After a well-awaited 36 years, Lydia Deetz, our beloved dark cloud, is back. She’s still faithful to her spiky bangs and black outfits, she still has a killer eyeshadow game, but she’s no longer the gothic teen we once knew. Now, she’s a presenter for a supernatural TV show, making a living off her ability to see ghosts. Her life is far from peaceful, though — she’s dealing with an estranged, rebellious daughter, the loss of her father, an exploitative boyfriend, and sightings of her “ex-fiancé” Betelgeuse. It’s everything younger Lydia would have least expected, yet becomes the perfect setup for the Burton madness that we’ve missed… in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The nostalgia hits right from the opening credits. As Danny Elfman’s familiar score swells, and the camera glides over the Maitland’s model of Winter River, you instantly know you’re in for one nostalgic ride. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice pulls us right back into the charm of Burton’s ’80s masterpiece, but this time, it’s cranked up to 11. Stop-motion animation sequences, lip-sync dance numbers, and over-the-top historical flashbacks – every frame feels like a stamp of his life work.
Visually, the movie is an absolute feast. The practical effects, particularly the creatively-crafted walking dead, and the vibrant, imaginative set pieces, succeed in recapturing that unmistakable Burton flair (not that we’d expect anything less from him).
The film takes us deeper into the Neitherworld than ever before. We’re taken to brand new places like soul trains and back to places we know all too well, like the iconic waiting room, where the line still never seems to move. Yet, for all its stunning world-building brilliance, it still can’t fully distract us from the weakest point of the film – the story.
Something to appreciate about the 1988 Beetlejuice is how simple and effective it was. But in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the story feels like it’s bursting at the seams, but never quite pulls the strings tight enough. The plot as a whole leans too heavily into typical Hollywood clichés – complicated mother-daughter drama, half-baked emotional moments about grief – none of which feel fully earned. There are tons of interesting subplots and cool characters tossed in, but none of them stick around long enough to matter. Monica Bellucci’s Delores, also Betelgeuse’s ex-wife, makes the entrance of the century with a staple-gun and some soul-sucking action… only to add nothing to the story.
That said, its character flaws and messy plot threads are ultimately salvaged by a script that’s genuinely hilarious and a spectacular cast who clearly know how to have a blast.
Catherine O’Hara is back as Delia, and she’s still the comedic gem we treasure — her obsession with her pretentious art remains, but her surprisingly warm moments with Lydia are a joy to watch. As usual, Willem Dafoe steals the spotlight as Wolf Jackson, turning the simple act of being handed coffee into something that will have you in stitches. And let’s not forget Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse; he’s as foul-mouthed and charming as ever, and I might even say there’s a touch of romance in his antics (foul, yes, but it’s oddly endearing). The film dishes out a bounty of gags and even a Richard Marx serenade, making sure that it never runs out of its laughing juice.
The biggest concern with any sequel is the risk of it feeling soulless, pretentious, or a shameless cash-grab, but Beetlejuice Beetlejuice avoids that trap. Despite its heavy nods to the cult classic and a very generous dose of Burton’s signature quirks, it thankfully doesn’t leave a bad aftertaste. Whether this sequel is necessary is up for debate, but one thing’s for sure, it doesn’t tarnish the legacy of its predecessor. Ultimately, the film seems designed purely for fun, letting Burton’s fans experience his blend of freakiness, horror, and comedy on the big screen again — and it succeeds in that regard. Still, one thing remains clear, nothing can quite top the originality of Beetlejuice.
The bottom line is that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is riotously amusing. It’s such a pleasurable watch that reignites the whimsical madness we cherished in Beetlejuice growing up, even if it’s not necessarily perfect or life-changing. Burton himself has recently mentioned that making this sequel has rekindled his love in making movies, and trust me, it really shows.
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