Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finally sees the titular “bio-exorcist” return to the big screen for another frighteningly fantastical adventure, set 36 years after the original movie.
Michael Keaton returns to his role as Beetlejuice, playing him with the same crude yet captivating charm as he did back in 1988. Alongside Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also reprise their roles as Lydia and Delia Deetz and, once again, they embody their characters perfectly.
Lydia is now a fully grown woman, and after the death of her father, Charles (played by Jeffrey Jones in the original film), she attempts to reconnect with her teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). A series of bizarre, unprecedented events lead Astrid to the Afterlife, forcing Lydia to call Beetlejuice back into her life after all these years.
Together again, Ryder and Keaton maintain the delightfully sardonic dynamic they established almost 40 years ago. This makes for a thoroughly entertaining adventure as the duo faces all kinds of absurd obstacles – as one would expect from the incredible mind of director Tim Burton. Ortega, although new to the franchise, brings a lot of fresh charisma to the film, fitting in flawlessly with the returning cast.
One point of contention for me is that the plot, much like the iconic Afterlife waiting room, feels a bit overcrowded. The death of Charles, an unstable mother-daughter relationship, Lydia’s codependent dynamic with her new boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux), police chases… even Beetlejuice’s ex-wife turns up to add some extra tension! Altogether, every side-plot culminates in a tangled mess that leaves the film feeling bloated.
Together again, Ryder and Keaton maintain the delightfully sardonic dynamic they established almost 40 years ago
However, one of the charms of this franchise has always been its unapologetic, unimaginable insanity, and the overstuffed plot still manages to fit into that mould. I find the best way to fully immerse yourself and enjoy this wild ride of a sequel is to suspend your disbelief and accept every crazy thing it throws at you. Learn to love the crude special effects, the sleazy jokes, and bask in the wonderfully wacky soundtrack.
Fans of the original movie will get a satisfying, fresh hit of the fantastical zaniness that they love, and those coming to the franchise for the first time should simply let their guard down and embrace the “strange and unusual” universe of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
