Ghostbusters II

As a kid, my introduction to the Ghostbusters was the Saturday morning cartoon: “The Real Ghostbusters”. For a time, I even thought the cartoon came before the movies. Another early Ghostbusters memory of mine as a kid was going to see "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" at a multi-screen drive-in theater and "Ghostbusters II" was being shown behind us (both films star Rick Moranis coincidentally). Sequels usually don't live up to their predecessors and this sequel is one such example but it could have been worse. Much of the public had five years to wait for this show while I didn't so I can judge "Ghostbusters II" on its own terms. The story may lack originality but that is usually unavoidable. I would have liked the songs used to be better but the comedy on the other hand is great in my book. The heroic persona of the "boys in grey" is also maintained and who doesn't love the band getting back together.

For them to get back together, the team must first be broken up. The fact that the business was sued makes sense. Ray still has the heart for the glory days however hence the birthday parties. As a side note, kids today probably don't know who He-Man is. I'm sure it wasn't just lawsuits that put the guys out of business. With Gozer defeated, this probably led to a slow period for paranormal exterminations. For those moviegoers who have trouble believing that the city could so easily forget that the Ghostbusters saved the world, try watching the news. The media tries to be impartial but it doesn't always happen. The story of this sequel explores the idea of evil in people lives bringing about their own destruction. It has happened in recorded history before and I believe it will happen again. The slime is a bi-product of wickedness that Vigo is using to become more powerful. Thus he can fully return to life. Why does Dana always seem to attract dorks? First Lewis and now Janosz. I guess it is one of those mysteries of the universe such as why she seems to attract the paranormal as well. Peter may also appear by some to also be unfit for Dana. However, even she indicates he has charm and genuine humor that somewhat overshadows his negative qualities. Dana still has some feelings for Peter now that she divorced the other guy but I am guessing that she doesn't want to be hurt again. That is why she only wants Ray and Egon to investigate the baby carriage incident. Once Peter shows up, they somewhat resolve their differences and reestablish a friendship. The bathtub experience is what really brings the two together. While the court trial may seem to be the ultimate end of the career of the Ghostbusters, the guys actually find themselves in the perfect place under the perfect circumstances to get back into business. The judge is suddenly haunted but the Ghostbusters for once honor the judicial restraining order in protest. Lewis suddenly has the upper hand as their lawyer and gets them cleared of all charges as well as having the order rescinded. The montage is fun but not as fun as its counterpart from the first show. The original theme song is very hard to top. Lewis' role in "Ghostbusters II" works and he provides some humorous moments. He first shows up as the Ghostbusters lawyer and now that business is once again booming, his accounting skills come in handy. The story of Snow White from an accountant's perspective is pretty funny. Another comedy moment courtesy of Lewis is when Dana walks in on him and Janine making out. What makes it funny is that Lewis acts as if he just had an affair. In this film franchise, Peter was the first one to get slimed. It seems to be a one-time stroke of bad luck because at the end of the first film, all the Ghostbusters except him are completely covered with marshmallow. This trend continues in the second movie because he shows up at the Gracie Mansion all fancied up while his coworkers are in their underwear and covered with slime. Peck is one character from "Ghostbusters" that doesn't return but we still have another disbelieving human antagonist in this movie to take his place: Jack, the mayor's assistant. Lenny doesn't believe the Ghostbusters when they say the city is in danger but wouldn't go so far as to have them committed. Jack's abhorrence of the Ghostbusters however will give him justification to cross that line himself. It is fitting that Jack brings himself down. After all the subsequent pandemonium, the mayor is willing to admit that the Ghostbusters were right and call them back. Thus Jack's plan backfires. Another smart part of the story is that Vigo's weapon of "mood slime" is used against him. The Ghostbusters molecularly reinvent the slime so that it’s positively charged. The climax of the movie is little less exciting as that of the previous show. In that film, the guys used their knowledge and were willing to commit self-sacrifice. In the sequel, it appears that they have met their match but saving grace comes from the fact that New Years Eve not only showcases evil but goodness. It feels less heroic.

While the story is so-so, the comedy is quite enjoyable. It all stems from the established chemistry between the actors. I made Feb 14, 2016 a memorable Valentines Day because of this movie by the way. I also really love the comedy as the guys pretend to be iconic New York road workers. Egon's "Yo" is priceless and I crack up when Peter blames Egon for cutting in the wrong place to try and cover up their true purpose. Another great moment from Peter is when he testifies is court. Lewis is hardly a lawyer and so Peter is feeding Lewis what to say but not discreetly. It is ironic therefore that Lewis is called out for "leading the witness". Other hilarious moments in "Ghostbusters II" include "Do, Re, Egon", Peter taking us by surprise when he traps the running ghost and the Ghostbusters commercial. Peter's photo shoot of the painting is funny at the end because it is being contrasted by Ray's trance. Peter goes a little overboard yelling at the painting. I love it when the guys start coming up with newspaper headlines for their story and the reprise of the Pier 34 dock supervisors during the climax is great. Out of all the funny things in this show, mentioned or unmentioned, my top three moments are as follows. The scene when Ray, Egon and Winston stop to pick up Peter before they go underground was also filmed upstairs in the apartment but on the street works so much better. Dana's call for a taxi is her answer to the invite and Peter's rejection is equally stylish. The music of that scene adds to the humor. The subsequent scene on the underground train tracks is even better with Winston's echo and the ghost train. Sorry Egon. We all missed the number of the locomotive. Top joke in this movie is the "oooooooold man-eating toaster" gag.

All cast members return for this show and that is a great selling point. Even David Margulies returned as Lenny, the mayor. Bill Murray's comedy has already been talked about but his chemistry with Sigourney Weaver creates a believable rekindling of emotion between Peter and Dana. Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis once again write the screenplay and that satisfies me on many levels. Rick Moranis, in between both Ghostbuster movies, made some noteworthy films such as "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Spaceballs". 1984 saw four of his movies released, which included “Ghostbusters”, and 1989 was also a busy year for him with the release of three more movies in his filmography. "Ghostbusters II" introduced me to a few actors such as Peter MacNicol. His accent is so good that when "Ally McBeal" came on TV, I didn't recognize him at first. I was also introduced to Harris Yulin because of this show. Coincidenally, both MacNicol and Yulin would later appear together in "Bean" in the 90's. On the occasion of writing this, I recognized Kevin Dunn as Peter's talk show guest. I first took note of him on "Godzilla" in 1998 but it turns out that this movie was actually the first time I saw a performance of his. The same can be said for Max von Sydow who is the voice of Vigo. I would later take full note of him in Steven Spielberg’s "Minority Report". Brian Doyle-Murray has performed in his brother Bill's movies before. This time, he plays the psychiatric doctor. Finally, I never knew that was Cheech Marin was the dock supervisor. One cinematic element that made the first film so fun was the use of songs and not just the Oscar-nominated title song. "Cleanin' Up the Town" and "Savin' the Day" were also a lot of fun in their respective scenes. All the new songs in "Ghostbusters II" aren't all that noteworthy (this excludes anything by Jackie Wilson).

Rick Moranis apparently was one among many who were quite disappointed with the final movie. I have determined two main reasons why this film wasn't as acceptable as the original. Firstly, because of the success of the first film and the aforementioned animated TV series, the studio pressured the filmmakers to make the sequel. Aykroyd, Ramis and director Ivan Reitman wanted to do other things and didn't really want to continue what they considered a stand-alone story but conceded in the end. This attitude would hardly ever yield anything extremely special and it is sad that studios push artists like this. The second reason happens all the time. The anticipation for this film was too high and so it makes perfect sense why people didn't warm to it. The same thing would later happen with the Star Wars Prequels. Even though "Ghostbusters II" broke the record for the highest gross in an opening weekend, the studio considered the final box office earnings to be disappointing because "Batman" broke the same record the very next weekend. With the passage of time however, "Ghostbusters II" has become a little more accepted by the public. One website rates it as the most underrated sequel of all time. If you ask me, this movie isn't perfect but it is funny and it is enjoyable to watch our favorite characters in a new story. Speaking of new story, I didn't know what to think about the reboot at first. A new movie for the longest time always seemed to be just talk so I was willing to be content with just the two movies. Bill Murray wouldn't commit to a third film and then Harold Ramis' passing appeared to be the final word. Still, a reboot was made in 2016. While it was decent, it didn't have much a chance when compared to its classic predecessors.

4 Stars