattan from Summerville to dedicate themselves to ghostbusting. Their recent pursuit involves a ghost known as the Sewer Dragon, which leads them on a wild chase through the city. Despite Trevor's near success at capture, the ghost nearly evades them until Callie's innovative use of a drone trap secures it, albeit causing Mr. Grooberson to collide with a set of city bikes.

Their endeavors attract the attention of Walter Peck, the city's mayor and the Ghostbusters' longstanding adversary, who reprimands them for their activities and the collateral damage incurred, particularly criticizing the involvement of the underage Phoebe. The incident garners media scrutiny, casting the Ghostbusters in a disparaging light once more. Meanwhile, Grooberson's attempts to bond with Phoebe and Trevor, in his role as a potential stepfather amidst his relationship with Callie, face mixed reactions, with Phoebe showing resistance, while Callie offers her support.

At their headquarters, funded by Winston (Ernie Hudson), the Ghostbusters encounter a challenging moment as they incorporate the Sewer Dragon into an already full containment unit, a visit from Janine (Annie Potts) coinciding with their efforts. Elsewhere in the building, Trevor discovers a pile of snacks following a trail of green slime, leading to an encounter with Slimer who drenches him in ectoplasm before vanishing.

In another venture, Ray (Dan Aykroyd) and Podcast (Logan Kim) experiment with items brought in by patrons, aiming to establish a link to the spirit world for their new digital broadcast. Despite their attempts, including Ray's unsuccessful effort to connect with the spirit associated with a widow's watch and Podcast's abrupt response to destroy the watch, they make no progress. Their routine is interrupted by Nadeem Razmaadi (Kumail Nanjiani), who presents the orb from earlier scenes. When Ray examines it with his PKE meter, an overwhelming energy discharge from the orb damages the device.

Meanwhile, Phoebe engages in a solitary game of chess in the park, only to be startled as the pieces begin to move independently. She encounters a spectral girl named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind), a victim of a fire, who manifests with faint igneous traces. Melody expresses her doubts about passing to the other side. After their interaction, Melody is seen conversing with an ominous entity, questioning if Phoebe is the chosen one for a mysterious scheme.

Upon reaching a ghost research center financed by Winston, the family meets parabiologist Lars Pinfield (James Acaster), who is on the payroll, and Lucky (Celeste O'Connor), who has a joyful reunion with Trevor. The orb they bring along piques interest as Lars observes its magnetic pull on the other detained spirits. A critical incident occurs when Lars's attempt to harness the orb's energy leads to a dangerous power fluctuation, endangering his arm with severe cold.

While the Ghostbusters are occupied elsewhere, Phoebe and Podcast respond to a disturbance at a local diner, only to discover that the ghost causing the trouble is Melody. Despite Podcast's readiness to capture her, Phoebe hesitates to take action against the ghost.

Seeking deeper insights into the orb, the team consults Nadeem in his store, where they uncover his unique spiritual aura with a PKE meter. The situation escalates when they take him to Venkman (Bill Murray), revealing Nadeem's pyrokinetic abilities triggered by emotional agitation.

Melody makes her way to the Firehouse, engaging in further conversation with Phoebe, who introduces her to the research facility and the containment unit. Melody's curiosity is especially drawn to the orb, from which she detects an unfamiliar language.

Phoebe, Podcast, and Ray venture to the New York Public Library to delve into the history of the mysterious orb. They consult Dr. Hubert Wartzki (Patton Oswalt), who sheds light on its dark past. In a bygone era, a tyrannical king allied with a formidable being named Garraka to aid his dominion, unaware that Garraka aimed to initiate an ice age with his powers. The Firemasters, ancestors of Nadeem, managed to confine Garraka within the orb and confiscate his horns, stripping him of his strength. Should Garraka be released, he would unleash a catastrophic freeze on New York, fueled by the city's collective dread. During this revelation, the orb begins to resonate with the previously heard mysterious language.

The departure from the library takes an unexpected turn when a concealed ghost accompanying Podcast escapes, prompting a frantic pursuit through the library. In a nostalgic encounter, Ray comes face-to-face with the Library Ghost from the original film, still finding her unnerving. The spectral entity then seizes control of the lion statue, Fortitude, at the library's entrance. Phoebe intervenes with her proton pack, successfully neutralizing the threat just as the police arrive. This incident provides Peck with further ammunition to intensify his campaign against the Ghostbusters, leading to the condemnation of the Firehouse, confiscation of their gear, and Phoebe's arrest for non-compliance. Amidst these upheavals, Winston reproaches Ray for the predicament that Phoebe and Podcast now face.

During a solitary moment, Melody seeks out Phoebe's company, prompting another heartfelt conversation between them. Phoebe opts for a daring method that temporarily aligns their existences on the same ethereal level by momentarily disengaging her soul from her physique. This allows Phoebe to adopt a spectral form. However, it's during this vulnerable state that Melody discloses her ulterior motive; she's an emissary for Garraka. Since Garraka needs a living person to unlock the orb and not a spectral entity like Melody, he's banking on Phoebe to act on his behalf, promising Melody a reunion with her loved ones as a reward. Using Phoebe's corporeal form, Garraka utters the spell, resurrecting the demonic spirit.

When Phoebe's spirit reanimates her body, her teammates rally to her aid. Lucky's attempt to subdue Garraka with a proton beam fails as he crystallizes and breaks the energy. Amidst the chaos, Callie and Grooberson focus on Phoebe's welfare, joined swiftly by Ray, Winston, and Janine. They deduce that Garraka's scheme involves liberating the captive spirits to initiate his catastrophic ice age. The city outside descends into chaos, with a burgeoning frost and lethal icicles endangering lives.

The group converges at the lab to arm themselves with necessary gear, soon reinforced by Venkman and Nadeem. Ray encourages Nadeem to harness his Firemaster lineage to counter Garraka. Meanwhile, a malevolent spirit targets the team by taking over a proton pack, only for Nadeem to deflect its attack. The ghost, shifting its form to that of a pizza, meets its end inside Slimer's voracious appetite.

Lucky informs Phoebe that standard proton beams are ineffective against Garraka, prompting Phoebe to innovate by integrating brass into her weapon, mirroring the orb's composition that confines Garraka. As the demon spirit advances on their stronghold, the Ghostbusters find their conventional tactics unavailing, with Garraka encasing most of them in ice. Nadeem's attempt to counter Garraka with his pyrokinetic skills falls short due to depleted lighter fluid from excessive practice.

In a lower level of the facility, Phoebe engages in a heart-to-heart with Melody, who regrets her betrayal. Phoebe enlightens Melody that Garraka's promises were false and that she possesses the innate capacity to transcend on her own.

Confronting Garraka, Phoebe's brass-enhanced blaster makes an impact, yet she struggles against his might. At this critical juncture, Melody ignites a match for Nadeem, empowering him to wield his fire abilities against Garraka. This pivotal act liberates the Ghostbusters. However, Garraka's rupture of the containment unit releases all previously captured specters. This act inadvertently provides the original Ghostbusters a realization: Garraka has inadvertently created a larger prison for himself. Mobilizing their collective force, the team, with Nadeem's fire manipulation and their proton streams, subdues and disarms Garraka, securing his capture. As the icy threat recedes from the city, Melody, after bidding farewell to Phoebe, transcends, embracing her long-awaited peace.

Upon exiting, the Ghostbusters are greeted by a jubilant throng of New Yorkers, with Peck among them, poised to disband their operations once more. However, the crowd's overwhelming support, recognizing the Ghostbusters as saviors who prevented the city from succumbing to an icy doom, compels Peck to begrudgingly acknowledge their heroism. Shortly afterward, Slimer and the Sewer Dragon make a dramatic exit from the facility, soaring into the urban landscape. In response, the Spenglers and Grooberson gear up for action, with Phoebe affectionately addressing Grooberson as "dad," signaling a new familial bond as they set off for further ghostly encounters.

In the film's closing credits, a humorous scene unfolds featuring the mini Stay Puft Marshmallow Men, previously seen in the last film, engaging in mischievous antics as they commandeer a truck from an unsuspecting driver, belonging to the iconic Stay Puft brand.