When a franchise is rebooted with a new generation in mind, the original folks usually show up to create a path for the younglings to thrive on their own. It worked with the new Star Trek, Star Wars, and even 21 Jump Street. Yet, for the sequel to Afterlife, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire relies too heavily on the characters of old at the determinant of the new cast.

Directed by Gil Kenan, Frozen Empire picks up three years after the events of Afterlife. The Spengler family — and Gary (Paul Rudd) — have moved into the iconic New York City firehouse a.k.a. the Ghostbusters headquarters and take the mantle of protecting the city from ghosts. As they adjust to their new lives as Ghostbusters, rebellious teen, Phoebe (McKenna Grace), takes her ghost-catching role to a dangerous level, causing some unwanted attention from Mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton), who is determined to shut them down. Meanwhile, an ancient artifact unleashes an evil cold entity that could control ghosts and bring about a second Ice Age to the world. The Ghostbusters must figure out how to stop it before it’s too late.

Though the cameos and Easter eggs was fun in the first film, there is a point when it gets a bit old and the story no longer feels like a reboot, but a continuation of the stories of Ray (Dan Aykroyd), Winston (Ernie Hudson), Peter (Bill Murray), and Janine (Annie Potts). Due to the shared screen time, the new castmembers aren’t given enough time for much character development. The audiences already know the dynamics between the original cast due to the franchise’s history (the films, comic books, and games). But, when it comes to the new folks, there isn’t really much there.

Callie (Carrie Coon), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), Lucky (Celeste O’Connor), and Podcast (Logan Kim) all feel like afterthoughts to the story. No one seemed to really have an expanded personality, which was what made the original Ghostbusters so beloved. There was even a point when Callie just didn’t seem to care about her children’s well-being — contrasting the growth she was given as a mother in the first film. Even Phoebe, who was poised to be “the next Egon,” seemed to have lost her initial charm, becoming unsympathetic and unlikable. Despite having a potential love interest (that felt very queer-baity), the two lacked the chemistry to feel believable.

Even the “big, bad villain” is given the one-dimensional treatment of wanting the world to be destroyed for him to rule for “the sake of it.” There is never any real threat or consequences against the team, in spite of the many near-death experiences they faced.

The film’s saving grace was the comic relief of both Rudd and Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Nadeem, a slacker with a connection to the evil entity. But, their charismatic wit can only go so far against this insipid storyline.

Overall, Frozen Empire banks on the nostalgic fan-service a little too much. What is the point of creating a new legacy of heroes when everyone is still stuck in the past?

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire releases in theaters on March 22.