THE STORY – Three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life soon gets turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times, the mischievous demon gleefully returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
THE CAST – Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega & Willem Dafoe
THE TEAM – Tim Burton (Director), Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 105 Minutes
When the sounds of Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat (Day-O)” start, there’s only one name on everyone’s lips: Beetlejuice. The trickster demon from Tim Burton’s 1988 fantasy horror film of the same name has delighted and disgusted audiences for over three decades, all due to a bonkers and committed performance by the one and only Michael Keaton. But it’s not just him who got to have fun in the life-after-death romp. The whole cast – which includes Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Geena Davis, and Alec Baldwin – came together to create comedy gold that proved to be rewatchable time and time again.
Now, 36 years later, Burton is back with most of his original cast and some newcomers to resurrect his wacky and loveable world in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Rather than beating a dead horse with a stick and remaking the first film exactly, Burton evolves his characters to give them new challenges in the modern era while honoring their past and the legacy of his first film. It might not hit quite like the original film, which is a tall order in itself. However, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is just as funny, vibrant, and campy and will satisfy both nostalgic audiences for the first film and those just discovering this amusing world from the creative mind of Burton for the first time.
Lydia Deetz (Ryder) discovered she could speak to the dead as a teenager, and she’s managed to make a career out of it as a medium on her own paranormal hunting show. But the spunky girl we were introduced to as a teen has lost her edge, as she’s now haunted by visions of her once-betrothed Beetlejuice (Keaton) and is afraid of reconciling with her own fierce, ghost-non-believing daughter Astrid (“Wednesday’s” Jenna Ortega). Love also hasn’t been very kind to Lydia as she’s grieving the loss of her husband, the one ghost she can’t see, and she’s in a questionable relationship with her show manager (Justin Theroux). When the Deetz family suffers a tragedy, Lydia, Astrid, Rory, and kooky step-mother Delia (Catherine O’Hara, who brings the most laughs throughout the film) head back to their grand white home in Winter River, where even more paranormal troubles await.
The hope with any sequel is that viewers will get an expanded look at the world its characters live in, and Burton does precisely that. In particular, he spends most of his time developing the afterlife, leading to many creative set pieces and characters. Delores, a revenge-filled bride (Monica Bellucci), is after Beetlejuice for ruining her life 600 years ago, and she takes no prisoners in her quest to capture his soul. Bellucci’s entrance is one of the most dramatic and thrilling moments to watch, as she literally has to staple her chopped-up body to put herself together, channeling Sally from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Unfortunately, the rest of her character’s journey is spent walking the halls of the afterlife, a wasted opportunity for her to have as much fun as those around her. But thankfully, there are plenty more imaginative things lurking in the afterlife, like a funky 1970s-themed Soul Train, which takes spirits to the Great Beyond, and a shark-bitten character who looks gnarly thanks to ultra-realistic effects. The film does lack the 1980s-era look, which gave “Beetlejuice” much of its charm, but that’s to be expected.
When the living and the dead come together, it leads to even more weird and wild moments. Beetlejuice, who owns an exorcism business with several shrunken-headed employees named Bob, is called upon multiple times to do favors, whether that’s saving a living soul from departing or getting up to his usual tricks to lock down Lydia. Keaton, given more of a leading role in this film compared to the first, still has the goods to bring this iconic character to life, and it’s such a treat to watch all his gags and comedic deliveries still land in his 70s. The film is filled with many entertaining aspects to keep the audience engaged, from hilarious musical montages to a dramatic backstory to his untimely death and, of course, silly one-liners. “The juice is loose” may not be quite as iconic as “It’s showtime,” but it gets the job done.
In all, the cast fully understands the assignment. O’Hara plays up Delia’s demanding and emotional spirit, showing that no time has passed since she originated the role. The addition of Willem Dafoe, who is known for his various kooky roles, is perfect for Burton’s world. Playing a dead actor turned detective, Dafoe hams it up every moment he gets and draws in plenty of laughs as a result. Similarly, Theroux, whose Rory isn’t so well-versed in the world of the dead, always delivers whenever confronted with terrifying afterlife situations around him. However, perhaps the most lovable aspect of the film is seeing Ryder and Ortega together, representing two generations of Burton’s spooky leading ladies. They prop each other up in every scene, whether angry at each other or trying to save each other’s lives. It’s also commendable that Burton didn’t simply repeat Lydia’s original storyline for Astrid; instead, he gives her an adventure with dire and surprising consequences.
As far as sequels go, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is one of the better examples of how to honor the past while bringing a story into the modern era. There are plenty of callbacks to the original, but Burton allows this one to stand apart with new drama in this world and beyond. It’s hard to know if we’ll get another “Beetlejuice” film in the future, but seeing what Burton managed to do with this one makes us eager to see any other sequels he may have for his extensive filmography.
