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 The original has held up well over time Nov 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.
 GHOSTBUSTERS Nov 12, 2009
The product arrived exactly as they sated the product would be and in shorter time than projected.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Agree - Transfer was awful! Nov 10, 2009
I completely agree with the rest of the one-star reviewers. My blu-ray collection is up to about 100 discs, and this one is one of the bottom 3 in terms of most atrocious transfer to blu ray. The graininess is annoying almost all the way through, but the place in the movie where it's the worst is in the library scenes, whenever there is wood work in the backdrop. Eventhough the price is right for this blu-ray, save your pennies. Transfers of other classics from the 70's/80's (2001, Omega Man, Trading Places, Towering Inferno, etc.) are WAY better.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Ghostbusters BR HD, a perfect combination! Nov 08, 2009
First keep in mind how old this film is and the style of movie they were making at the time. There is "some" noticeable grain in the movie but it's meant to be there, without it the movie would just loose a lot of it's original feel or place in it's era of movies. That said, Ghostbusters on blu ray is just the best transfer this film has seen to date. No, this won't be one I'll use to show off my setup or as a demo but it still looks far better the any of the previous releases. My kids had not seen this movie yet so this gave us a perfect chance to sit down and watch it with them. Sounds great through surround sound, if you loved the film then.....no reason why you won't fall for it again.
I Ain't 'Fraid a' No Ghosts! Nov 01, 2009
One of the best ghost comedies of that decade, written by SNL funny man Dan Aykroyd and Harold Raymous, directed by Ivan Reitman.
Three parapsychology professors get kicked out of a university just when they have made a great discovery of capturing ectoplasmic goo and whatever goes with it. They decide to get a business going, called it Ghostbusters and prowl the streets of New York with a funky hearse with the license plate Ecto-1!
Bill Murray steals the show with his wit and dry humor. Sigourney Weaver flashes leg and blows her hair out -- "That's a different look."
An ancient Mesopotamian god takes over a skyscraper and with power wants to destroy New York and whatever else gets in her way. Her destroyer: The StayPuft Marshmallow Man! Murray quips, "Hey, he's just a sailor visiting New York!"
Sly commentary on government interference, bumbling cops and how the media can make anything popular just by putting their mark on it creating fake celebrity. Or, maybe it's just a fun movie.
Highly recommended.
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