The ghost with the most is back and proves to have plenty of life in this fun sequel.
In an age where popular intellectual property (IP) is being mined to its very roots, it’s surprising that it took over 35 years for a Beetlejuice sequel to make its way to the big screen. Regardless, “The Juice” is loose once again in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a film that bridges the gap between generations with Michael Keaton back as the titular character and Jenna Ortega, one of Hollywood’s rising stars thanks to Netflix’s Wednesday (a series which director Tim Burton created), playing the daughter of Lydia Deetz. In a time where nostalgia bait has mostly proven to be fool’s gold in film, leave it to Tim Burton to show us there’s more in the casket for these familiar characters beyond bodies slowly withering away to the eventual Afterlife. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is not perfect by any stretch or as memorable as its predecessor, but it’s still a vibrant and often funny, dark comedy worthy of existing alongside the 1988 classic.
After a sudden death occurs in the Deetz family, everyone returns to the town of Winter River for the funeral. We find Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) as the host of a ghost show while her mother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), is trying to open a new art exhibit. In addition to these two traveling back home, there are new characters, Rory (Justin Theroux), Lydia’s boyfriend , and Lydia’s daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who is resentful of her mother. But when Astrid accidentally opens up a portal to the Afterlife, the family must turn to their last resort to save her – Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton).
The plot of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is undoubtedly the weakest link of the film and is almost as thin as whatever hair remains on Beetlejuice himself. There are also a couple of subplots that are not entirely fleshed out, though they remain there so the film is at least long enough (95 minutes before the credits roll). But that being said, the film moves at a quick pace and is never a bore thanks to the cast of characters. Whether it’s a joke that lands (and most of them do), one of Beetlejuice‘s antics, or interactions on set pieces that prove Tim Burton’s imagination is still as creative as ever with the film’s characters making the most of what’s in front of them.
With just as much screen time as he got in the first film, Michael Keaton once again fits like a glove as Beetlejuice. Showing that he still has as much range as anyone in the business today, Keaton proves to us that his character has more to offer this go-around than just its appearance. And as one would expect, Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega are good as mother and daughter here, though Jenna is one-upped by another new character introduced in the film – Justin Theroux as her mother’s boyfriend. Providing some hearty chuckles, Theroux’s role feels exactly like the type of silly character with silly dialogue from any number of Burton’s prolific films. But to no one’s shock here, Catherine O’Hara returning as Lydia’s mother of Lydia is the film’s brightest (and best) part of the film. Delivering laugh out loud dialogue line after line, O’Hara is still as great and funny as ever.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is proof that Tim Burton still has plenty up his sleeve. Arguably his best film in over 15 years, this sequel should be applauded for the director’s inclusion of things you rarely see in big budget films these days: practical effects, claymation, and even a hilarious flashback scene told in black and white that makes for one of the best parts of the film. It’s moments like these that you see on screen that truly make a difference where it’s evident that creative juices are flowing. IP with a nostalgia hook will continue to be mined until it’s not seen as profitable in the eyes of studios. However, you could do a lot worse than Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel rightfully summoned from the Afterlife, unlike most other sequels these days.