Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Kurt Fuller, Harris Yulin, Ernie Hudson, Peter MacNicol
To my surprise, I searched my blog and realized I didn't review the original Ghostbusters (1984), which successfully melded science fiction and comedy. Three parapsychologists (Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis) strike out on their own as paranormal exterminators for those experiencing problems with ghosts and spirits. Business is booming, and soon the guys (who included a fourth Ghostbuster in order to help with the workload) are battling a supernatural monster who threatens to destroy the Earth. A gigantic marshmallow man figures into the equation, but I'll let you witness how.
Ghostbusters II was a hit sequel, although less well-received by critics, and the 2016 Ghostbusters featuring all female leads fared even worse (I happened to like it by the way). This sequel recycles the formula from the original, but it is still funny, with Bill Murray once again getting the lion's share of one-liners.
Ghostbusters II picks up a few years after the Ghostbusters saved the planet from certain doom. The thanks they received was a judicial restraining order shutting them down, and the guys went their separate ways. Ray and Winston (Aykroyd and Hudson) dress up as Ghostbusters for bratty kids at birthday parties who would rather see He-Man. Egon (Ramis) conducts dubious scientific experiments, while Peter (Murray) hosts a TV show about psychics. Peter's old flame from the first film Dana (Weaver) asks for their help when her baby carriage takes off on its own down busy Manhattan streets with the infant still inside.
Their research reveals the presence of rivers of slime flowing underneath the streets of New York, a physical manifestation of negative emotions, which will soon ooze its way to the surface. Meanwhile, Viggo the Carpathian, an evil fifteenth century ruler whose portrait is in a creepy painting, comes alive and demands Dana's child be brought to him by 11:59 pm on New Year's Eve as a catalyst of his rebirth. Why this self-imposed deadline? I have no clue, but I always find it funny when evil plans can somehow be thwarted because the child is brought to him at 12:02 am on January 1, instead of 11:59 pm on December 31. Who created the deadline? Is it in the evildoers' instruction manual?
No matter. The Ghostbusters race against time and the ooze which wreaks havoc on the city. How do they combat the slime? Jackie Wilson and The Statue of Liberty play a part, but this isn't as funny as the presence of the genial marshmallow giant from the first film. But, at least the sequel tries to outdo its predecessor instead of simply being happy as a retread. Ghostbusters II has big shoes to fill, and although the movie falls short of the original's brilliance, it is still quite amusing on its own merits.
No comments:
Post a Comment