When Ghostbusters was released in 1984, it became the biggest movie of the year among other big films. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the film made its actors famous. As the movie was a huge success, Hollywood wanted a sequel. So, in 1989, Ghostbusters II was released.
Although it had the tough job of living up to the first film, it is still a good movie. The sequel brought back the original four stars (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson) and included the strong supporting characters played by Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis.
The first movie grabbed attention with its unique story, but Ghostbusters II had its own surprises and went bigger. If the first movie had the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man causing chaos in New York City, Ghostbusters II had the Statue of Liberty coming to the rescue. The Statue of Liberty plays a key role in the ending, but the alternate ending would have been different.
In Ghostbusters, the heroes fought against Gozer the Gozerian. With many ghosts released and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man causing destruction, New York City was left in a mess. The Ghostbusters went from being heroes to being disliked and had to stop their work after a lawsuit.
After saving the city, this is the thanks they get? A new villain, Vigo the Carpathian (played by Wilhelm von Homburg and voiced by Max von Sydow), appears. The Ghostbusters quickly realize it will take everything New York City has to defeat him.
Vigo the Carpathian is an evil man from centuries ago who lives in a painting. The Ghostbusters meet him when his human servant kidnaps Dana’s (played by Weaver) baby to become Vigo’s new host.
There is also a dangerous pink slime under the city that reacts to loud noises and emotions and feeds on negative thoughts. The Ghostbusters wonder how the slime will react to positive emotions.
Ivan Reitman didn’t the Original Ending to ‘Ghostbusters II’
Ghostbusters II has an exciting ending that revisits the original movie’s concept but from a different angle. There is a large wall of slime protecting Vigo in the art museum where his painting is. The Ghostbusters need something big enough to break through. They get the help of the Statue of Liberty.
They go to Liberty Island, climb inside the Statue of Liberty, and cover the inside with the pink slime. They play the uplifting song “Higher and Higher” by Howard Huntsberry over loudspeakers. This makes the Statue of Liberty break free from its restraints and walk through the water to New York City.
The cheering residents boost her power. Lady Liberty uses her torch to smash the slime wall, letting the Ghostbusters save Dana’s child and defeat Vigo the Carpathian.
The original ending was completely reshot. It is not clear exactly what the original ending included, but it did not emphasize Vigo’s threat or the slime’s power as much. In a 1994 interview with the Los Angeles Times, director Ivan Reitman mentioned that the audience disliked the original ending during an early test screening.
He said, “it just died a horrible death. We went out and shot 25 minutes in four days to replace everything that happened from that moment on.”
The original ending for Ghostbusters II would have shown the heroes being honored on Liberty Island with a celebration under a “THANK YOU GHOSTBUSTERS” banner, where they receive the key to the city from the mayor.
This would have been a nice way to wrap up the film, but it might have been a bit too long. The final version of the movie shows the Ghostbusters leaving the museum and being welcomed by hundreds of cheering New Yorkers. This shows they are appreciated, and the Ghostbusters look happy. That is enough.
The original ending had more than just the celebration, and though the footage has never leaked, unpublished images from the film’s comic adaptation reveal what it involved. The Art of the Real Ghostbusters shared images on Instagram, explaining that the original ending had been known for years but was removed by Columbia.
In the original ending, the Ghostbusters celebrate with the crowd and then find a damaged Statue of Liberty lying on its side. When the mayor arrives, they hand him a bill, reminding him that they were not paid after their last job. He refuses to pay, so they threaten to leave the Statue of Liberty in the street.
The mayor agrees to pay, and Lady Liberty is shown back on Liberty Island. The Ghostbusters then have a victory rally and discuss what the Statue of Liberty and America mean to them. Winston shares that his family came to America in slave ships. They all talk about their family histories.
Peter Venkman makes a joke about being a mix of everything because of his family’s history. Dana tells him it is a terrible thing to say, and Peter looks at the Statue of Liberty and says, “So what? It’s a free country. Thanks, Lib.”
This ending is heartwarming and patriotic, but it cannot match the excitement of the crowd of New Yorkers cheering. The real celebration is with them, not just among the Ghostbusters themselves.
Ghostbusters II is available to watch on Amazon in the U.S.
