I was asked to review the sequels of the Ghostbusters’ movies from both Baron and the owner of The Horror Times. Of course, Baron reviewed the original film from 1984 which is the best of them all. So, I guess it was my chance to take on the franchise, here goes Ghostbusters II was released 5 years after the original from Columbia Pictures and everyone thought it would be just as good as the first film, but sadly it wasn’t. It was again directed by Ivan Reitman (R.I.P.)  (Cannibal Girls [1973])) and written by Harold Ramis and Dan Akroyd.

Ironically, the film opens 5 years after the bit Marshmallow explosion in New York City when the Ghostbusters were at the top of their game however time has passed and they’re not as popular as they once were. Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Huson (Leviathan [1989])) entertains at a children’s birthday party (although not very popular), Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd (Coneheads [1993])) owns a paranormal bookshop, Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray (Zombieland [2009])) hosts a “psychic” television show, and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis (Heavy Metal [1981])) is the only one who continued working as a scientist looking for ghosts. Basically, they are in ruins.

The main story is a bit boring as there is no slime or marshmallows just a haunted painting at a museum where Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver (Alien [1979])) is working and her creepy boss Dr. Poha (Peter MacNicol (Dracula: Dead and Loving It [1995])) gets possessed by the man in the painting. He wants a baby so he can become human again and that baby happens to be Dana’s. Since Peter and Dana are starting to reconcile, they want to go on a date and ask Louis (Rick Moranis (Little Shop of Horrors [1986])) and Janine (Annie Potts) to babysit. However, unbeknownst to them the baby is still taken, by a ghostly Poha (um okay). The Ghostbusters team up again and go to the museum where the showdown will be.

It seems that if people are nicer the ghosts will go away, and they use the Statue of Liberty for help by using pink goo to make it walk somehow in New York – yep bizarre. Of course, they use the ghost trap to get rid of the evil ghost in the painting. Now a lot more happens but that’s the jest because what I didn’t include really makes no sense, it’s as if it was either written at different times or no one knew what to really do to follow-up the blockbuster.

I really liked the first Ghostbusters film and some of the sequels, but the second one seemed forced and didn’t have what the first one did. Yet, it’s still nice to see if you want to watch a marathon or have fun watching with the kids, which is what I did.

YEP-SOMEONE-THOUGHT-THIS-WAS-GOOD-IDEA-TO-INCLUDE-IN-THE-FILM

TAGLINES:

• Be ready to believe us.
• Guess who’s coming to save the world again?
• We’re back!
• The Superstars of the Supernatural are back!
• The Superstars of the Supernatural are back. And this time, it’s no marshmallow roast.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097428/

IMDb Rating: 6.6/10

3C Rating: 6.0/10

Follows:

Ghostbusters (1984)

Remade as:

Ghostbusters (2016)

Followed by: 

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2020)

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)