The juice is loose. Michael Keaton is back as the ghost with the most in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. This film, a serviceable sequel, is a delightful trip down memory lane, packed with strong nostalgic elements that will surely resonate with fans of the original. Hollywood may have no shortage of sequels, but who better to direct a sequel to Tim Burton’s iconic film than Tim Burton himself? Burton’s touch of nostalgia does justice to the original, even if it doesn’t entirely live up to the quality.
Holiday movies are always a welcome treat. A good Halloween movie is hard to beat, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a refreshing and fun addition to the genre. It captures the spirit of Halloween with its trick-or-treating and fun costumes, just like the original film. The movie’s strong eye for costuming and its fun sensibility surrounding the afterlife make it a joy to watch. Whenever Burton goes full throttle with his trademark sensibilities, throwing in stop-motion, puppetry, and his unique style, the movie truly shines. This is the most Burton that Burton has been in years, and it feels like he’s back in his comfort zone by stepping back into this world.
We catch up with characters like Lydia Deetz, portrayed once again by Winona Ryder. It’s fun to see her in a new phase of her life. She was a unique, moody teenager in the first film, and now, she has a moody teenage daughter, Astrid, played by Jenna Ortega. Ortega is no stranger to Burton’s style, having previously collaborated with him on Netflix’s Wednesday series. She fits into the world so well, and it’s fascinating to see how Lydia, now a mother, interacts with a daughter who resembles herself at her age.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice works best when Burton goes off the walls with his direction, and when we have our titular character with a name so nice, you can say it twice, but not thrice. Keaton steps back into these shoes perfectly. We saw him reprise an old character when he played Batman again last year. Now, we see him as Beetlejuice, and he’s having just as much fun as he did in 1988. He brings as much energy as ever to this character, bringing back the voice and the rough edges wonderfully. Catherine O’Hara is also excellent, bringing all of her hilarious sensibilities here.
The film doesn’t bring back Alec Baldwin or Geena Davis as the Maitlands, focusing more on the Deetz family. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice pulls some emotional weight out of Astrid, who misses her father and a few other places. The issue is that the movie is juggling too many characters and storylines at once to the point where the film is overstuffed. There are many superb ideas, but there are too many for the film’s own good, creating a chaotic experience that feels partially intentional but partially unintentional.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has storylines and character moments surrounding Astrid and a cute boy she meets, Astrid’s relationship with Lydia, Astrid’s relationship with her dead father, Lydia’s relationship with Rory (Justin Theroux), Lydia’s relationship with her mother Delia, and Delia’s relationship with her dead husband. We have yet to get to the titular character, Beetlejuice, and his shenanigans. But we’re still going. The film also has a villain, Delores, portrayed by Monica Bellucci. Delores has a clever introductory scene, and we quickly learn her motive and goal, but she does not do much for the rest of the movie. She barely affects the story. Whenever we cut back to her, she’s simply walking around or killing a minor character. The stakes don’t get higher with Delores as the film progresses.
But we’re not done yet. Willem Dafoe appears in the movie as Wolf Jackson, a ghost detective. He seems to be having a ball, and any movie is lucky to be graced by Dafoe’s remarkable presence. However, Wolf does not do anything of value. His storyline is loosely connected to Delores, but if you removed his scenes, the story would not have been affected. That’s where Beetlejuice Beetlejuice falters—so much fluff surrounds it to the point where each storyline needs to quickly resolve itself in the final act, often to unsatisfying results.
Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a lovingly kooky movie that does not take itself seriously. The story has higher stakes than it did the first time around. I would describe this “requel” (as it’s come to be known lately) as the Ghostbusters: Afterlife of the Beetlejuice series, bringing in nostalgia, a grander tone, and having new and old characters. There’s yet another storyline surrounding Delia that is very silly, but this movie and the original relish in its cartoonish, zany sensibilities. This movie often has so much going on that the tension of one scene vanishes when we cut to another scene.
But I miss movies that don’t attempt realism but instead go for a remarkable, unforgettable flair. Despite a crowded, lackluster script, Burton delivers on that front in spades, making the latest film on the afterlife’s leading bio-exorcist fun enough to keep you smiling.
SCORE: 6.5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 6 equates to “Decent.” It fails to reach its full potential and is a run-of-the-mill experience.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Beetlejuice Beetlejuice review.