by Josh Sewell
I don’t know if anyone has been desperate for a sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 horror comedy Beetlejuice, but rumors of a follow-up have been swirling since the ’90s. I can see why: the film cemented Burton’s signature gothic style and warped since of humor, while helping Danny Elfman become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand composers.
Not to mention that incredible cast. Michael Keaton’s titular character dominated the movie despite only 17 minutes of screen time. The rest of the flick relied on the outstanding comedic talents of Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara and relative newcomer Winona Ryder. (We won’t talk about their co-star Jeffrey Jones… you can Google him on your own. Yikes.)
Most of them were already climbing the Hollywood ladder prior to the hit film, but they all became superstars following its release. It makes sense that Burton would want to rekindle the magic after his decade-plus string of misfires.
So, after 36 years, fans get the cleverly titled follow-up Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It’s silly and unnecessary, but it’s also got a surprising amount of heart and some solid performances from a cast of returning favorites and newcomers that came ready to play. Compared to Burton’s more recent questionable choices (Dumbo, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Dark Shadows, etc.), it’s practically a masterpiece.
The barely-there plot revolves around three generations of Deetz women – Delia (O’Hara), Lydia (Ryder), and her teenage daughter Astrid (the terrific Jenna Ortega, a casting no-brainer) – who return to the family home in Winter River for a funeral. (I’ll give you a hint: Jones doesn’t return as Lydia’s dad, for obvious reasons.)
Still affected by her long-ago encounter with Beetlejuice (Keaton), Lydia’s life is thrown into chaos when Astrid discovers a familiar town model in the attic and a portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, the mischievous, sharp-dressed demon returns to unleash his own mayhem. Hopefully, his scheming can help the Deetz family escape their life-and-death predicament.
From a narrative standpoint, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is kind of a mess. The decades of development are evident, as the plot feels cobbled together from the bones of many different screenplays. For example, despite energetic performances from Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe, there’s really no reason for them to be there. The characters are wonderfully crafted, but they have zero impact on the story.
There’s also a distracting and predictable subplot involving Astrid and a potential love interest (Arthur Conti) that feels like it’s just marking time until the flick can bring everyone together for a big special effects-laden finale.
Like much of Burton’s stuff, the key takeaway of the film is “no stakes, just vibes.” Even the film’s previously established rules about the Afterlife feel optional this time around. Death is permanent for some people, but not others. One undead character can suck out other ghosts’ souls, so I guess theoretically they can be “double dead.”
Obviously, I’m not looking for documentary-style realism in a comedy featuring a grotesque infant Beetlejuice who emerges from the womb in a striped suit. But some internal logic would’ve been nice.
Nevertheless, a killer central performance from Keaton goes a long way in distracting from the film’s shortcomings. The 72-year-old actor returns to the role like no time has passed and seems to be having the time of his life. As in the original, he’s got a limited amount of screen time, but he makes it count. O’Hara is great too, showing that her yuppie character has mellowed a little (but not too much) with age. She has even grown a heart, as evidenced by her closer relationship with stepdaughter Lydia.
However, Ryder’s role has the most baffling arc, which is concerning since she’s the central protagonist. Although the actress is solid in the film and still has terrific chemistry with both Keaton and O’Hara, this is a much different Lydia than viewers saw in the original film. Honestly, if she wasn’t played by the same actress in a similar wardrobe, it would be tough to tell it’s the same character.
As with most legacyquels, there are plenty of callbacks to the first film – some more successful than others. For the most part, though, Burton and the assorted collection of credited writers (including Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith) are mostly content to let their flick be a lightweight, visually engaging reunion with a lot of familiar faces. It could’ve been a whole lot worse.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is rated PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use. Opens in theaters September 6.
Grade: B-
Not to mention that incredible cast. Michael Keaton’s titular character dominated the movie despite only 17 minutes of screen time. The rest of the flick relied on the outstanding comedic talents of Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara and relative newcomer Winona Ryder. (We won’t talk about their co-star Jeffrey Jones… you can Google him on your own. Yikes.)
Most of them were already climbing the Hollywood ladder prior to the hit film, but they all became superstars following its release. It makes sense that Burton would want to rekindle the magic after his decade-plus string of misfires.
So, after 36 years, fans get the cleverly titled follow-up Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It’s silly and unnecessary, but it’s also got a surprising amount of heart and some solid performances from a cast of returning favorites and newcomers that came ready to play. Compared to Burton’s more recent questionable choices (Dumbo, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Dark Shadows, etc.), it’s practically a masterpiece.
The barely-there plot revolves around three generations of Deetz women – Delia (O’Hara), Lydia (Ryder), and her teenage daughter Astrid (the terrific Jenna Ortega, a casting no-brainer) – who return to the family home in Winter River for a funeral. (I’ll give you a hint: Jones doesn’t return as Lydia’s dad, for obvious reasons.)
Still affected by her long-ago encounter with Beetlejuice (Keaton), Lydia’s life is thrown into chaos when Astrid discovers a familiar town model in the attic and a portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, the mischievous, sharp-dressed demon returns to unleash his own mayhem. Hopefully, his scheming can help the Deetz family escape their life-and-death predicament.
From a narrative standpoint, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is kind of a mess. The decades of development are evident, as the plot feels cobbled together from the bones of many different screenplays. For example, despite energetic performances from Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe, there’s really no reason for them to be there. The characters are wonderfully crafted, but they have zero impact on the story.
There’s also a distracting and predictable subplot involving Astrid and a potential love interest (Arthur Conti) that feels like it’s just marking time until the flick can bring everyone together for a big special effects-laden finale.
Like much of Burton’s stuff, the key takeaway of the film is “no stakes, just vibes.” Even the film’s previously established rules about the Afterlife feel optional this time around. Death is permanent for some people, but not others. One undead character can suck out other ghosts’ souls, so I guess theoretically they can be “double dead.”
Obviously, I’m not looking for documentary-style realism in a comedy featuring a grotesque infant Beetlejuice who emerges from the womb in a striped suit. But some internal logic would’ve been nice.
Nevertheless, a killer central performance from Keaton goes a long way in distracting from the film’s shortcomings. The 72-year-old actor returns to the role like no time has passed and seems to be having the time of his life. As in the original, he’s got a limited amount of screen time, but he makes it count. O’Hara is great too, showing that her yuppie character has mellowed a little (but not too much) with age. She has even grown a heart, as evidenced by her closer relationship with stepdaughter Lydia.
However, Ryder’s role has the most baffling arc, which is concerning since she’s the central protagonist. Although the actress is solid in the film and still has terrific chemistry with both Keaton and O’Hara, this is a much different Lydia than viewers saw in the original film. Honestly, if she wasn’t played by the same actress in a similar wardrobe, it would be tough to tell it’s the same character.
As with most legacyquels, there are plenty of callbacks to the first film – some more successful than others. For the most part, though, Burton and the assorted collection of credited writers (including Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith) are mostly content to let their flick be a lightweight, visually engaging reunion with a lot of familiar faces. It could’ve been a whole lot worse.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is rated PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use. Opens in theaters September 6.
Grade: B-
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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