Name: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Movie Review – It’s Showtime Again for Tim Burton!
Item: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Author: Sergio Pereira

Thirty-six years after the original movie, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice returns to the kooky adventures of the Deetz family and the Ghost with the Most. Much like before, though, Burton embraces the weirdest and most wonderful parts of his mind from the 1988 film, while also applying the unabashed fun factor from the beloved and strange animated series that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. What this creates is a wonderful callback to peak Tim Burton Gothic cinema and showcases how the genre of Burtonesque is still alive and well in 2024.

In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Charles Deetz dies, which was always a likely premise for a story after actor Jeffrey Jones’ real-life crimes and status as a sex offender. So, Lydia (Winona Ryder), who is now a popular television host of a ghost show; her boyfriend and manager Rory (Justin Theroux); her teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega); and her stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) head back to Winter River for the funeral service and to figure out what to do with the house. In the Afterlife, the ghost of action star and wannabe detective Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe) warns Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) about a soul-sucking demon Delores (Monica Bellucci) who has a past with the bio-exorcist and is coming for him. Inevitably, the realm of the living and Afterlife collide.

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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Produces Pure Joy On Screen

There’s a certain kind of joy that a viewer experiences when it’s clear everyone involved in a film is having a great time too. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t scream created-by-committee as Tim Burton’s wild imagination comes out to play – free from corporate meddling and Warner Bros. Pictures’ unwavering desire to tinker. He’ll jump from a stop-motion animated sequence to an Afterlife scene where practical effects invigorate the cartoonish characters to then a black-and-white flashback set in Italian and paying tribute to Gothic horror. Even though Haris Zambarloukos replaces Thomas E. Ackerman as the cinematographer in this film, the same spirit of the original resonates in every wacky shot as Burton’s overall vision stays intact.

It isn’t only the people behind the camera who are reveling in the moment, but the people in front of it too. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara pick up where they left off 36 years ago, showcasing the natural character development that would have taken place for Lydia and Delia but also capturing their unmistakable quirks and personalities. Ryder confirms that only one person could ever play Lydia, while O’Hara, as per usual, remains hilarious, elevating every line with immaculate delivery and perfect timing. Michael Keaton hasn’t lost a sarcastic beat as Betelgeuse either, as he sparks to life the moment he puts on that pin-striped black and white suit and wreaks havoc wherever he goes.

The newcomers to the cast also leave their mark on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Justin Theroux plays the part of the sniveling and entirely fake Rory to perfection as he becomes one of the most eye roll-inducing characters on screen. Jenna Ortega steps into the role of the moody teenager, à la the original archetype for Lydia Deetz, as if it’s almost second nature to her (it kind of is at this point in her career as she becomes the Moody Scream Queen). Similarly, Monica Bellucci feels as if she’s born to play a succubus-meets-Morticia Addams role. However, Willem Dafoe’s Wolf Jackson takes the cake here, as a manic and gleeful Dafoe has the time of his life playing a dead actor who believes he’s a detective. If Dafoe doesn’t receive an award for this energized and delightful performance, there’s no hope in Hollywood.

The Story Understands It Won’t Top The Original, But It Still Feels Timeless

Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith’s story contains the same level of humor and campiness as the original Beetlejuice movie. What works here is how the writers didn’t try to reinvent the wheel or force feed it into becoming too modern for the sake of it. Apart from the addition of mobile phones, it doesn’t feel like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice takes place in 2024. Resultantly, it enables the story to contain a timeless quality that isn’t tied to a specific era.

Simultaneously, there’s almost an unsaid acknowledgement that there’s no way this sequel will be revolutionary. It can’t replicate the same sense of “what the heck am I watching?” that the 1988 film held, since it was completely original then, but it builds on what came before it rather than try to redo it. Of course, it’s welcome when writers swing for the fences and this could have become the famous (or infamous) Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian story that’s been much publicized in the past, but this approach works too. Sometimes, paying tribute to the original and being a continuation that adds more gags – like the outrageously perfect Soul Train – and lovable characters – such as the shrunken-headed Bob who is Betelgeuse’s right-hand zombie man – is all it takes.

Is Beetlejuice Beetlejuice A Good Movie?

Clearly, Tim Burton doesn’t want to play the studio game and set up a franchise with multiple movies, spinoffs, and endless toy meals. He’s already said that there’s no guarantee of a third movie and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ends in a fairly conclusive manner. If Burton thinks there’s a story worthy to be told, he’s game. Otherwise, he leaves it alone – which is admirable in a time in which every studio acts like Delores and sucks the life out of every property.

Here’s the funny thing about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – it falls in line with Hollywood’s affinity for sequels and nostalgia-bait in terms of getting people to the cinema. However, there’s a genuineness and heart to it, as if everyone involved is here for the love of the characters and not for the giant paydays. It feels right, establishing itself as one of the best sequels of an original property in a long time.

The Review