Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

The original 1988 supernatural comedy, Beetlejuice, was a great introduction into the bizarre mind of visionary Tim Burton and gave the world a movie that, while not high on depth or maturity, was rich with memorable characters, darkly humorous situations, and outstanding visuals and practical effects. Putting Burton on the map as well as kickstarting the career of Michael Keaton through his role as the titular character, a sequel was initially planned, but after several years of going through ideas, the prospect seemed dead, with the crew and filmmakers moving on to different things in their careers. Much like how a ghost never stays dormant forever though, this sequel did eventually get to see the light of day roughly 36 years later, with returning cast members, a familiar visual design that in today’s market looked wonderfully retro, and a promise to act as a return to form for Tim Burton (who hadn’t released a quality movie for quite some time). While legacy sequels often have the risk of falling flat on their faces, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is mostly able survive this problem.

Set many years after the events of the first film, Lydia Deetz (played again by Winona Ryder) has used her experience with the paranormal to become a supernatural talk show host, which is produced by her current boyfriend, Rory (played by Justin Theroux). Although seemingly capturing a niche market and forming somewhat of a legendary status, this hasn’t helped her home life, as her daughter, Astrid (played by Jenna Ortega) believes her mother is a fraud and has grown distant from her ever since her father died in a tragic accident. The family is forced to come together when Lydia’s father, Charles, passes away, taking Astrid, Lydia and Lydia’s stepmother, Delia (played again by the late Catherine O’Hara) back to the old house on top of Winter River, which puts them back in the viewpoint of the demon, Betelgeuse (played again by Michael Keaton), who still wishes to marry Lydia. Although she has avoided his contact for years and is still visibly traumatized by what occurred, Lydia is forced to work alongside the crazy demon when Astrid gets lost in the afterlife and could remain trapped there forever if not returned soon.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice may not live up to its predecessor, but for a several years later legacy sequel by a filmmaker who hasn’t produce a solid film for roughly a decade, the results are thankfully quite enjoyable.

Beetlejuice was a very enjoyable flick that quickly became a pop culture icon, but it wasn’t a film that required a follow-up. It had some success with a cartoon released during the 1990s, but the film was very much a one-and-done situation that was led by its imaginative visual design and concepts, and its lovably passionate character actors, not so much its plot. Even the initial ideas for a sequel felt like wacky scenarios they could place the character into rather than anything that could expand upon the idea (one involved him winning a surfing contest in Hawaii, it was clearly a quality of the time that has thankfully died down). This film at least decides to keep things small-scale in terms of its narrative written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith, retaining the chaotic off-the-walls comedic spirit, but with just that right amount of heart to keep it from being a complete madhouse. Since the first film didn’t have a really complicated story, it prevents the risk of repeating the same formula, allowing this sequel to feel similar in spirit, but not like a complete recycling, it has its own voice and ideas to show off. It expands upon components in a way that is entertaining and slightly campy, usually when a storyline feels pretty generic, it’s able to make it work by the end or throw the audience for a loop with how it’s turned on its head, and even though it feels like it has too many storylines to deal with and some quickly get left behind, each still fits with the tone of voice that Beetlejuice has created, and that magic still runs through the veins of this sequel.

It feels like Burton is very comfortable in this world and finally manages to reclaim some of his past style through his great visual creations that rely on practicality rather than digital effects, utilizing talented eccentric performers who know how to bring something great out of a simple framework, and his gothic sensibility that allows the creative freedom to showcase whatever twisted thing imaginable without restraint. While all of this is great, the film isn’t without its problems. Even though it thankfully gets its groove once it enters the afterlife, the opening 20 mins honestly aren’t that great, featuring stale plot threads, predictable character arcs and dialogue, and a vibe that feels a little too self-aware and like it’s intentionally trying to recapture the glory days without building the same energy. The overall scripting by Gough and Millar is not very good, with scenes being made funnier by the performances rather than the dialogue, some of the characters feel too one-note and their plot points sometimes feel underused, and since the pace is pretty brisk and the atmosphere is mostly just showcasing dumb fun, it doesn’t always feel like things end in a satisfactory way.

The magic of Beetlejuice came from its cast of characters and the really talented funny actors playing them, and this film was smart enough to keep some of said talent, while also introducing new faces that feel right at home under Burton’s watch. Michael Keaton slips right back into the role of Betelgeuse without any struggle, as while much slower now given his age, the attitude, that passionately droll kind of delivery, and the wicked scoundrel identity hasn’t been lost over time, and he still comes to life effortlessly. A lot of the actors feel very well positioned, all being a little comically exaggerated, but mostly in a way that matches the world, and both the real world and the afterlife have something to offer in this department. It’s great seeing Winona Ryder back as Lydia and although very different from her childhood goth self, this new direction feels pretty fitting, and Ryder is able to capture the stressed-out nature of her role without losing her old snarky spark. Much like past Burton films, the background characters come to life and leave their mark very noticeably, not just through some of their designs, but also because of who plays them, with people like Amy Nuttal, Liv Spencer, Arthur Conti, Sophie Holland, Burn Gorman, Santiago Cabrera and Danny DeVito all managing to create memorable roles with pretty much nothing.

Some of the new faces are pretty enjoyable as well, but the film doesn’t always use most of them in the most interesting manner. It’s great seeing Jenna Ortega in this, as her style of acting and past experience working on the Netflix series, Wednesday, proved she could work within Burton’s gothic styling, yet her character feels pretty predictable and even though she improves with time, never really escapes that archetype. Monica Bellucci as the vengeful ex-wife of Betelgeuse and Willem Dafoe as this aged Hollywood actor now posing as a cop in the afterlife, are fun characters who have great designs and set-ups, but they fizzle out pretty quickly once the film gets going, Justin Theroux plays a very cliched role as the jerky boyfriend, and even Catherine O’Hara returning as Delia doesn’t feel all that great. It’s always nice to see her and she’s acting to her fullest, but her jokes are predictable, and her storyline is so miniscule that she could’ve been omitted from the film altogether and nothing would’ve changed.

The world that was created for the first movie and the incredibly strong production value and effects that brought it to life helped make Beetlejuice such a fun, creative environment, as this bureaucratic take on the world of the hereafter was delightfully gruesome yet strangely comforting. The designs were great, the look of the sets were iconic, and it did a nice job balancing its light and dark components to make it almost like a pleasant first step into spookier cinema. This film really manages to retain that kind of personality through its production design this time handled by Mark Scruton, which emulates the old look and feel very effectively, but also has more chances to show off due to the film spending more time in the afterlife. The green and yellow hues of lighting, the jagged, almost abstract-art environmental design, and the wacky character designs peppered throughout which hold onto the trope of mirroring how these people died (which lends itself nicely into a lot of great sight gags) just makes this weird world feel all the more realized and believable.

The costume design by Colleen Atwood is also true to form and keeps the same look from the previous film. What really stands out the most is the practical effects and how many were done with the specific intention to not only look like the kind of effects done in the previous movie (whether they were intentionally good or intentionally bad) but also made sure to use CGI as little as possible in order to retain that desired natural feel. It’s nice to have another movie where you can actively marvel at the visuals on screen and wonder how they managed to pull that trick off without a computer, with the make-up and hair designer, Christine Blundell, the visual effects supervisor, Angus Bickerton, the animatronic & special make-up effects supervisor, Neal Scanlan, and all the other people involved showing their top game through some truly eye-catching creations. Even Danny Elfman returning to compose the music is a nice touch, as even though it doesn’t result in any amazing new pieces that come close to the original track, his sound still comes through in both the old and new music.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice didn’t need to exist and probably could’ve remained in that haunted attic forever with people being content with just one outing, but if they were going to bring him back for another showtime, this sequel isn’t the worst way to do it. There are some issues like the pacing, some unfulfilling story beats, and a few flat characters, but in terms of recapturing the essence of the first film, it comes a lot closer than most might’ve anticipated. The visuals are still top notch, a lot of the actors are great to see again (especially Michael Keaton), and while the writing isn’t as sharp or clever, it still includes a lot of fun quips and visuals that are going to stay in your memory (particularly one involving a baby). Seems like the dead can still give the world something lively.