Film Snail

6.6

Ghostbusters II

PG·1989·108m

Comedy

Fantasy

Comedy

Fantasy

Summary

Having lost their status and credibility five years after covering New York City with gooey roasted marshmallows in Ghostbusters (1984), the city's former heroes and once-popular spirit-hunters struggle to keep afloat, forced to work odd jobs. However, when Dana and her baby have yet another terrifying encounter with the paranormal, it is up to Peter Venkman and his fearless team of supernatural crime fighters to step up and save the day. Once more, humankind is in danger, as rivers of slimy psycho-reactive ectoplasm, paired with the dreadful manifestation of evil sixteenth-century tyrant Vigo the Carpathian, threaten to plunge the entire city into darkness. Is the world ready to believe? Can the Ghostbusters save us for the second time?

Cast

Bill Murray

Peter Venkman

Dan Aykroyd

Ray Stantz

Sigourney Weaver

Dana Barrett

Harold Ramis

Dr. Egon Spengler

Rick Moranis

Louis Tully

Ernie Hudson

Winston Zeddemore

Annie Potts

Janine Melnitz

Peter MacNicol

Dr. Janosz Poha

Harris Yulin

Judge Wexler

David Margulies

Mayor Lenny

Kurt Fuller

Jack Hardemeyer

Janet Margolin

The Prosecutor

Wilhelm von Homburg

Vigo

William T. Deutschendorf

Baby Oscar

Henry J. Deutschendorf II

Baby Oscar

Michael P. Moran

Frank the Doorman

Olivia Ward

Meter Maid

Mordecai Lawner

Man with a Ticket

Susanna Boehm

Young Woman on Crutches

Mary Ellen Trainor

Brownstone Mother

Christopher Villaseñor

Brownstone Boy #1

Jason Reitman

Brownstone Boy #2

Aaron Lustig

Norman the Producer

Page Leong

Spengler's Assistant

Mark Schneider

Arguing Couple

Valery Pappas

Arguing Couple

Catherine Reitman

Girl with Puppy

Dave Florek

First Cop

Richard Foronjy

Con Ed Supervisor

George P. Wilbur

Bailiff

Sharon Kramer

Stenographer

Walter Flanagan

Rudy the Museum Guard

Bobby Brown

Mayor's Doorman

Christopher Neame

Maitre D'

Judy Ovitz

Slimed Restaurant Patron

Tom Dugan

Restaurant Cop #1

Angelo Dimascio

Restaurant Cop #2

Robert Alan Beuth

Store Manager

Ralph Monaco

Police Sergeant

Ron Cummins

Police Lieutenant

Cheech Marin

Dock Supervisor

Yvette Cruise

Maria, Dana's Maid

John Hammil

Detective #1

Ray Glanzmann

Detective #2

Alex Zimmerman

Detective #3

Brian Doyle-Murray

Psychiatrist

Louise Troy

Woman with Fur Coat

Douglas Seale

Plaza Hotel Man

Ben Stein

Public Works Official

Erik Holland

Fire Commissioner

Philip Baker Hall

Police Commissioner

Steve Baker

Telephone Man (uncredited)

Trish Cook

Nun at Statue of Liberty (uncredited)

Kevin Dunn

Milton Angland (uncredited)

Ryan Francis

Brownstone Boy #3 (uncredited)

Tyra Reneé Fuller

Driver (uncredited)

Jim Fyfe

Scoleri Brother / Ghost Jogger (uncredited)

George Gerard

Man in Cab (uncredited)

Donna Guidry

Art Restoration Student (uncredited)

Tim Lawrence

Scoleri Brother (uncredited)

Peter Papageorgio

Spectator (uncredited)

Kariim Ratcliff

Crowd Member (uncredited)

Ivan Reitman

Man Walking Outside Firehouse / Slimer (voice) (uncredited)

Ira S. Rosenstein

Stage Manager (uncredited)

Felix Silla

Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Max von Sydow

Vigo (voice) (uncredited)

Chloe Webb

Elaine (uncredited)

Justin Michael Woods

Baby on the Street (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Ivan Reitman

Characters, Screenplay

Dan Aykroyd

Characters, Screenplay

Harold Ramis

Reviews

tricksy

June 9, 2015

This was another sequel that was fashionable to knock when it came out. It got panned because it couldn't live up to the first Ghostbusters. Well, what could? The first one was so original, so enormously popular than any sequel was bound to fail as far as matching it.

This second Ghostbusters was just fine, very entertaining and it was nice to see all the main characters back. It had a little nicer feel to it and was more family-friendly language-wise, so it even had some things going for it the first one didn't have.

The other major different in this sequel was watching Peter MacNichol, who reprized his "Renfield"-type character from Mel Brooks' "Dead: And Loving It" comedy with Leslie Nielsen. Here, MacNichol plays "Janosz Poha," another wacko with a thick Eastern European accent. He is hilarious, and elevates the enjoyment of this film. Otherwise, the rest of the cast plays and acts just as they did in the first film, which means you'll get a lot of laughs out of them The story just isn't as intense, that's all. No, it can't equal the original, but.....

The bottom line is this: Don't try to compare the two films. If you enjoyed the first, you'll like this.....period.