Must admit, I quite enjoyed Ghosthunters: On Icy Trails. Probably more than I was expecting to but there you go.
This is basically the story of a boy who meets a ghost and ends up part of some secret arm/offshoot of the government that basically plays at being Ghostbusters, with the underlying aim to banish the ghost from this world. Or dimension or whatever. The problem is the boy has befriended the ghost and pulls out all the stops to stop his new friend being banished.
Milo Parker plays Tom, the boy who meets and befriends the ghost. He's a brilliant young actor (and I'm not just saying that because he's British like me) and is one to look out for in the future. Here Parker provides a solid performance along his co-stars and the computer generated ghost.
This film, looking at other external links and reviews, doesn't seem to be liked. Seriously, it isn't that bad in my view - if I'm in the minority for this film then so be it. To reuse a phrase from another reviewer on another film I also reviewed: Leave your expectations at the door when watching, don't think too hard about what you're watching (this is often a key requirement if you're watching family/kids movies outside of their target audience) and you'll be fine.
Plot summary
The Thompson parents are worried because their 11-year-old son Tom often daydreams and is scared of many things, especially the dark, damp cellar beneath their apartment. This is not entirely a reasonable fear: one day he meets a bright-green slime-dripping ghost. Hugo is an ASG, an Averagely Spooky Ghost: completely harmless and totally loveable, even if he becomes quite a handful. Hugo has a serious problem: a very dangerous Ancient Ice Ghost (AIG) has chased him out of his old house and now haunts it. This situation is catastrophic for Hugo because if he doesn't get back to his old haunt by the next full moon, he'll vanish forever. Tom wants to help Hugo and becomes friends with the clumsy ghost. Luckily, the Central Ghosthunting Institute (CGI) has fired their best, if not always particularly nice, ghosthunter: Hetty Cuminseed. She's simply not a team-player, says her boss, and there is only a limited need for old-school ghosthunters. Tom asks Hetty to help his new friend Hugo. Even Hetty, who is usually immune to sentimentality when it comes to ghosts, is touched by this unlikely friendship. She agrees to rid the haunted house of the AIG. Realizing that she can't defeat the powerful ghost alone, she requests help from the CGI ghosthunters. They have to act fast, because the ghost in the house is a real threat to the entire town. But the head of the CGI doesn't take Hetty seriously and refuses to work with her. She makes it crystal-clear that only CGI ghosthunters are allowed to fight against ghosts, and Hetty has been fired. While the CGI ghosthunters are on the wrong track and still believe the AIG is hiding in Hugo's house, the ice ghost has found its way directly to their headquarters. A special team is born, three ghosthunters of the most unusual kind, who prove themselves through friendship, courage and self-confidence in the fight against the evil ice ghost: a scaredy-cat boy, a professional ghosthunter who doesn't like children or ghosts, and Hugo, a clumsy, slimy blob.
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Quite Enjoyable Ghostly Adventure
Is all this CGI?
Tom (Milo Parker) a misunderstood child teams up with a fired ghost hunter Ms. Cuminseed (Anke Engelke) and a friendly green slime ghost (Bastian Pastewka voice) to go after a large ancient icy ghost and save the world...sort of like "Ghost Busters" but not as good.
While the acting was bad, I am sure the kids will enjoy the banter between bother and sister, the ghost, and a child trying to be accepted in an adult world. Tom is mature for his age.
On the negative side, and correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't that an F-bomb used near the end of the film borrowed from Bruce Willis film that starts out "Yippee ki-yay..."
Iced spirits
Ghosthunters on Icy Trails comes across as a sub par Ghostbusters/Men in Black hybrid based on a book by Cornelia Funke a German writer who also wrote Inkheart.
It is a film that kids will enjoy as it is made in Germany with a largely German cast, presumably dubbed in English but the main star is English actor Milo Parker and set probably in the USA.
An anxious 11 year old boy Tom finds a slimy green ghost in the cellar of his house. Tom realises that the green ghost called Hugo, is harmless but also in need of his help. Hugo has been banished from his haunted house by a dangerous ancient ice ghost who is spreading arctic freeze all over world.
Tom and Hugo find a professional Ghosthunter, Hetty Cuminseed who has been laid off by the officious Central Ghosthunting Institute.
Hugo looks like Slimer from Ghostbuster, the humour is aimed at kids but the story is decently told. The film does look a bit like a Europudding and the special effects look a bit cheap. Milo Parker gives another appealing performance.