Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

​"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe.  Released on September 6, 2024, the film has Lydia Deetz and her daughter confronting the return of Betelgeuse.

The film is directed by Tim Burton, who also directed films such as "Pee-wee's Big Adventure", "Batman", "Edward Scissorhands", "Corpse Bride", "Big Eyes", and 2019's "Dumbo".  It is a sequel to Tim Burton's 1988 film "Beetlejuice".  Another summer vacation was over, meaning the school weeks had arrived to rain on our parades.  But, for everyone else, this also means we're heading into horror territory as Hollywood is gearing up for another early celebration of chills and frights.  Of course, what better way to honor this recent tradition than with the ghost with the most himself?  Tim Burton's uniquely weird and imaginative vision made him a household name known for some of the most creepily iconic movies that define our childhoods.  One noticeable example is "Beetlejuice", the 1988 horror-comedy classic that catapulted Michael Keaton's path to becoming Batman and reminded audiences to say his name three times…or not.  I won't judge.  With its groundbreaking practical effects and a story that combines family-friendly frights with memorable characters, "Beetlejuice" is one of the finest instances of kids' introduction to horror without exposing them to any adult-rated fare from the same genre.  So, in typical legacy sequel fashion, Hollywood decided to say Betelgeuse's name three times to resurrect him for another round of weirdly macabre mayhem.  With Burton and Keaton returning in their respective roles, is this long-awaited follow-up worth the return to the Afterlife, or should it remain there along with the title character?  Let's find out.    

The story takes place thirty-six years after the events of "Beetlejuice".  Lydia Deetz (Ryder) has become the hostess of a popular paranormal show and the mother of her rebellious teenage daughter Astrid (Ortega).  However, Lydia's new life was derailed by the unexpected death of her father, Charles, forcing her and her family, including her boyfriend Rory (Theroux), to return to Winter River.  There, Astrid discovers the house where Lydia once lived and finds the mysterious model of the town, unintentionally unleashing the portal to the Afterlife.  When Astrid becomes trapped in the kooky realm, Lydia must ally with her ghostly rival, Betelgeuse (Keaton), to rescue her.

"Beetlejuice" was one of my earlier exposures to Tim Burton, along with "Frankenweenie," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and "Alice in Wonderland".  I didn't watch it as much as his other works during my childhood because I wasn't old enough to handle its unnerving content.  However, as I grew older and started to watch it more recently, I gradually admired Burton's approach to displaying macabre visuals and absurdly dark aesthetics fit for both kids and adults.  Plus, Michael Keaton was fantastic in a role that defined his career.  When I heard that Burton and Keaton were reuniting for the sequel, I immediately became ecstatic to return to the eccentric world of "Beetlejuice".  But, of course, it also didn't hurt to be cautious since legacy sequels tend to be hit-and-miss.  Not to mention that Tim Burton has been on a troubling streak since "Big Eyes" a decade ago, so it helped that he was returning to the project that defined his creativity to get himself out of that funk.  The question now is whether his reunion with the ghost with the most is worth the thirty-plus year wait.

Legacy sequels are great ways for audiences to reunite with their favorite childhood characters, some more kookier than others.  However, most of them have recently had a troubling habit of relying on nostalgia-baiting over good storytelling, making them inferior to their predecessors.  Fortunately, some have succeeded in finding the right balance, such as "Top Gun: Maverick".  After revisiting Burton's surreal madcap world, I'm glad to say that "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is another example of a legacy sequel done right.  Filled with the classic elements that made the original a horror-comedy masterpiece and a dose of macabre fun, the film is a bizarrely dark and charismatically strange follow-up that doesn't make me roll in my grave with regret.

Is it as great as the first film?  Well, not really.  It certainly has flaws that made the sequel a step down from the original, but that didn't make it less entertaining.  "Beetlejuice" had an original and compelling plot involving a ghost couple attempting to scare off a family wanting to move into their house.  For the sequel, we follow an adult Lydia as she tries to fix her broken relationship with her estranged daughter while conquering the trauma from her encounter with Betelgeuse.  It's a tried-and-true formula showcasing the importance of family and the aspects of death.  Something that'll make a sensitive ghoul shed a ghostly tear.  Its screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar may not have been groundbreaking in its storytelling and emotional depth, and the first act can be periodically slow.  There were also a couple of side characters who didn't get as much screen time as I thought they would.  But, since it's a movie about a bio-exorcist ghoul trying to get hitched with a former goth mother, I was willing to let it slide because of how entertaining and remarkably macabre the experience was regarding its dark humor and plot.

Regarding the direction, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is undoubtedly Tim Burton at his finest, as he returned to his usual visionary style that made him a household name in the 80s with fantastic results.  Like his other family-friendly projects, Burton shines in integrating a moody atmosphere with its light-hearted yet idiosyncratic charm.  It provided some of cinema's most abnormal yet captivating characters and showcased production designs that pop with grotesque imagination and practicality.  Some of these elements were enough to push the boundaries of its PG-13 rating but also refrain from being too alienating for younger audiences.  However, I would still recommend watching the film first before bringing kids younger than eight because there were a few scenes that might be a little too terrifying for them.  Besides that, this film was another reason I appreciate Burton as a filmmaker.  He provides a sense of creativity that's unique enough to deliver a blend of dark comedy and gothic aesthetic fit for families and adults alike.  "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" was clearly a Tim Burton film, as we expected it to be, from its opening title sequence to the darkly kooky presentation that reminds audiences of their childhood memories growing up with the director.

Similar to the first film, the movie also gets huge props for resorting to practical effects.  While specific scenes used CGI, they're not enough to overshadow the craftsmanship of its practical effects, costumes, and makeup.  Burton is another director who preferred to keep things old school regarding the effects and character designs, and it's all the better for it, especially in the current age of blockbusters wasting vast amounts of money on computer-generated imagery.  They matched the look and feel of a traditional Burton movie but were also fun and creative in their ghoulish characters and settings.  The film also includes a few moments of stop-motion animation, including a flashback sequence and the sandworm, which were incredibly well-executed.  But, of course, I can't forget about the great Danny Elfman, who returned to provide the score for the sequel after doing so in its predecessor.  His score matched its presentation's surrealism and light-hearted horror, including the opening theme.

However, the real cherry on top was its cast, consisting of returning members like Keaton, Ryder, and O'Hara and newcomers like Ortega and Dafoe.  They delivered performances that were as eccentric as the plot itself, especially Keaton.  Michael Keaton was born to play Betelgeuse, and I was delighted he reprised his role as the titular ghoul because I don't think anyone can come close to what he envisioned.  He's still the nasty yet devilishly charming ghost we know and love from the first movie, but that was the whole point.  Like Burton, Keaton understood how Betelgeuse works, from his raspy voice to his kooky and ill-mannered demeanor, and he passed with flying colors.  Winona Ryder was also decent as Lydia Deetz despite a few moments where her delivery sounded a bit flat, and Catherine O'Hara delivered some humorous moments as Lydia's stepmother, Delia.

Regarding the new characters, there were a couple that stood out for me more than the rest.  The first was the young Jenna Ortega, who assumed the role of Astrid, Lydia's teenage daughter.  Ortega has been impressing me in almost every project I've watched due to her remarkable talent, so it's unsurprising that her performance in "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is no exception.  She displayed the teenage goth aesthetic quite well without being too much of a copycat of Lydia.  I guess her role in the "Wednesday" series, also from Burton, Gough, and Millar, really paid off.  The other was Willem Dafoe, who played Wolf Jackson, a former B movie star turned ghost detective.  Seeing the character act out his film days amid his duty made me smile whenever he's onscreen, mainly due to Dafoe's diverting performance.  Monica Bellucci had a few solid moments as Delores, Betelgeuse's ex-wife and the film's antagonist, especially her introduction.  Unfortunately, the script didn't give the character enough screen time to prove herself as a formidable antagonist.  There's also a character I won't spoil who I think should be removed to give Delores more time to shine.  Fortunately, the twist involving that character was enough to excuse their unnecessary inclusion.

Overall, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is a ghoulishly entertaining and creepily diverting follow-up that honors most of the original's darkly comedic charm and eccentric aesthetics.  Its storytelling falls short of being as great as its predecessor in terms of its hit-and-miss formula and antagonist.  However, when it comes to legacy sequels that balance old-fashioned nostalgia with good narratives, this long-awaited sequel stands alongside those that did the blend justice.  With its entertaining cast, Burton's creepily imaginative vision, fun narrative, and stellar practical effects, the film is a well-deserved return to form for Tim Burton that's also his best work since 2012's "Frankenweenie" remake.  Those who grew up with Burton's other projects, including "Beetlejuice", will surely have a ghostly good time reuniting with the ghost with the most this Halloween season.

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