Ghostbusters II (1989) Reviews

Five years separate the first film and this sequel, both in real-time and in the film’s continuity. And those five years have not been exactly kind to foursome, both in the film’s narrative and the final product. Ghostbusters II is a prime example of a sequel providing diminishing returns.

Sure, it has its moments, but they’re few and far between. Much of it just isn’t funny, tonally its all over the map, and several cast members are sacked with limp plots. What exactly do these films have against Ernie Hudson? Why is Sigourney Weaver sacked with a rekindled romance, single motherhood, and a creepy boss? It’s like every 80s working woman cliché rolled into one role. A romance was all they could think to give Rick Moranis and Annie Potts? At least Peter MacNicol is wandering around chewing up the scenery to provide maximum enjoyment.

Ghostbusters II feels like two different films vying for dominance and attention at the exact same time. There’s one that’s more akin to mildly vulgar, slightly juvenile original, and another that’s got kid gloves on that plays like a real-life cartoon. These two modes are never reconciled, and the film bounces back and forth between them so often you’re afraid the reels will rip themselves in half as they move towards opposing goals.

Who you gonna call? Not these guys.

In a few months, at last, they will release a new reboot for this franchise and we’ll see if they manage to have a hit, especially after all the backlash they received after they went for an all-female cast. Of course, when I was a kid, I saw both movies (probably not in the movie theater for the 1^st movie since I was only 4 years old when it was released) , like any other kid, I thought they were just awesome and I ended up collecting toys, stickers, you name it. Eventually, decades later, I thought it was really time to introduce those great childhood classics to my kids but guess what? I was actually surprised how badly they grew older, especially this sequel. Obviously, the special effects who looked pretty awesome back then were nowadays pretty cheesy but it wasn’t really my biggest concern. Indeed, the main issue I had was that the whole thing was in fact not really funny. I mean, sure, it was fairly entertaining but it was never really hilarious. To conclude, even though I’m not such a huge fan anymore, I have to admit it, it is still a decent comedy and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.