Ghostbusters II (1989)
Movie · 1989 · Comedy, Fantasy · 1h 48m · PG · English
Curator score: 3.2/10 (257.4K ratings)
Tagline: Guess who's coming to save the world again?
The discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 3.2/10
- Letterboxd: 3.20/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 55%
- TMDB: 6.6/10
Director: Ivan Reitman
Production: Columbia Pictures
Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Harris Yulin, David Margulies, Kurt Fuller, Janet Margolin, Wilhelm von Homburg, William T. Deutschendorf, Henry J. Deutschendorf II, Michael P. Moran, Olivia Ward, Mordecai Lawner, Susanna Boehm, Mary Ellen Trainor
Where to watch: fuboTV, AMC, Philo
Curator Review
Verdict: A glossy, bigger sequel that keeps the cast chemistry and some of the original’s wit, but it trades freshness for repetition and a more uneven sense of wonder. The set pieces are memorable, the slime conceit is playful, and the movie has enough charm to work as a comfort-watch, even if it rarely matches the first film’s spark.
Best for: fans of 1980s studio comedies; viewers who want spooky family-friendly spectacle; people who enjoy sequel-era blockbuster excess; fans of ensemble banter and effects-driven comedy
Skip if: you want the sharpest version of this concept; you dislike sequels that repeat beats from the original; you prefer fast, joke-dense comedies over broad spectacle; you are mainly here for the first film’s novelty
Overview: Ghostbusters II is the kind of sequel that arrives with more money, more slime, and less surprise. It leans hard on the returning chemistry, and when the team is trading dry one-liners or stumbling through absurd supernatural bureaucracy, the movie still feels alive. The idea of New York being flooded by psychic goo gives it a goofy, very late-80s sense of scale that is hard not to admire.
Worth noting: What it lacks is the clean, anarchic invention of the original. The villainy is more ornate than scary, and the movie often feels like it is trying to recreate a feeling rather than discover a new one. Still, the production design, effects, and comic timing give it enough personality to stay watchable.
Bottom line: If you come in expecting a lesser but still amiable continuation, it delivers. If you want the franchise at its most inspired, you will probably feel the seams. As a sequel, it is uneven; as a piece of big-budget supernatural comfort food, it goes down easily enough.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- maria: me: mom, can we have a ghostbusters (1984)?
mom: no, we have a ghostbusters (1984) at home
ghostbusters at home: ghostbusters II (1989)
- adambolt: How...how did they put the statue of liberty BACK...?
- David Sims: can someone get Dan Aykroyd a xanax
- alor: The courtroom scene in Ghostbusters 2 > The Trial of the Chicago 7
- Erin 🍺: They basically jizzed on the Statue of Liberty
Recommended similar titles:
- Men in Black (1997 · Action, Adventure, Comedy · 1h 38m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (1.6M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV)
A slick, joke-forward supernatural buddy movie with polished effects, deadpan chemistry, and a similarly playful approach to paranormal bureaucracy.
- Beetlejuice (1988 · Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 32m · PG · Curator 6.5/10 (1.8M ratings) · Where to watch: AMC, Philo)
Shares the same mischievous afterlife energy, rubbery visual invention, and comic horror tone, but feels more original and stranger.
- The Addams Family (1991 · Comedy, Fantasy · 1h 40m · PG-13 · Curator 5.6/10 (737.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium)
A spooky mainstream comedy built on eccentric family dynamics, macabre jokes, and a friendly, crowd-pleasing gothic tone.
- Addams Family Values (1993 · Comedy, Family, Fantasy · 1h 34m · PG-13 · Curator 6.3/10 (413K ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium)
Sharper and more inventive than its predecessor, with the same blend of dark whimsy and broad studio comedy.
- Army of Darkness (1992 · Fantasy, Horror, Comedy · 1h 21m · R · Curator 6.5/10 (327.1K ratings))
A cult sequel that goes bigger and sillier, with a similar taste for absurd set pieces and comic heroics against supernatural forces.
- Big Trouble in Little China (1986 · Action, Adventure, Comedy · 1h 40m · PG-13 · Curator 2.5/10 (168.7K ratings))
An energetic genre mashup where wisecracks, monsters, and escalating absurdity collide in a very similar popcorn-movie spirit.
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988 · Fantasy, Animation, Comedy · 1h 44m · PG · Curator 8.5/10 (658.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
A high-wire blend of comedy, fantasy, and technical showmanship that captures the era’s big, imaginative studio energy.
- The Lost Boys (1987 · Horror, Comedy, Thriller · 1h 37m · R · Curator 4.4/10 (178.1K ratings))
More stylish and darker, but it shares the late-80s appetite for cool, funny, effects-driven supernatural entertainment.
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987 · Comedy, Fantasy, Horror · 1h 58m · R · Curator 4.0/10 (196.3K ratings))
A glossy supernatural comedy with adult wit, occult spectacle, and a mischievous tone that sits near the same lane.
- Groundhog Day (1993 · Romance, Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 41m · PG · Curator 7.3/10 (1.6M ratings))
For viewers who like the deadpan comic rhythm and urban absurdity, even though it swaps ghosts for a time-loop premise.
- Scrooged (1988 · Fantasy, Comedy, Drama · 1h 41m · PG-13 · Curator 2.9/10 (272.7K ratings))
A cynical, high-energy holiday fantasy with a similar lead performance style, supernatural visitation, and broad comic escalation.
- The Mummy (1999 · Adventure, Action, Fantasy · 2h 4m · PG-13 · Curator 4.2/10 (1.1M ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo)
A later blockbuster that revives old-school adventure-comedy with monsters, quips, and crowd-pleasing spectacle.
Topics: supernatural comedy, 1980s, ensemble cast, urban fantasy, slime, blockbuster sequel, family-friendly horror, effects-driven, New York City, broad comedy
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/ghostbusters-ii/2978
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Movie · 1989 · Comedy, Fantasy · 1h 48m · PG · English
Curator score: 3.2/10 (257.4K ratings)
Guess who's coming to save the world again?
Overview The discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.2/10
Letterboxd: 3.20/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 55%
TMDB: 6.6/10
Production Columbia Pictures
Cast Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Harris Yulin, David Margulies, Kurt Fuller, Janet Margolin, Wilhelm von Homburg, William T. Deutschendorf, Henry J. Deutschendorf II, Michael P. Moran, Olivia Ward, Mordecai Lawner, Susanna Boehm, Mary Ellen Trainor
Where to watch fuboTV, AMC, Philo
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, bigger sequel that keeps the cast chemistry and some of the original’s wit, but it trades freshness for repetition and a more uneven sense of wonder. The set pieces are memorable, the slime conceit is playful, and the movie has enough charm to work as a comfort-watch, even if it rarely matches the first film’s spark.
Best for
fans of 1980s studio comedies
viewers who want spooky family-friendly spectacle
people who enjoy sequel-era blockbuster excess
fans of ensemble banter and effects-driven comedy
Skip if
you want the sharpest version of this concept
you dislike sequels that repeat beats from the original
you prefer fast, joke-dense comedies over broad spectacle
you are mainly here for the first film’s novelty
Overview
Ghostbusters II is the kind of sequel that arrives with more money, more slime, and less surprise. It leans hard on the returning chemistry, and when the team is trading dry one-liners or stumbling through absurd supernatural bureaucracy, the movie still feels alive. The idea of New York being flooded by psychic goo gives it a goofy, very late-80s sense of scale that is hard not to admire.
Worth noting
What it lacks is the clean, anarchic invention of the original. The villainy is more ornate than scary, and the movie often feels like it is trying to recreate a feeling rather than discover a new one. Still, the production design, effects, and comic timing give it enough personality to stay watchable.
Bottom line
If you come in expecting a lesser but still amiable continuation, it delivers. If you want the franchise at its most inspired, you will probably feel the seams. As a sequel, it is uneven; as a piece of big-budget supernatural comfort food, it goes down easily enough.
Top Letterboxd reviews
maria (2.5★) · 1315 likes
me: mom, can we have a ghostbusters (1984)?
mom: no, we have a ghostbusters (1984) at home
ghostbusters at home: ghostbusters II (1989)
adambolt (3.5★) · 1148 likes
How...how did they put the statue of liberty BACK...?
David Sims (2.5★) · 732 likes
can someone get Dan Aykroyd a xanax
alor (3.5★) · 609 likes
The courtroom scene in Ghostbusters 2 > The Trial of the Chicago 7
Erin 🍺 (2.5★) · 576 likes
They basically jizzed on the Statue of Liberty
Recommended similar titles
1997 · Action, Adventure, Comedy · 1h 38m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (1.6M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV
A slick, joke-forward supernatural buddy movie with polished effects, deadpan chemistry, and a similarly playful approach to paranormal bureaucracy.
1988 · Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 32m · PG · Curator 6.5/10 (1.8M ratings) · Where to watch: AMC, Philo
Shares the same mischievous afterlife energy, rubbery visual invention, and comic horror tone, but feels more original and stranger.
1991 · Comedy, Fantasy · 1h 40m · PG-13 · Curator 5.6/10 (737.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium
A spooky mainstream comedy built on eccentric family dynamics, macabre jokes, and a friendly, crowd-pleasing gothic tone.
1993 · Comedy, Family, Fantasy · 1h 34m · PG-13 · Curator 6.3/10 (413K ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium
Sharper and more inventive than its predecessor, with the same blend of dark whimsy and broad studio comedy.
1992 · Fantasy, Horror, Comedy · 1h 21m · R · Curator 6.5/10 (327.1K ratings)
A cult sequel that goes bigger and sillier, with a similar taste for absurd set pieces and comic heroics against supernatural forces.
1986 · Action, Adventure, Comedy · 1h 40m · PG-13 · Curator 2.5/10 (168.7K ratings)
An energetic genre mashup where wisecracks, monsters, and escalating absurdity collide in a very similar popcorn-movie spirit.
1988 · Fantasy, Animation, Comedy · 1h 44m · PG · Curator 8.5/10 (658.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
A high-wire blend of comedy, fantasy, and technical showmanship that captures the era’s big, imaginative studio energy.
1987 · Horror, Comedy, Thriller · 1h 37m · R · Curator 4.4/10 (178.1K ratings)
More stylish and darker, but it shares the late-80s appetite for cool, funny, effects-driven supernatural entertainment.
1987 · Comedy, Fantasy, Horror · 1h 58m · R · Curator 4.0/10 (196.3K ratings)
A glossy supernatural comedy with adult wit, occult spectacle, and a mischievous tone that sits near the same lane.
1993 · Romance, Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 41m · PG · Curator 7.3/10 (1.6M ratings)
For viewers who like the deadpan comic rhythm and urban absurdity, even though it swaps ghosts for a time-loop premise.
1988 · Fantasy, Comedy, Drama · 1h 41m · PG-13 · Curator 2.9/10 (272.7K ratings)
A cynical, high-energy holiday fantasy with a similar lead performance style, supernatural visitation, and broad comic escalation.
1999 · Adventure, Action, Fantasy · 2h 4m · PG-13 · Curator 4.2/10 (1.1M ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo
A later blockbuster that revives old-school adventure-comedy with monsters, quips, and crowd-pleasing spectacle.
Topics
supernatural comedy, 1980s, ensemble cast, urban fantasy, slime, blockbuster sequel, family-friendly horror, effects-driven, New York City, broad comedy
Open Ghostbusters II (1989) on Curator TV