Before I get into anything regarding this retro review, need I remind you all what today is? Let’s take a look, shall we:
Now, I still remember being as psyched as any child could get for the opening of a new movie. From the ages of 6-9 I’d been watching “The Real Ghostbusters” cartoon and playing with as many of the toys from the product line that was released within the same time frame. To me, Ghostbusters 2 was going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, how could it not live up to the build up and hype? I got to see it opening weekend, in Cortland, NY, at one of those old school theaters that had one, maybe two screens to its name and would have to stagger all the big summer releases. This was going to be the best film of the summer of 89′, right?
Well, not so much. It just didn’t stay in your mind after you left the theater. Whereas a film like Batman, within the same month of release, had my father and I going back to see that roughly seven times! It just didn’t have anything particularly memorable about it. It was obvious looking back the studio wanted to cater to the kid demographic over the young adults and above, and yet that completely backfired. It was watered down Ghostbusters. Hell, I remember the cartoon taking bolder risks and feeling quite spooked as a kid watching some of those episodes compared to Ghostbusters 2.0. Maybe the sequel just needed more Walter Peck? Oh right, he wasn’t even in this entry! That was a big fail on the part of the producers (in my opinion), not convincing William Atherton to reprise the classic role of douche baggery he played so well in the original.
I think another problem was reducing the Ghostbusters in the movie to not being appreciated by the citizens of NY within the context of the film. Just five years had past since the events in the original and now all of a sudden, even after saving the city from an apocalypse, they’re treated like a big joke. Perhaps that theme only served to make the viewing audience not take the characters as seriously as they did in the original. Even Pete Veinkman, played so iconically by Bill Murray in the original film, was a shell of his own shelf in the sequel. Sure, he had a couple choice one liners, like “Well, you’re not gonna get a green card with that attitude pal!”, but overall, he just lacked the swagger he had in the first film. Murray made that character likeable in the first film by being a funny jerk for the bulk of the film. It was almost Tony Stark/Robert Downey Jr esque. And in the second, he just wasn’t the same. I’d imagine this is why Bill Murray to this day rarely talks about the experience making the sequel. He clearly wasn’t having a good time and it’s no wonder he didn’t want to go back for thirds over the last 20 years.
Having said all that, I will say the Dr. Janosz Poha character, played so well by Peter MacNicol was one of the bright spots to the film. He played the perfect weirdo, but in a very zany, awkwardly funny kind of way. To this day my friends and I will still quote some of his lines in the film. He played a funny creep.
Other than that, it was a mostly forgettable sequel that was hyped to no end directly by the cartoon that was on ABC for three years, and the insane lineup of toys and other merchandise put out during that era. I even remember some Oprah special that had the entire cast in for a big interview before its summer release. Was Ghostbusters 2 a financial success? Absolutely. It was made for under $40 million dollars and took in roughly $200 million worldwide. Normally that would warrant a third film, but it never saw the light of day. Without Bill Murray wanting to get on board, it’s kind of impossible to make another Ghostbusters film with the original cast. And to be honest, I’m glad Dan Akroyd and co. never forged ahead with another film without him. I remember hearing rumors about there being some Will Smith led, Ghostbusters: The next generation film back in the late 90s/early 2000s. It would have amounted to CRAP! That being said, the rebooted Ghostbusters flick is on its way this summer, with a new cast, and only some cameo appearances from the original alumni.
In the end, the second film was a forced example of trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice. It rarely happens. Regardless, this film still has some of its own charm, albeit in limited doses…. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
(USA Today newspaper from 1989, week of the film’s release)
Leave Us Your Comments.