At any time a movie like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice When the original sequel is announced, fans of the original are often the first to ask a question familiar to anyone who has worked on a legacy sequel: “Why?” With several decades having passed since director Tim Burton’s blockbuster horror-comedy hit the big time, the many false starts of this journey back to the great beyond have only upped the ante of anticipation. Now that the time has finally come, I can happily say that those of you who never said die in a sequel Beetle juice The sequel will not disappoint, as Burton and company's love and respect for the original 1988 film shows in every fiber of this story. It's a great example of how to understand why that film worked and how to bring it back for a new generation to watch.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Release date: September 6, 2024
Directed by: Tim Burton
Written by: Alfred Gough and Miles Millar
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe
Classification: PG-13 for violent content, gruesome and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use.
Duration: 105 minutes
FURTHER: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: release date, trailer, cast and other things we know
There is a refreshing lack of overthinking when it comes to how Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Pick up the torch. Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) hosts her own TV show centered on (what else) ghost hunting. An enterprising boyfriend/producer (Justin Theroux) encourages her, and she has a daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who believes she’s an impostor…and it ends up being the worst timing in the world for a death in the family to send our strange and unusual protagonist back home.
Using the death of Charles Deetz (played by Jeffrey Jones in the original) as a catalyst for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice In this new tangle with the undead, the film offers double doses of mother/daughter dysfunction that work quite well together. Just as Lydia and Astrid are locked in a debate over whether the former's gift of seeing the dead is a real thing, Lydia and her stepmother Delia (Catherine O'Hara) clash in their grief. And before things can get too cozy, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) rears his head, as the return of his almost-girlfriend has caused some commotion in the afterlife.
Tim Burton basically made another Beetlejuice movie, and that's a huge compliment.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice It's not a legacy sequel overloaded with new backstory or lore in an attempt to “outdo” the original film. Instead, Tim Burton's new adventure in death is another point in time in this universe that delivers the kind of chaos you'd expect. That's not a complaint either, as trying to match the anarchic energy of the first Beetle juice It was risky. Seeing Michael Keaton's joy at letting the juice out again is perhaps the biggest sign that this whole venture was a good idea well done.
There are no grand reinventions that serve as an escape route to continuity. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice operates on similar principles to those established before, only with a couple of new details in the guidelines of the relationships between the living and the dead that fit the narrative. Burton's return to his iconic horror comedy along with Wednesday Contributors/writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are a welcome revisitation of familiar characters and situations, while giving us something fresh to enjoy in the process.
Duplicating the carnivalesque atmosphere of the afterlife and musical laughter of the first film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a long-awaited sequel that smartly avoids feeling like a rehash while also playing up some of the hits. Yes, “Day-O” stands out as a clever Easter egg, but it’s also an effective laugh in how it’s used. When it comes to the new musical moments that happen, the numbers run at full speed, with new deep cuts that can unexpectedly land squarely in the audience’s heart.
Even with the entire cast of Beetlejuice in tip-top shape, one actor nearly steals the entire movie.
With a spectacular cast that sees Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder return to square off against newcomers Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe and Justin Theroux, there's no shortage of fun to be had in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. And a good part of the magic comes from the chemistry between Ryder and Ortega as a mother/daughter duo. Although the reunion of the Wednesday While Tim Burton's role may seem obvious, Ortega is thankfully given a break from the “creepy” energy her fans know her for.
Astrid Deetz is a good example of the double-edged sword that is presented through the new additions included in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice The Casting. Giving Lydia a daughter works as an opportunity to move the story forward, while also organically calling back to where Winona Ryder’s character was in life at a similar age. It’s a complication that makes sense, because Astrid’s skeptical nature is inherently challenged by her mother’s story, which intrigues us and makes us think about how she would handle Beetlejuice’s existence once he shows up.
Unfortunately, not all of the new characters that appear are given enough room to really contribute to the bigger picture. This is by no means the fault of the actors, as the busy plot of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice It adds too many potential adversaries and oddball characters. Both Rory (Justin Theroux) and Delores (Monica Bellucci) represent the same kind of obstacle to Beetlejuice's (Michael Keaton) plans. The advantage given to Rory is that even when he's not present at the center of the chaos that unfolds, he's still able to add comic relief here and there.
Sadly, the same can't be said for Delores, though her inclusion as a looming threat isn't a total waste. Rather, there's not enough of Monica Bellucci's presence to live up to her role as a renowned femme fatale in the afterlife. The inclusion of Beetlejuice's former flame is a novel idea, but its execution falls short compared to its living counterpart in Rory.
At the same time, the stacked deck of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice The casting seems to have been a game-changer for two actors in particular. Michael Keaton gleefully takes on new and familiar humans with his trademark enthusiasm, and his request to keep his screen time relatively close to his performance in the first film was a smart move.
However, it is Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara) who almost steals the show. The series' protagonist played by O'Hara, already an icon of the world's avant-garde artists, could gain an even larger fan base, thanks to her unique grieving process and how it affects her family.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice knows the magic words to say when creating a heartfelt horror comedy.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice works as a next chapter in the mythos, as it doesn't try to “create a universe” but acts as a worthy successor. That can be said even with the inclusion of a couple of stray characters that don't quite work out, because the original Beetle juice It did the same thing and people loved what it was trying to do. If you think this long-awaited sequel will help make more sense of this world story-wise, you're in for a disappointment.
I encourage the public to venture into Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as viewers experienced its 1988 predecessor. Back in the day, when the brand name meant nothing and people didn't know what to expect, this supernatural spectacle endeared itself to moviegoers as a living manifestation of plot-barely sustained chaos. That Tim Burton and company have managed that feat again, after nearly four decades of waiting, seems like victory enough for those who have been waiting for more of the same.
Leaving aside the tendency to simply resurrect a historic IP without a good enough reason to continue, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice It exists for the love of it. Seeing Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara having such a blast reprising their roles should be the clearest proof that everything was in good hands. But the real reward is seeing a rejuvenated Burton re-telling a tale with live action, stop motion and practical effects.
People wanted “another” Beetle juice”, and that is exactly what has come. You could easily watch these films back to back and leave the theater with a smile on your face. No matter when you start celebrating Halloween on the calendar, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice It seems like a fitting cinematic start to the season. And, as always, anyone with a passing fascination with the strange and unusual is welcome to join the show.