Ghostbusters II

A river of gunk flows beneath the sidewalks of New York, growing ever bigger in response to people's nasty thoughts. The Ghostbusters confront the sticky philosophical issues with characteristic finesse, but overall this much-hyped sequel fails to recapture the energy of the original. Even the demonic stature of the chief villan (von Homburg), who wants to possess Weaver's baby, fails to inject consistent tension. The film is largely an excuse for a cast get-together, with the Ghostbusters, under judicial restraining order after the havoc wreaked in part one, suffering lives of semi-obscurity. Murray fronts a cable TV show, Aykroyd and Hudson are entertainers to the 'ungrateful yuppie larva' at children's parties, Ramis continues his research. Weaver is a single parent divorcee (and ex-lover of Murray), and her imperilled sprog brings the team back into action. This attempt to inject novelty into the plot by way of an endangered infant is little more than a convenience, while the rest is all too familiar.