Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review – Otherworldly Wit and Fun

Tim Burton fans have a lot to celebrate lately, especially with the return of the cult classic Beetlejuice into the public consciousness. While the movie garnered popularity over time, it is looked back fondly by many for its witty humor and bold style that stood out to everyone. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (also known as Beetlejuice 2) is a sequel that follows up the original in ways that will please fans of Burton, but will appease others who really enjoyed the crazy character and his underworld of exaggerated ghouls. And while there are a few standout problems that are there, they are easily pacified by everything within it coming together nicely for a sequel that knows exactly what it needs to be. You’ll end up liking this nostalgic and charming follow-up to the original, even if it’s not perfect.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice takes place about 36 years after the events of the first film, with Lydia Deetz having grown up into a woman with a career in reality television. She has a strained relationship with her daughter named Astrid, whose father passed away years prior to the story. After Lydia’s father dies while on vacation, Lydia and Astrid, along with her mother Delia Deetz, return to Winter River to sell off parts of her old home. But nothing goes smoothly when Lydia begins to see visions of Betelgeuse at random times, which is made even worse after Astrid discovers the old model of Winter Park in the attic. Everything takes a turn for the worse when Astrid is somehow brought into the underworld and Lydia is forced to turn to the trickster ghoul for help in order to get her back. What unfolds is unlike anything Lydia could have imagined all these years.

The story of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is shallow in most parts, much in the same way as the first movie. A lot of the events that take place are due to coincidence or ridiculous actions taken by some characters in exaggerated ways. Once everything moves to the afterlife, the ridiculousness goes even further. However, a lot of the charm of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice lies in how unapologetic the movie is with how crazy its characters and situations can be, never taking itself too seriously at any point. There’s even a few spots where music plays a huge part of the story, including a scene where the whole cast is made to sing something together like in the original movie. For many who love Tim Burton films, this will be nothing new and feel just right for a follow-up to something like Beetlejuice. However, everyone else on the outside of that might find the pacing and happenstance of the story to be a little awkward. But if you’re coming into this looking to be weirded out and laugh rather than be convinced that everything makes sense, the movie is much more enjoyable to watch.

Fans of the original film will appreciate many of the callbacks and references littered throughout. While some viewers might find the references to be a bit much, they aren’t overbearing to the plot. You’re not going to see a barrage of Beetlejuice Easter eggs constantly, but only when it’s appropriate and makes sense. Whether it’s hearing the famous “Day-O” song being sung, or noticing familiar signs that were marquee references to the title character, the nostalgic moments are done tastefully. Even when the story moves into the over-the-top sections of the underworld, things are still pretty mindful with those nods to the original movie. Fans might even notice items in the background that are part of the original movie, but not given a lot of attention in here. Even the most random references still fit within the story and never come off as unnecessary.

Everyone in the cast is having a fun time on-screen with their performances. Michael Keaton still has what it takes to be the charismatic Beetlejuice, in all of his crude and selfish ways. He almost doesn’t miss a beat despite not playing the character for so long. As Beetlejuice, Michael is a lot of fun to see from the moment he first appears in the afterlife, playing off of everyone and everything around him. But his over-the-top displays are made better by the reactions of those in the same room, including some of the small-headed ghouls he works with in the realm of the dead. Some of his best moments happen when the movie blends some of its practical effects with his exaggerated expressions, leading to some real funny banter. Not every joke and one-liner will land nicely, but the vast majority of what Beetlejuice says and does will have you chuckling at how crazy the character is even after all these years. He’s still the freakish demon and bio-exorcist we know and love to see go wild.

But he’s not the only one from the original film to deliver what they needed to. Winona Ryder reprises her role as Lydia Deetz, along with Catherine O’Hara as her mother Delia. Both of them know these characters well and still manage to feel like their past selves with the long passage of time they’ve experienced. They’re both affected by the death of Lydia’s father, even though we never see a reunion of sorts with the three of them in the film. A lot of the dialogue exchanges between Winona and Catherine are fun plays off their characters’ relationship in the first film, but with the maturity of a daughter that became a mother, while grandma gets to enjoy the karma coming back around. It’s funny, relatable, and definitely one of the highlights of the film that is slower than everything else. Where things go for both characters and their relationship might not be the best thing for fans, but some major changes happen that play into the finale, which will be shocking in a few ways. Regardless, Catherine delivers the narcissistic personality of her character that is an artist we still find to be crazy in the best of ways.

But what about everyone else who is new to the world of Beetlejuice? Jenna Ortega plays Lydia’s daughter Astrid, who has a rebellious attitude and harsh view on her mother’s belief in the supernatural. She’s very smart, blunt with her attitude, but still has a lighter side when she talks about growing up with her father. The reasoning for her strained relationship with Lydia makes a lot of sense, and builds a genuine tension between the two of them that audiences will definitely relate to.

If anything, Astrid comes off more as level-headed compared to those around her, rather than strange and unusual like her mother was in the original film. It takes a while for her to be a major part of everything happening with Lydia and the afterlife, but the film really picks up the pace when it finally happens. Unfortunately, how this actually happens is a bit sudden and might be farfetched for some viewers. Yet at the same time, things are resolved pretty quickly before the film thrusts everyone towards the big finale.

To the side of all these main characters are those on the sidelines with much less to do. Justin Theroux plays Rory, a shady business manager who wants to marry Lydia. He has some hyper exaggerated traits to make him incredibly unlikable. We know something is off about him and his interest in Lydia early on, so it’s not very surprising when the truth finally comes out. There’s a portion of the film where he disappears from most of the action, only to show up later and be dealt with pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the same can be said for Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s ex-wife Delores.

Her introduction is great and fits within the tone of the film, but she spends most of her time lurking through the afterlife searching for Beetlejuice and never comes into contact with everyone until the final act. She might have the weakest character in the movie, despite her backstory and concept being one of the most interesting. While Monica is great in the role, the film just doesn’t have much to do for her outside of sucking out souls from various ghost that aren’t Beetlejuice. It would’ve been nice to see her come across the main cast at least once before the finale, because it would’ve made her a larger threat that loomed over everyone for more of the story.

And then there’s Wolf Jackson, played by the charismatic Willem Dafoe. Even for a crazy world like the one in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Wolf Jackson feels like he’s pulled out of another movie entirely, mostly because he’s kind of an actor himself. Willem Dafoe fully commits to how ridiculous this character can be, and it simply works out. Every line he has sounds like he’s in a crime drama or episode of Law & Order, with the reactions from other characters selling the moment. The joke is that he was an actor that took his crazy so serious to be real that it ended up being the death of him, and yet he continues that same realness in the afterlife. The best parts are deeper into the movie when Wolf is constantly being given a cup of coffee from his assistant that just suddenly appears, even in the most random spots. It’s a cartoony and out-of-touch role from the rest of the cast, but it’s supposed to be.

One thing that really stood out in the original Beetlejuice film were the special effects, which made the ghostly elements of its story look good. This is done a little differently in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, despite a few elements looking like they were done with stop-motion or otherwise. A lot of effects appear to be done practically much like the first film, and they also look very good. It was one of the best aspects in the first movie that many point to, so it’s great to see a similar approach taken in this sequel.

When the story transitions to the afterlife, there are many things that appear crazy, horrific, and yet manage to be light-hearted and funny. Some of the best specific effects involve the body horror of certain characters, with a few losing their limbs and appearing grotesque in the best possible way. Other effects involving Beetlejuice not only look great, but are made even better with their timing and how unexpectedly funny they can be. When Beetlejuice says he’ll spill his guts out to connect with Lydia more, he quite literally means it.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun movie that is good to watch if you’re willing to let it take you to strange and unusual places. For some, it won’t be as great or iconic as the original film, but it doesn’t need to be. This sequel can simply exist alongside the original’s legacy as a nice follow-up that can be enjoyed, even if you know nothing about Beetlejuice at all. The performances of everyone returning to their roles are great and makes us feel like we’re catching up with some old friends we’ve known forever. Despite a few nitpicks with the story, you’ll definitely be able to pick up with what Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is putting down.