I remember first going to see Ghostbusters on a drive in double feature with Gremlins during its original theatrical run in 1984. I loved it then. But for a different reason than most people my age at the time. Most of them were into the special effects (the ghosts and the enormous Stay Puft Marshmallow man). But I loved the comedy. Today, I still love Ghostbusters. And it's still for the comedy, the absurd tone of the film and the great dialogue.

I saw Ghostbusters 2 during its original theatrical run in the summer of 1989, when my dad and I made it a habit of seeing a movie a week. That summer we went to Indiana Jones, Batman, Star Trek, a Bond movie (License to Kill) and a few others. I liked Ghostbusters 2 when I saw it then. I still do like it. But not to the extent that I like the original.

So when it came to pass that I happened across this DVD 2-pack that had both Ghostbusters movies in it on sale on the Wal-Mart $7.00 DVD discount rack that I couldn't help but grab a copy.

So how does the set hold up?

Ghostbusters-*****

That's five stars on the Epinions scale. Ghostbusters is one of the comedy classics of the 80s. Sure, some of the special effects may be somewhat dated. But this is one of the funniest movies to come out of that era and it was made by comedy pros at the top of their game.

Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd co-wrote the script for this movie and Ivan Reitman directed. Together with lead actor Bill Murray, these men dominated movie comedy in the early 1980s. Although Reitman, Ackroyd and Ramis have been coasting for the past decade or so (Murray, after running into a comedy drought following the great Groundhog Day, made a comeback as a great dramatic actor (albeit one that still has a good sense of humor) with Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and Lost In Translation.) but in this era they made some great comedies (Stripes, Animal House, National Lampoon's Vacation (Starring Chevy Chase, another one who used up most of his comedic energy in the first half of the 80s) and so on). Ghostbusters is them putting their comedic talent together and delivering in spades.

Most people reading this will have seen Ghostbusters and are therefore already familiar with the plot. So I'll limit the summary to one paragraph. Murray, Ackroyd and Ramis play scientists who spend more time doing their own experiments rather than doing research (like college professors who would rather teach than conduct research). When the university they work for pulls their grant funding, they decide to go into the private sector running a business catching and storing the ghosts that haunt New York City. Business is slow at first. But after catching a ghost at a hotel, people are soon calling Ghostbusters on a regular basis. Before long they're not only battling the paranormal. But also the not so paranormal scary ones: bureaucrats! When "dickless" Walter Peck of the EPA (William Atherton) shows up, we know there's gonna be trouble. And there is, all the way down to the infamous Marshmallow Man.

Part of the reason for why Ghostbusters is so funny is its cheerfully zany plot. The other reason is the lines. Here are some samples:

Dr. Peter Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor: What do you mean, "biblical"?
Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly.
Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave!
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

Dr Ray Stantz: You know, it just occurred to me that we really haven't had a successful test of this equipment.
Dr. Egon Spengler: I blame myself.
Dr. Peter Venkman: So do I.
Dr Ray Stantz: Well, no sense in worrying about it now.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Why worry? Each one of us is carrying an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back

Dana Barrett: Are you the Keymaster?
Dr. Peter Venkman: Not that I know of.
[She slams the door in his face. Venkman knocks again]
Dana Barrett: Are you the Keymaster?
Dr. Peter Venkman: Yes. Actually I'm a friend of his, he asked me to meet him here.

Dr Ray Stantz: Gozer the Gozerian... good evening. As a duly designated representative of the City, County and State of New York, I order you to cease any and all supernatural activity and return forthwith to your place of origin or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension.
Dr. Peter Venkman: [Sarcastically] That oughta do it. Thanks very much, Ray.

Dr Ray Stantz: Personally, I liked working for the university! They gave us money and facilities. We didn't have to produce anything. You've never been out of college. You don't know what it's like out there! I've worked in the private sector... they expect results!

And of course my favorite, the one about J Edgar Hoover before Stay Puft arrives on the scene. There are a lot more. But you get the idea. It's the comedy that makes Ghostbusters the classic that it is and will keep it at that level, even when the effects are completely outdated.

Ghostbusters 2-***

While Ghostbusters is a comedy classic, Ghostbusters 2 is a lesser sequel (much like Men In Black 2). While it's not a terrible movie as some people have claimed, it's also a massive step-down from the greatness that was the original.

The main problem with Ghostbusters 2 is the script. Ramis and Ackroyd returned to the writers’ chairs for this one and while they didn't do what a lot of screenwriters do when penning a sequel and just re-write the original movie with a few cosmetic changes, they didn't deviate ENOUGH from the original movie. It mimics the original in more ways than one (IE: The walking Statue Of Liberty scene).

Ghostbusters 2 does have some funny moments (most notably the early scenes showing what the Ghostbusters did for a while after the Ghost busting business dried up) and Murray, Ackroyd and Ramis do get in some good lines here and there. But overall, Ghostbusters 2 screams sequel in that it more or less goes through the motions. There was a possibility to really go somewhere with this movie. But sadly Reitman, Murray, Ackroyd and Ramis didn't take it and the result is a movie that is only slightly above average at best.

As far as acting goes, Murray is easily the most memorable of all the characters in both movies. Ackroyd and Ramis both get in some good ones too as does Ernie Hudson. Sigourney Weaver does fine. But the most memorable performance (in both movies, Dickless Peck was only in the first one) aside from Murray, Ackroyd and Ramis is by Rick Moranis as Weaver's simultaneously (most of the time) nerdy/crazy neighbor Louis.

Special Features

The DVDs come in a pack that includes a booklet with info on the cast and the movies themselves.

On the discs themselves are some special features including commentary by Reitman and the cast and some of the storyboards for the first movie.

Overall

Seeing as you can find it cheap at most places, this is a set that is definitely worth getting as you get one classic comedy and one okay one in one package. Sure, most people will probably wear out Ghostbusters while hardly pulling out Ghostbusters 2. But that's not a big issue. Buy this and have a lot of laughs whether it's Halloween or not.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8