Beetlejuice is back and creepier than ever just in time for fall in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” The new film is a direct sequel to the original from 1988.
The sequel brought back stars from the original: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara, as well as newcomers like Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux and Willem Dafoe.
No one can play the role of Beetlejuice quite like Keaton, and this sequel is proof of that. In his once again limited screen time, Keaton delivers a variety of iconic one-liners and manages to steal the show.
Ryder reprises her role of Lydia Deetz, who is now a TV host and the mother of Ortega’s Astrid Deetz. She has her own show, “Ghost House,” where she uses her paranormal psychic gifts to solve ghostly mysteries. Though it may not be what fans would have envisioned for a grown-up Lydia, the sequel provides the perfect ending to her story, and Ryder delivers a brilliant performance once again.
However, the real standout of the original three in this film is O’Hara. She brings a new, fresh take on her character Delia Deetz, who runs her own gallery. It isn’t a usual art gallery, though; instead, she uses herself as her own canvas. This is very on par with her typical, eccentric behavior, and O’Hara gives her all to this over-the-top performance.
Ortega is a brilliant addition to the universe, and it almost feels like she has been there all along. Ryder herself said that the reason it took so long for a sequel was because they were waiting for Ortega to be born. Her character, Astrid, is a breath of fresh air in the world of “Beetlejuice” and a wonderful contrast from Ryder’s Lydia. She is the missing piece that this universe needed.
While the addition of Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s ex-wife Delores makes for an interesting concept, the execution is so sloppy that her presence almost takes away from the story. The film would have had the same ending without her there, and her character is more distracting than anything else.
Dafoe’s Wolf Jackson is an excellent addition to the “Beetlejuice” universe. His actor-turned-cop who can’t enter a scene without being handed a cup of coffee brings a lot of laughs and, unlike many other new side characters, a little bit of story relevance.
Despite its modernization, the film still has a classic energy-packed score and a slightly gory, gothic horror aesthetic at its core. It could not be more Burton. All of the visuals appear to be true to the original as well using practical effects and unique stop-motion, something that is rare to come by these days.
The ending is rushed and tries to wrap up countless plotlines within the last 15 minutes. It’s also unbelievably confusing, with what appears to be a dream sequence finishing it off. Ultimately, it does reflect how Lydia will forever be haunted by her encounters with the self-proclaimed ghost-with-the-most.
The film does, however, feature a fun, iconic musical number which is almost as entertaining as the “Day-O” sequence from the original, which almost makes the trainwreck of a plot worth sitting through.
It’s a fun, nostalgic watch that is definitely worth seeing, but it’s in no way as good as the original. The cast alone is reason enough to give it a shot, and it is most certainly entertaining and a great way to kick off the Halloween season.
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Rating: 6.5/10
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