It was a simple plan to cross the streams to defeat Gozer, the set up in the hotel about it being ‘bad’ and then realizing it would only be bad in Gozer’s dimension at the climax. But what really defeated Vigo when the GB’s momentarily lost Ray to possession and all they had was a last minute attack?
Here’s how I see the climax: they interrupted Vigo’s possession of baby Oscar which gave him enough strength to leave the painting (which we can see as a prison/portal) but not enough to survive alone. The proton streams seemed to cause him great pain but his mojo was stronger. The celebrating crowd singing began leeching the negative energy of the slime mass and stripped Vigo of his strength to manifest outside his portal. Forced back into the painting and deformed into his demonic warlock visage, his only chance at escape before time was up was possessing Ray whom he had taken control of earlier (in deleted footage).
Fear of harming Ray is probably why Peter and Egon didn’t blast him with the proton streams, instead focusing them into the portal which seemed to make it unstable since its multicolored hue shifted to negative pink. Winston’s slime blower de-possessed Vigo/Ray leaving only Vigo’s floating head (the last part of him to die before speaking his return prophecy) as a target. A continuous positive slime shower weakened him to the point where the proton streams could force him back into the painting portal and seal it completely destroying his influence and control of the negative slime shell.
When you watch the movie the initial climax is so fast paced we don’t think about these little details until after given the surprise attack and rapid music but this is how it all goes down in my view. Nice to see that Winston has what seems to be the most effective weapon in the scene for the most part. Only wish the explosion had come out of the painting rather than looking like a TV screen.
Had they hosed Vigo down with positive slime and zapped him the first time they might has adverted the paralysis and defeated him right there. I’ve heard they were going to cross the streams again but what would Ray and Winston have done? Two streams may not have been enough and it had been done before. Thoughts?
i think crossing two streams would have done the same damage. Egon never said that 4 must be crossed before total protonic reversal. He actually never specified how many before tpr. It did seem a bit rushed though, the fight could have been a little more entertaining. but oh well.
We all pretty much knew it was the combination of Psycho magnatheric slime, and the positive energy radiating from the group of people outside. But your description of the fight does add some detail. Vigo would have probably defeated our heroes if he did successfully take on a host, he was weakened severely when he possessed Ray. Anywho debating about the second movie is like opening a can of ■■■■■■ off arguing worms. I usually try to defend the perfect, awesomeness that is Ghostbusters 2, but it seems to be a loosing battle for me. Like I said, I like your interpretation of the battle.
Of course it is also possible that the Ghostbusters never really did defeat Vigo. Vigo needed a new body by the new year, as the Ghostbusters piloted the Statue of Liberty down towards Battery park it is mentioned that it’s almost midnight, meaning they had to ward off Vigo by then.
It’s entirely possible that they just held Vigo off long enough for it to become 1990 and Vigo become trapped in his painting once more.
I think Dan and Rune have a pretty good idea. I have a similar idea that perhaps explains the painting at the end, and the painting in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Perhaps when they hit it with the positively charged slime, it brought out the good in the spirit of Vigo? That’s what changed the painting to represent the guys the way that it did. They never actually defeated the ghost in the painting..
They hauled the painting back to the firehouse, where the mood slime effect was only temporary.. and that is why as the city returned to its normal self.. the painting reverted back to Vigo. Still trapped in the painting, and unable to escape… grumbling hillarious things to you in the Video Game.
This clears up a lot of things. The end fight in Ghostbusters II was always really confusing for me. Everything happening at once and the cinematic trickery and unorthodox storytelling methods of Ivan Reitman really made it hard to figure out what happened. This is a really good perspective and I’m glad someone finally posted it, maybe this will put the heated debate about the ending of GB2 to rest.
Yeah they did,but there is no ned to “TROLL” we are all just telling ways of why vigo was so easy to best,and i’m sure there is more to come and there is nothing you can do about it muhahahaha
I’m serious, did you even see the movie? The ghostbusters pwned Vigo. this is like someone arguing that an iceberg didn’t sink the titanic in that movie, rather it was Billy Zane’s ego or some other ridiculous theory.
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