Directed by Ivan Reitman
Written by Harold Ramis & Dan Aykroyd
Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Harris Yulin, David Margulies, Kurt Fuller, Janet Margolin, Wilhelm von Homburg, Mary Ellen Trainor, Jason Reitman, Aaron Lustig, Richard Foronjy, George P. Wilbur, Walter Flanagan, Bobby Brown, Christopher Neame, Cheech Marin, Brian Doyle-Murray, Ben Stein, Philip Baker Hall, Kevin Dunn, Max von Sydow, Chloe Webb
Soundtrack: Randy Edelman
As I look at my calendar, I see that if not for corona we’d have another Ghost Busters movie to see this weekend.
Will it be good? Will it be another crushing disappointment? Who knows?
But, since we won’t know either way for quite some time, I figure now would be an appropriate time to revisit the original sequel to 1984’s Ghost Busters, that of course being 1989’s Ghostbusters II.
I will concede right off the bat that the biggest weakness of this movie is the biggest weakness of many a sequel: the plot is awfully similar to the first one. The chess board is the same, the moves are the same, it’s just some of the pieces that are a little different.
However, there is plenty to appreciate in its own right.
The first act in particular is a lot of fun, in no small part because we get to spend time with the characters in different and uniquely entertaining ways than the previous movie, since they’re not really Ghost Busters anymore. After the courtroom scene though, things start to get stale, because we’ve kind of seen it all before.
However, even in the highly reminiscent busting montage, there are some cool bits, like the dark grey suits (that I wish we saw more of), the Central Park jogger ghost, and whatever the heck is happening in that china shop.
It may be an obvious, if not lazy choice, but I appreciate that the movie remains deeply entrenched in New York. No doubt the interiors were shot in Los Angeles, like the previous one, but I love the little touches like Ray’s book shop on St. Mark’s Place, and the literal deep cut of featuring the pneumaic transit system in the main plot.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the absolute best new addition: Dr. Janosz Poha.
He may serve the same story function as Rick Moranis’s Louis Tully in the previous movie (just more knowingly nefarious), but the way Peter MacNichol throws himself into the role is downright admirable. It’s one of the best performances in either of the films.
Also, I know it’s nowhere near the genius level of Elmer Bernstein’s score from the first movie, but I actually enjoy what Randy Edelman brings to the table. Ghostbusters II has a slightly different tone than its predecessor and I think his music reflects that.
Lastly, I’d like to address an oft-repeated criticism of this film.
I frequently hear people say in reference to Ghostbusters II that “Bill Murray phoned in his performance.”
Now, I don’t know the man, so I don’t know for sure, but I hypothesize that this belief is borne out of thirty years of seeing this movie on television, because when I saw it on the big screen I didn’t get the impression that he was checked out. I think his character is attempting to mature from his frat boy ways, and his performance falls in line.
In short, Ghostbusters II may not elevate the material a la Empire Strikes Back or be nearly as quotable as its predecessor (although I think it might technically be the better looking one of the two), but in a world of terrible sequels, remakes, etc., it manages to be entertaining enough on its own.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)
P.S.
In ordinary times, I go by the firehouse fairly often.