Great Movie Re-Watch

Ghostbusters II (1989)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Ghostbusters II (1989)

Director:

Ivan Reitman

Writers:

Dan Aykroyd

Harold Ramis

Starring:

Bill Murray

Dan Aykroyd

Sigourney Weaver

Harold Ramis

Rick Moranis

Ernie Hudson

Annie Potts

Peter MacNicol

Blurb:

The discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business.

Thoughts:

I will show just how uncultured I am by saying that I enjoy Ghostbusters II more than the first one. I said it. It’s out there. My husband and the internet have informed me I’m wrong, and I accept that. The thing is, I enjoy Ghostbusters II more. Don’t get me wrong, I love the humor in the first movie. It’s hilarious, and the song is much better, but there’s just something about a giant Statue of Liberty walking through New York with upbeat music playing that hits me in the feels.

The film was a flop because I am in the minority. It so thoroughly killed what could have been a huge franchise that we didn’t get another movie for decades. Which, of course, was hated for entirely different reasons. There’s another movie coming out later this year, but all signs point to it being closer to the original than the sequel. Still, it has Paul Rudd in it, so it can’t be all bad.

Weaver was a much better mother than Alley was in Look Who’s Talking. Anytime something was happening to Oscar, it’s like she sensed it almost immediately, and she reacted. She also didn’t question herself and went to people she knew would help. She’s a great character with sus taste in men. Murray’s character is hilarious, but he’s so self-destructive I’m not sure how I would feel being in a relationship with him.

The Wikipedia article is expansive filled with all kinds of information, but nothing stood out as interesting to me. Murray was a bit of a diva again. The movie apparently has a fatherhood subplot with Murray’s whole relationship with Oscar. Eh, I rarely pick up on things like that and prefer to think of Weaver being a super mom.

I’m almost through the 80s! Just four more movies.

Rambo III (1988)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Rambo III (1988)

Director:

Peter MacDonald

Writers:

Sylvester Stallone

Sheldon Lettich

Starring:

Sylvester Stallone

Richard Crenna

Blurb:

Rambo mounts a one-man mission to rescue his friend Colonel Trautman from the clutches of the formidable invading Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

Thoughts:

Technically, Rambo III was playing while I was endlessly scrolling on my phone. I looked up occasionally. I read the Wikipedia entry. That’s about it, though. I vaguely remember Rambo looking world-weary as he killed a lot of Russians and saved a lot of Afghans. There were explosions, probably racism, and according to Wikipedia, we’re still in peak Stallone diva time.

What else can you say? At this point, the series has completely left behind what made the first movie good. I like explosions and action, but I can’t view Rambo as a self-insert, so he does nothing for me. He’s eye-roll-worthy and occasionally sympathetic. I think the behind-the-scenes stuff I’ve read has lowered my opinion of Stallone, so I can’t enjoy them even at the low level I used to.

Oh well. Little Mermaid is next.

Bloodsport (1988)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Bloodsport (1988)

Director:

Newt Arnold

Writers:

Sheldon Lettich

Christopher Crosby

Mel Friedman

Starring:

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Donald Gibb

Leah Aryes

Norman Burton

Forest Whitaker

Blurb:

“Bloodsport” follows Frank Dux, an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur.

Thoughts:

I’ve been stuck on Bloodsport for a while because it’s another one of my husband’s movies, and he can’t watch movies as frequently as I do. He prefers to play video games. Eventually, I got tired of waiting and put it on while he played Monster Hunter on the switch, occasionally looking up. I realize, technically, I could skip these kinds of movies. It’s not mine, after all. It feels like cheating, though. I don’t hate Bloodsport. I don’t feel a need to own it, but I don’t have an issue watching it. So I force myself to all in the name of sticking to my Great Movie Re-Watch plan.

Bloodsport is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s first big movies. Despite the lack of plot and inclusion of most action movie cliché’s it was incredibly popular and made a decent amount of money. Enough to spawn a couple of sequels, at least. The fight scenes are fun, but the acting is pretty bad, and the story is often unintentionally hilarious. There is also a cat that meows throughout all of the fight scenes. It’s distracting and annoying.

One of the best things to come out of Bloodsport is a Mentos spoof commercial that I will link to below. It’s another entertainingly bad action movie.

Back to the Future Part II

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Back to the Future Part II

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis

Bob Gale

Starring:

Michael J. Fox

Christopher Lloyd

Lea Thompson

Thomas F. Wilson

Elizabeth Shue

Blurb:

After visiting 2015, Marty McFly must repeat his visit to 1955 to prevent disastrous changes to 1985…without interfering with his first trip.

Thoughts:

Back to the Future Part II was always my favorite in the Back to the Future franchise. They go to the future! There are flying cars, hoverboards, automatic lacing shoes, and so much more. It was so awesome to think that the future would have such amazing things. Sadly, 2015 was nowhere near that amazing. The idea of people in flying cars is actually terrifying. The hoverboards were a massive disappointment too.

One of my major complaints about the original movie is the depiction of women. Unfortunately, Part II didn’t do much better. We still had the whole Biff and Lorraine rapey vibe going on in the 50s as well as the 80s. Jennifer was drugged and kept being left places, first in an alley and next on her front porch. Women get in the way, and cause issues is the theme in the Back to the Future franchise. It’s annoying.

Despite that, I can relate to the plot in Back to the Future Part II. If I was ever to gain access to a time machine, the first thing I would do is figure out a way to make money. I would go the lottery and stock market route, though. Doc Brown may not have invented the time machine for personal gain, but that is most certainly what I would use it for.

If you didn’t know already, it would be abundantly clear that the third film was made simultaneously. At the end of Part II, a trailer gives away the final part’s entire plot. If I weren’t doing this re-watch, I would have immediately put it in. It was hard not to. Oh well, I’ll just have to wait a couple of years before I get there.

Working Girl (1988)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Working Girl (1988)

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writer:

Kevin Wade

Starring:

Melanie Griffith

Harrison Ford

Sigourney Weaver

Blurb:

When a secretary’s idea is stolen by her boss, she seizes an opportunity to steal it back by pretending she has her boss’ job.

Thoughts:

How could I not love Working Girl? It was basically made for me. A strong female lead fighting for her chance at her dream job. Plus young sexy Harrison Ford. That’s exactly the kind of story I love.

I don’t remember the first time I watched this movie. I can’t think of any memories attached to it at all. It’s just one of those films that I discovered on TV and fell in love with.

It received mostly positive reviews when it came out. It also did well at the box office. Yet we don’t get these types of movies very often. Wonder why that is? Hmm… A film where a woman is kept down by the system deals with very realistic sexual harassment and has to deceive to succeed. No idea why this hasn’t been done more often. Maybe it has, and I just missed it. I’m not one for drama movies, and this has enough comedy in it not to take away from the story but to make it not as heavy as it could be.

I can’t even complain that the main antagonist is a woman trying to keep another woman down. That was an entire mindset for a generation of women. It’s sadly realistic. One of the best things to come from my generation is women helping other women. We can succeed together.

I’d love to see another movie like this with a modern setting. I don’t want a remake. It’s not the sort of film that needs that treatment. I just want to see a story in the same vein. A reboot, maybe?