Ghostbusters II (1989)

 Ghostbusters II (1989)

Ghostbusters II is the much-maligned follow-up to the 1984 classic that took the world by slime…ahem storm. Contemporary audiences (which obviously includes myself) is kinder on the sequel. While not as a good as the first film, the sequel remains a fun, charming picture. The humor is not as prevalent which I admit was an initial turnoff. But the darker set pieces and the amazing cast elevated the film. It is not without its problems. I already mentioned the lack of humor, but I was not the biggest fan of the villain, Vigo the Carpathian. He comes across as a weaker version of Dracula. That said, his character is enhanced by this cool-looking ectoplasmic slime that feeds off the negativity of New Yorkers (jeez, this slime would elevate any villain these days), so I did like that. I also felt the film lacked the originality and surprise of the original Ghostbusters. The sequel is filmed in a familiar way even down to a mid-film montage sequence set over a theme song. I did like the positive ending despite some people saying it is a copout. And we got plenty of eye candy thanks to the strong visual effects. I mentioned the river of slime. I must also recognize the hard work put forth in animating the Statue of Liberty and giving us a ghastly image of the Titanic. Good stuff!

The behind-the-scenes drama proves how difficult it was to get the film made. Columbia’s chairman, David Puttnam had no interest in a sequel. He wanted to produce more adult dramas and world films. Plus, he did like not like Bill Murray as he described Murray as a “talentless taker.” To sum up most of the drama leading up to the film, no one truly wanted to make a sequel. Ivan Reitman was not really interested. Bill Murray spent four years away from acting and the original film played a huge part in Murray’s decision to do so. Reitman, Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis all had creative control. Then they had to figure out filming schedules. Murray’s return to cinema began with Scrooged, and people wondered about Aykroyd because he was coming off a string of failures. You need a book to really get into the details about how making the film was not a fun experience. Aykroyd and Ramis wrote the script and they eventually felt it would be better off if the film had similar beats to the original. Although they did come up with some crazy ideas (mushroom field in Scotland, for example) that I would have been interested in. Also, they had to come up with the correct tone. While the 1984 film was geared towards adults, there was a television show that was designed for the children. They had to find the right balance. Slimer, for example, returned with the design for the television show.

I did like how the sequel believed in accountability and responsibility. Five years after New York was saved from Gozer and plastered with marshmallow, the Ghostbusters lost their jobs and credibility after the destruction of NYC. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) need to take these odd jobs to stay afloat. When poor Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) and her baby are, once again, attacked by the supernatural, the photon pack-wearing ghost hunters are called back into action. Vigo the Carpathian (voiced by Max von Sydow), a sixteenth-century tyrant and his underling Dr. Janosz Poha (Peter MacNicol) have plans to conquer the world. Can the Ghostbusters save the world a second time?

The main Ghostbuster cast did a pretty effective job, although I feel like they are not as good as the original film when their characters seemed more fresh. Bill Murray, in particular, acted more like an angry grinch. But he had some good moments. I was more interested in the relationship between Rick Moranis’s Louis Tully and Annie Pott’s Janine Melnitz. They were hysterical together. I wish it was explained why Janine left Egon for Louis. Moranis also cracked me up during the courthouse scene as he tries to be a lawyer. Peter MacNicol is the standout. I may not have been impressed with villain, but MacNicol undeniably gave me the jitters as he kept creeping on Sigourney and her baby.

Ghostbusters II may have been unfairly treated when released. It was overshadowed by Batman, which was released a week later and took the spotlight away. It has some problems with its story, but that does not stop the film from being a fun sequel. The visual effects are stronger as there is plenty of eye candy to go around. In addition to the Ray Parker Jr song, the franchise gives us another good song. This time from Bobby Brown. There are effective messages in terms of positivity vs. negativity and it very well matches the cynical times we live in today. Perhaps that is why I felt positive about the ending. Anyway, I thought it was a good sequel that ultimately fails to live up the hype of the original. On its own, a fun time!

My Grade: B