Synopsis
Five years after saving New York City from supernatural destruction, the Ghostbusters have fallen on hard times. Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver have broken up, and he is now the host of a dubious psychic TV show. Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson have been reduced to performing a children’s parties, what with the anti-spook outfit having been sued into non-existence. And so it goes. But then weird goop, powered by New York’s anger, rises from the ground to create havoc anew.
Can anyon… say retread? Though the idea of a city’s hostility fuelling supernatural evil is a good one (and deployed most shatteringly in Harlan Ellison’s classic short story “The Whimper of Whipped Dogs”, here the idea serves only to set up a climax that is not only depressingly similar to the first film’s, but is resolved in nauseatingly cloying fashion. All in all, this marks the point at which the overbudgeted comedies of Ivan Reitman began to wear out their welcome.
Audio
As 5.1 mixes of film from 1989 go, this sounds a heck of a lot like a 5.1 mix from 1989. The surround elements are acceptable, but there are some noticeable technical issues as well. There is some minor buzz on the dialogue, for instance, but the biggest problem comes with the movie’s irritatingly catchy score: the vocals are so loud in the mix that they no longer seem part of the music. Generally speaking, though, the sound is solid enough to get by with.
Video
The image is sharp, and the grain is minimal, and it’s nice that the original 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio has been preserved. The colours, however, are a bit on the pale side, as are the flesh tones. As a result, the transfer looks competent, but a little bit anaemic. Otherwise, though, things are good, as edge enhancement isn’t a problem, and the blacks are fine.
Special Features
Reflecting the film’s status, the only extras are two episodes from the “Real Ghostbusters” TV show. The animation is embarrassing, and the picture quality is abysmal. Sometimes, bad extras are worse than nothing at all. The menu’s main screen is animated and scored.
Closing Thoughts
The movie: feh. The transfer: ho-hum. The extras: blecccch.
Special Features List
- 2 Animated TV Episodes
