Entertainment

Let's Talk About That 'Ghostbusters' Ending

by Rachel Simon

Although there's no guarantee that the new Ghostbusters will become a franchise, it's hard to imagine that the reboot won't be the first of many films in the series to come. It's one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the year and is expected to be a box office success, so really, it's only a matter of time before it's announced that there's a sequel on the way, especially when you consider the Ghostbusters ending. How Ghostbusters ends perfectly sets up the potential for a follow-up film, and it'll have fans itching for a new movie to come their way soon.

So here's what you have to know going into that conclusion. The Ghostbusters have been running around the city capturing and destroying ghosts. The government has told them to keep quiet, however, or else it'll create "mass hysteria" across the world (a fun nod to one of the original movie's most quotable lines). For awhile, it seems like they'll have to comply, and when the evil villain of the film, Rowan, seemingly kills himself when the government invades his lab, it appears that the major threat is gone, anyway. Yet soon, Erin realizes that Rowan's suicide was part of a bigger plan, one that would open a vortex that would allow ghosts from everywhere to get out and take over the world.

That's where things get crazy. After the ghost of Rowan possesses Kevin, he sets off the vortex, and ghosts from practically every era of American history start coming out, causing mass chaos. The Ghostbusters set off for battle in Times Square, where many of the ghosts (including the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Slimer) have converged as an army. A massive fight ensues, wherein the Ghostbusters use their weapons to defeat as many ghosts as possible. Eventually, Rowan leaves Kevin's body and becomes a giant ghost monster. The women are nearly overpowered until they realize that the way to victory is hitting the nuclear reactors on top of the car, which will cause protanic reversal and close the vortex, keeping all the ghosts inside. And so they do just that — with Erin even jumping into the vortex to save Abby, who's been taken in by a ghost. Both women make it out alive, albeit with much whiter hair.

At the end of the movie, the Ghostbusters celebrate their triumph and take over a firehouse (another nod to the original movies) as their headquarters. There's a quick cameo from Ernie Hudson as Patty's uncle, and then the movie ends — well, sort of. There's a mid-credits scene, of course, featuring quick, funny scenes of Kevin holding his headshots, Abby finally getting her wontons, Holtzmann building more equipment and introducing the team to her mentor (played hilariously by Sigourney Weaver), and New York lit up in tribute to the Ghotsbusters. Later, there are even a few moments of Kevin dancing with the NY cops. And even later, after the credits have totally stopped, there's a scene where Patty hears a recording of paranormal activity and asks the group who Zuul is, alluding to the iconic villain of the original movies and making it seem likely that he'll appear in a sequel.

Got all that? The Ghostbusters' ending is full of fun, crazy little moments, and it sets the next movies in the franchise (assuming they happen) up perfectly.

Images: Columbia