Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Comedy
Review: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is an Overstuffed but Entertaining Sequel that Proves the Ghost with the Most Can Still Scare Up the Laughs
September 4, 2024Ben MK
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One of the most recognizable actors of his generation, Michael Keaton has been enjoying something of a renaissance as of late. Whether it's portraying a washed-up former actor looking to make his big comeback in Birdman, the founder of McDonalds in The Founder, or a hitman dealing with the loss of his memory in Knox Goes Away, the now-72-year-old Keaton's choice or roles over the last decade or so have been some of the most interesting and challenging of his career. Now, a year after reprising one of his most famous roles, as Batman in The Flash, Keaton is returning to play none other than the ghost with the most in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. But does Tim Burton's nearly three-decades-later sequel to one of the most iconic comedies of the '80s bolster or tarnish the reputation of the original? Set some 30 years after the events of the first film, the story this time around finds a grown-up Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) dealing with a personal crisis. The well-known host of a popular television talk show called Ghost House, Lydia has spent the past 15 years using the notoriety she gained from her encounter with Beetlejuice to make a name for herself as a psychic mediator. But while her talent for seeing dead people have made her famous far beyond the borders of her former home town of Winter River, they've also alienated her only daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who can barely entertain the idea of replying to her mom's texts. It's a strained mother-daughter relationship that, in some ways, echoes the one Lydia had with her stepmother, Delia (Catherine O'Hara). However, when Delia informs Lydia that her beloved father, Charles, has tragically passed away in a plane crash, it sets the stage for a family reunion the likes of which none of them could ever imagine. Journeying back to Winter River for the funeral with Lydia's sleazy producer boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux), in tow, these three generations of Deetz women will each soon find themselves entangled in their own supernatural subplots. Unfortunately for them, the only man skilled enough to help them with their troubles — the afterlife's most sought-after bio-exorcist — happens to be dealing with a tense situation of his own. Stalked by his vengeful ex-wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci), the former leader of a soul-sucking cult who has managed to reassemble the dismembered parts of her body and embark on a rampage of murder and mayhem, Beetlejuice must use all the tricks up his pinstriped sleeves to evade Delores while trying to win back Lydia. But even with the hereafter's most committed cop, Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), on the case, will Delores succeed in her homicidal quest to reunite with her former hubby and separate his soul from his ghoulish body? Throw in a small army of shrunken-head office workers gone rogue, a handful of musical interludes featuring such iconic pop ballads as "Right Here Waiting" and "MacArthur Park," and a new-and-improved Sandworm that makes its counterpart from Denis Villeneuve's Dune movies look like something out of a nature documentary, and the result feels like screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are trying to throw everything but the kitchen sink at this sequel. Still, in spite of its overstuffed nature, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice nonetheless manages to make good on its promise to moviegoers, delivering plenty of nostalgia and enough new ideas to spawn more potential followups, should the box office reception live up to Burton and company's ambitions. Suffice to say, fans of the 1988 original who have waited decades for Beetlejuice's return won't be disappointed. And while only time will tell if the powers that be will see it fit to summon a third Beetlejuice film, it's safe to assume that both Keaton and Burton would be game for another go around. Either way, those who have been bemoaning the temporary exorcism of the ghost with the most can rejoice at long last. And if another macabre adventure is in the tarot cards, perhaps it won't be another three decades untl it's showtime again. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releases September 6th 2024 from Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use. Its runtime is 1 hr. 44 min. |
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