An inferior sequel to one of the eighties memorable comedies
Added 11/14/2009
My daughter and I just did a GHOST BUSTERS double bill in honor of her upcoming move to New York, where she will be working at Columbia University, which is where Bill Murray and his paranomal colleague are studying at the beginning of the first film. We both really enjoyed the original and felt that it had more than held up over time, but we we were tremendously disappointed with the sequel. This is a joint review of both films. We watched the original film on Blu-ray and the second one on regular DVD. I won't say much more about the format except to say that the quality of the Blu-ray was somewhat disappointing. In fact, the quality of the DVD was very nearly as good as the Blu-ray.
Rewatching the first film, it was fascinating to see what a simple story it told, and how short it was. There really is very little to the film apart from the simple story and a string of scenes the become a framework for a series of jokes. The one thing that surprised me was that I don't find Bill Murray's jokes, many of which feel ad libbed, as funny as I did when I saw it when it first came out. This is balanced by Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd being funnier than I remembered. The special effects all look pretty good by today's standards, except for Slimer, who didn't much appeal to me when the film came out and still doesn't. But the highpoint of the movie, then as now, is the Stay-Puft marshmallow man, which is definitely one of the greatest movie monsters ever.
I saw the sequel when it came out, but over the years found it odd that I couldn't remember anything about it. I remembered that Sigourney Weaver's character had a baby, but that was the extent of it. Rewatching the film it is easy to see why I couldn't remember anything about it: it is simply not a very memorable film. The pace and the rhythm are erratic and many of the jokes are simply unfunny. The plot isn't very interesting and seems pretty formulaic, the formula being the first movie. It was, in fact, almost a remake of the original with some names changed and situations altered. Both my daughter and I were very unhappy with it and did not think it a very worthy sequel to the first film.
The original 1984 GHOSTBUSTERS still plays like a film that was the product of some imaginations in the grip of a real vision, while the sequel feels like a film made to cash in on the success of the former. It isn't like they weren't trying, they simply weren't inspired. GHOSTBUSTERS 2 just is not a worthy sequel of one of the more memorable light comedies of the eighties. Speaking for the two of us, we definitely enjoyed the first movie, but wish we had passed on the second one. I just hope that I remember the latter as poorly as I did the first time.
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Love the Movie
Added 11/14/2009
If you like the Ghostbusters movies then you should get this DVD. It is a good quality in sound and picture. My only disappointment was the cases that are being used. Unlike the older cases that are entirely plastic, these new ones have a number of cutouts in the front and back plastic and the only thing protecting the DVD is the paper inserts. Otherwise the movie was just what I expected.
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Worthy sequal
Added 6/26/2009
As the second, in what appears to be a trilogy, this sequal is worthy although not as relaxed as the original.
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A good film but NOT AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL
Added 12/19/2008
I've always liked the film. Saw it in the theater.
The cast is still perfect in their roles.
Good film BUT NOT CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL.
The story was lacking Dana got married & divorce between films & has Oscar. So, The spark between her & Peter was lost.
Bill you can NOT beat his performance in both films as Venkman.
The DVD package. Lack of anything special. NO EXTRAS EXCEPT 2 EPISODES OF THE ANIMATED SHOW. CHEAP.
REAL CHEAP.
They did NOT even add a trailer or anything else. No video for the Bobby Brown song. Nothing.
Next time we release the film on DVD LET'S DO A BETTER JOB. YOU GUYS DID NOT EVEN TRY.
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One of the best sequels ever
Added 10/9/2008
this film was more creppy than the original in so many elements: the slime was growing when people were p*ssed off. the scoleri brothers were scarier than slimer the song monologue when the ghostbusters were in the nuthouse Vigo the painting shows up more than Gozer in part one. Though there are punchlines that people might repeat such as the "sometimes s**t happens", it could've work better as a comedy like the original. Anyway, this is the only sequel i watch during my senior year because there were somethings that made me freaked out. I have the entire soundtrack and I get crazed on the sequel whenever I'm scared or in a jolly mode. This if the first movie you should see on Halloween then the original and so forth.
0 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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An inferior sequel to one of the eighties memorable comedies
Added 11/14/2009
My daughter and I just did a GHOST BUSTERS double bill in honor of her upcoming move to New York, where she will be working at Columbia University, which is where Bill Murray and his paranomal colleague are studying at the beginning of the first film. We both really enjoyed the original and felt that it had more than held up over time, but we we were tremendously disappointed with the sequel. This is a joint review of both films. We watched the original film on Blu-ray and the second one on regular DVD. I won't say much more about the format except to say that the quality of the Blu-ray was somewhat disappointing. In fact, the quality of the DVD was very nearly as good as the Blu-ray.
Rewatching the first film, it was fascinating to see what a simple story it told, and how short it was. There really is very little to the film apart from the simple story and a string of scenes the become a framework for a series of jokes. The one thing that surprised me was that I don't find Bill Murray's jokes, many of which feel ad libbed, as funny as I did when I saw it when it first came out. This is balanced by Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd being funnier than I remembered. The special effects all look pretty good by today's standards, except for Slimer, who didn't much appeal to me when the film came out and still doesn't. But the highpoint of the movie, then as now, is the Stay-Puft marshmallow man, which is definitely one of the greatest movie monsters ever.
I saw the sequel when it came out, but over the years found it odd that I couldn't remember anything about it. I remembered that Sigourney Weaver's character had a baby, but that was the extent of it. Rewatching the film it is easy to see why I couldn't remember anything about it: it is simply not a very memorable film. The pace and the rhythm are erratic and many of the jokes are simply unfunny. The plot isn't very interesting and seems pretty formulaic, the formula being the first movie. It was, in fact, almost a remake of the original with some names changed and situations altered. Both my daughter and I were very unhappy with it and did not think it a very worthy sequel to the first film.
The original 1984 GHOSTBUSTERS still plays like a film that was the product of some imaginations in the grip of a real vision, while the sequel feels like a film made to cash in on the success of the former. It isn't like they weren't trying, they simply weren't inspired. GHOSTBUSTERS 2 just is not a worthy sequel of one of the more memorable light comedies of the eighties. Speaking for the two of us, we definitely enjoyed the first movie, but wish we had passed on the second one. I just hope that I remember the latter as poorly as I did the first time.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Love the Movie
Added 11/14/2009
If you like the Ghostbusters movies then you should get this DVD. It is a good quality in sound and picture. My only disappointment was the cases that are being used. Unlike the older cases that are entirely plastic, these new ones have a number of cutouts in the front and back plastic and the only thing protecting the DVD is the paper inserts. Otherwise the movie was just what I expected.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Worthy sequal
Added 6/26/2009
As the second, in what appears to be a trilogy, this sequal is worthy although not as relaxed as the original.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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