“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Units Franchise Document With Rotten Tomatoes Rating,” the headlines screamed this week, because the newest Ghostbusters sequel debuted squarely within the rotten space of the Rotten Tomatoes scores system.
To make sure, I don’t take concern with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire happening in historical past because the worst-reviewed Ghostbusters (even when I personally would rank it barely above the much more disappointing Ghostbusters: Afterlife). The half that bugs me is the commentary that the earlier holder of the document for the bottom Ghostbusters Rotten Tomatoes rating was Ghostbusters II, an excellent sequel that’s miles higher than Frozen Empire.
I’ve already written a lengthy protection of the movie right here on ScreenCrush (virtually ten years in the past?!? Time flies whenever you’re busting heads in a non secular sense.) At the moment I wrote…
I’d evaluate the 2 [original Ghostbusters] motion pictures this fashion: Ghostbusters was a grasp chef (director Ivan Reitman) inventing a brand new dish. Ghostbusters II is identical nice chef making the identical dish once more with just a few new components. Is it the identical plate of meals as earlier than? Principally, sure. However that doesn’t imply it tastes dangerous. There will not be genius in following a recipe, however there can nonetheless be plenty of pleasure.
So I’m not right here to litigate the Ghostbusters II debate at size. I simply need to observe that, like the unique Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II is a film that holds as much as a number of viewings, and was clearly made with plenty of consideration of its small particulars — some so small, you would possibly discover them on the primary or the second or the fiftieth viewing. Or ever, except another person pointed them out to you.
For instance, after I rewatched the unique Ghostbusters with my children final weekend, I noticed a background joke I had by no means observed earlier than. When the Ghostbusters chase Slimer by means of the halls of the Sedgewick Lodge, they unintentionally “check” their new proton packs on a housekeeper’s cart of cleansing provides. As Egon, Peter, and Ray talk about their tools within the foreground, the housekeeper within the background tries to wash up the mess the Ghostbusters made.
See should you can spot the gag; look fastidiously round 1:07 of the clip under:
Did you notice it? Some of the bathroom paper and tissues from the cart sparked a hearth, and she or he is attempting to place it out. The flame is tiny — however the housekeeper’s squirt bottle is even smaller, so it does nothing to place it out. Squirt squirt squirt. Nothing occurs.
It’s hilarious. However as a result of Harold Ramis, Invoice Murray, and Dan Aykroyd are so humorous within the foreground on the similar time, I by no means clocked it earlier than.
There’s an excellent sneakier joke in Ghostbusters II — one so sneaky, in reality, I by no means observed it myself. Somebody on a Discord I frequent pointed it out this week, and it’s too intelligent to not share. (Full credit score to Nick Ernst-Maynard for recognizing it; you possibly can observe him on Threads or Instagram.)
This scene takes place about 50 minutes into the movie. Dana Barrett, probably the most unfortunate lady in New York Metropolis has as soon as once more been focused by ghosts, and solely the Ghostbusters can save her. Whereas they examine her condominium for clues, she’s taken up short-term residence in house of Peter Venkman (Invoice Murray). Venkman comes again to his condominium proper as Dana will get out of the bathe. They alternate some dialogue; he tells her he’s going to take her out to dinner whereas his employees babysits her child son Oscar.
On its face, it’s an unremarkable sequence, though Murray and Weaver at all times had terrific chemistry collectively, and this second isn’t any exception. And whenever you watch the movie for the primary time, you’ll by no means discover the mannequin of the Statue of Liberty’s torch sitting on Venkman’s desk — or a number of different little fashions of Girl Liberty on the desk beside it. Framed by all these tchotchkes whereas draped in an outsized towel, Sigourney Weaver even form of seems to be just like the Statue of Liberty.
READ MORE: Our Full Evaluation of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
In different phrases: When the Ghostbusters will get the thought to make use of the Statue of Liberty to defeat Vigo just a few scenes later, it’s not simply the license plate on the Ecto-1A that provides them the thought. The scheme was subliminally implanted in Venkman’s mind 20 minutes earlier when he was speaking with Dana in his condominium.
Once more, you possibly can say Ghostbusters II just isn’t on par with Ghostbusters — and you’ll be proper. However you can’t say it wasn’t made with apparent love and affection for these characters and their world, or that the inventive staff didn’t go to the difficulty to foreshadow and encourage its huge plot twists, like the usage of the Statue of Liberty within the climax.
Oh, by the best way: When you look fastidiously, at that scene in Venkman’s condominium, you’ll additionally see he has a framed copy of the USA At present from the primary film hanging on his wall. Who knew Venkman was so sentimental about these items? That should be why he retains displaying up for these sequels — even Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
