Okay, slide that tape into the VCR, hit play, and ignore the slightly fuzzy tracking lines for a minute. Remember the sheer event that was Ghostbusters II hitting shelves back in 1989? Five long years after Ivan Reitman’s original lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon (Ghostbusters, 1984), the boys in beige (well, mostly grey this time) were back. The anticipation was huge, maybe impossible to live up to, but popping this tape in always felt like settling in for a reunion with old friends, even if things felt… a little different this time around.
Picking Up the Pieces (and the Slime)
The film finds our heroes down on their luck. Lawsuits and city ordinances have put the Ghostbusters out of business, relegated to performing at kids' birthday parties (poor Ray and Winston!) and hosting dubious psychic TV shows (looking at you, Peter Venkman). It’s a slightly downbeat start, reflecting maybe some of the behind-the-scenes struggles to even get the sequel made. Bill Murray, famously, needed significant convincing to return, and you can almost feel a touch of that initial reluctance in his still-hilarious but slightly less anarchic performance early on. But thankfully, things don't stay quiet for long. Sigourney Weaver’s Dana Barrett, now a single mother working at an art museum, finds her baby carriage taking an uncontrolled demonic joyride, signalling that something strange is definitely back in the neighborhood.
The culprit? A subterranean river of pink, psycho-reactive goo flowing beneath New York City, fueled by the collected negativity of grumpy New Yorkers. Honestly, only Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis could cook up a plot device like sentient bad-mood slime and make it work within this universe. It's perfectly absurd, leading to some genuinely fun and gooey practical effects sequences – the possessed toaster dancing to Jackie Wilson, Dana’s bathtub trying to eat her, that mink coat coming creepily alive. Remember how physical that slime felt? No smooth, weightless CGI here; this was buckets of methylcellulose concoctions, dripping and splattering with tangible menace. They reportedly went through thousands of gallons of the stuff during production.
Vigo and the Scene-Stealers
While the slime provides the environmental hazard, the big bad is Vigo the Carpathian, a 16th-century tyrant trapped in a painting at Dana’s museum, looking to possess her baby Oscar and return to the land of the living. Played with imposing stillness by German boxer/actor Wilhelm von Homburg, Vigo cuts a striking figure. Here’s a bit of retro trivia: von Homburg was apparently livid when he discovered during the premiere that his lines had been entirely dubbed over by the legendary Max von Sydow; a surprise move by the filmmakers aiming for a more menacing vocal presence. Adding to the villainy is the delightfully unctuous Peter MacNicol as Dr. Janosz Poha, the museum curator completely smitten with Dana and easily manipulated by Vigo. MacNicol steals every scene he’s in with his bizarre accent and sycophantic physicality – a truly memorable performance.
Ghosts in the Machine (Literally)
The return to ghostbusting proper really kicks off in that fantastic courtroom scene. Seeing Egon, Ray, and Peter strapped back into Proton Packs as the spectral Scoleri Brothers erupt from beakers of slime is pure nostalgic joy. Those ghost effects, while perhaps showing their age compared to today’s digital creations, had a distinct energy. They felt present, often achieved through puppetry, optical compositing, and good old-fashioned stagecraft. There's a raw, almost dangerous feel to those proton streams criss-crossing the courtroom – controlled chaos brought to life. Even the simple effect of the ghost train roaring through Winston (Ernie Hudson, always the relatable anchor) felt jarringly real back on a CRT screen.
The film barrels towards its climax, involving harnessing positive energy (via Bobby Brown’s infectious hit “On Our Own,” a track that was everywhere that summer) to animate the Statue of Liberty and march her through Manhattan to confront Vigo at the museum. It’s utterly bonkers, pure 80s excess, but undeniably iconic. Seeing Lady Liberty stride down the street, controlled by the Ghostbusters using a modified NES Advantage controller (a brilliant touch!), required complex miniature work, hydraulics for the life-sized bust, and matte paintings. It’s the kind of ambitious, large-scale practical stunt work you just don't see anymore, capturing a sense of wonder and “how did they do that?” magic.
Did the Magic Strike Twice?
Ghostbusters II was a massive box office success, setting opening weekend records (before being swiftly overtaken by Batman just weeks later – what a summer!). Yet, critically and among some fans, the feeling persisted that it didn't quite recapture the effortless charm and spooky-comedy balance of the original. The plot beats sometimes feel familiar (another EPA antagonist, another giant entity menacing the city), and the tone occasionally dips into sentimentality, particularly around baby Oscar.
But here’s the thing: watching it again on that imaginary worn VHS tape, it’s still incredibly fun. The chemistry between Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, and Hudson remains undeniable. Rick Moranis and Annie Potts are highlights as the nerdy couple Louis Tully and Janine Melnitz. The practical effects, while dated, have a unique charm and weight. It delivers laughs, scares (well, 80s-level scares), and genuine spectacle. I distinctly remember renting this tape multiple times from the local video store, eager to relive the slime and the Statue of Liberty walk.
VHS Heaven Rating: 7/10
The rating reflects a film that, while not matching its predecessor's perfection, remains a highly entertaining sequel packed with charisma, memorable moments, and fantastic practical effects work representative of its era. It suffers slightly from "sequel-itis," retreading some ground and occasionally feeling less spontaneous, but the core appeal of the characters and concept shines through.
Final Thought: Maybe it wasn't the second coming everyone prayed for, but Ghostbusters II proved there was still plenty of fun (and goo) left in the tank, offering a comforting blast of late-80s blockbuster energy that still plays great when you just want to see the boys bust some heads... in a spiritual sense, of course.