After 36 years, Tim Burton’s iconic Halloween classic is back, this time with even more ghoulish gags and absurdist action.
In the current age of Hollywood, the word “sequel” has become synonymous with “pointless cash-grab,” often lacking any sort of depth or heart. Audiences are no strangers to the dwindling creativity of movie studios and producers, so the announcement of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was met with dismay.
As a surprise for many, this legacy sequel was no disappointment. In fact, it may be one of Burton’s best films of the year. Despite being wholly unnecessary, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice defied expectations and finally broke the curse of “bad sequel,” creating a film that is nothing short of fun.
Nearly thirty years after she began mingling with the undead, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) has found herself as the host of a paranormal reality TV show, where she uses her spectral abilities to communicate with ghosts. While she still embodies her classic goth persona, she has grown frail and anxious, thanks to the very nature of her career. On top of that, she’s grappling with her tumultuous, oddball family, which unravels after the horrific death of her father, Charles Deetz. Astrid (Jenna Ortega), Lydia’s moody teenage daughter, wants nothing to do with her strange family and denies all involvement in the undead; Rory (Justin Theroux) is Lydia’s sleazy boyfriend-turned-manager who uses dramatic therapist lingo to cover for his less-than-pure intentions; finally, Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara), Lydia’s loud, high-maintenance stepmother, is grieving Charles full-time, putting her artistic energy into capitalizing on that sorrow.
At the same time, Lydia is haunted by her past. She’s plagued by visions of the trickster demon Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), who maintains his infatuation with her, even keeping a little framed photo of sixteen-year-old Lydia on his desk. What’s more, Betelgeuse’s ex-wife pieced herself back together (literally stapling her body parts back on) and is on the prowl, sucking the souls out of anyone who won’t help her get her way. A cheesy B-List actor, Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe) has taken on the role of a cop, determined to hunt down wrongdoers. Astrid also has a new beau (played by Arthur Conti), challenging her preconceived notions about death.
That’s a lot, isn’t it?
Setting up all of these plotlines makes the beginning of the movie slow and almost tedious. When the action begun, it became a fast-paced back-and-forth, brushing on each story just enough to know what’s going on, but not enough to develop anything meaningful. Certain characters are woefully underused like Wolf Jackson or completely useless such as Delores, who isn’t much more than a convoluted plot device.
The actors’ performances, both new and old, made up for the unstable story. Ryder, Keaton, and O’Hara hit the ground running in their reprised roles, returning right where they left with the beloved characters. Keaton steals every scene he is in, personifying the grotesque anti-exorcist even better than his 1988 counterpart. Each scene is more energetic and outstanding than the last, thanks to what these actors bring back to the table.
What shines the brightest in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the astonishing blend of practical, CGI, and stop-motion effects, which coexist in a refreshingly Burton-esque style. In particular, the underworld’s set design and lighting are exceptional, bringing life to the afterlife. Somehow, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice manages to keep a retro vibe while making full use of modern technology. Between Betegeuse’s practical shrunken-head henchmen, the animated recreation of Charles Deetz’s comedically awful death, and Betelgeuse spilling his guts all over the floor of this makeshift therapist’s office, it truly felt like a return to roots for Burton.
Tim Burton’s triumphant return to filmmaking may have had some challenges, however, the chaos this movie held worked. It may not have been a perfect sequel, and didn’t have the same impact as the first movie, but it brought a memorable type of liveliness back to the original. Perhaps the most amazing part of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that it didn’t try to take itself too serious. Amidst numerous fourth wall breaks and campy, over-the-top horror, this movie didn’t shy away from being weird. Nowadays, that’s a rare sight to see, but makes it all the more entertaining, and earns Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 3.5/5 stars.
