Are you one of those people whose childhood has seemingly been ruined by the very existence of a Ghostbusters reboot? Do you think the idea of a cash-grab inspired by that 1984 classic is a bad thing? Well, we have some bad news for you: that sort of thing has already happened before. The folks at Screen Junkies have crafted a brand new Honest Trailer for 1989's Ghostbusters 2, and it should serve as a reminder that Ghostbusters is not quite as untouchable as we think it is.
The Honest Trailer for Ghostbusters 2 starts with an observation that anyone who has seen the movie has instantly thought at some point: why the hell do people no longer believe the Ghostbusters? Although they saved the entire city five years earlier, everyone seems to have forgotten that they blatantly saved all of New York from a paranormal threat VERY recently. Making the disbelief even more odd is the simple fact that Ghostbusters 2 basically plays out beat for beat in the exact same way as the original. It's almost as if the filmmakers forgot that the first Ghostbusters ever existed.
Ultimately, the biggest qualitative issue that the Screen Junkies have with Ghostbusters 2 is the way in which it dumbs down the material of the original. While Ghostbusters isn't the most highbrow form of comedy, the sequel amped up the gross out gags and brought very little cleverness or sharpness to the material. That's a shame when we consider the pedigree of comedic talent that populates the film.
The best observation that the Honest Trailer for Ghostbusters 2 makes also happens to be one of the earliest: the sequel to the 1984 classic simply isn't all that good. Although the Internet has seemingly exploded with people declaring their hatred for the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot because it "ruins their childhood," the fact of the matter is that there has already been a Ghostbusters that tried to cash in on the success of the original with mixed results. Sure, Ghostbusters 2 may feature the original cast and take place within the proper Ghostbusters continuity, but it's still not a very worthy successor to the first film in the series.
If you plan on watching the original Ghostbuster team save New York City before going to see Paul Feig's upcoming reboot, then it might be wise to stick to the 1984 original and skip the sequel. We will keep you posted with any and all updates related to the Ghostbusters universe as they become available to us. The female-fronted Ghostbusters reboot will hit theaters this weekend on July 16.
