NOW IN THEATERS! Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice hit the theaters in 1988 and earned a spot as the tenth highest-grossing film that year. But can Tim Burton resurrect the magic thirty-five years later with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?
Our tale opens with the women of the Deetz family returning to Winter River, Connecticut, after the death of the family patriarch, Charles, in a mysterious plane crash. Lydia (Winona Ryder) and Delia (Catherine O’Hara) must return home to sell their haunted home once and for all. Accompanying the pair are Lydia’s manager and boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux), and Lydia’s daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who has not spoken to her mother since the death of her father.
Meanwhile, Beetlejuice’s (Michael Keaton) ex-wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci), has reassembled herself in the netherworld. She is seeking revenge on Beetlejuice and is set on sucking his soul out of his dead body, killing him twice and for all. In hopes of stopping Delores, Beetlejuice is determined to marry Lydia finally.
Without going into too much more detail about this weird plot, Lydia needs Beetlejuice’s help to rescue Astrid from death. In return, Lydia agrees to marry Beetlejuice, who also needs protection from Delores.
“…Lydia and Delia must return home to sell their haunted home once and for all.”
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is not a perfect movie or a perfect sequel, but it is a fun return to the world we left thirty-five years ago. My only real complaint about the film is that by the time the film is half-over, we have finally gotten into all the death and Beetlejuice stuff. Up until this point, we’re just setting the stage. Lydia and Astrid don’t get along. Astrid doesn’t believe in ghosts and thinks Lydia is a fraud. Lydia and Rory are clearly not meant for one another, and Delia knows it. Did I mention that Lydia and Delia are finally getting along? Burton does sprinkle a little bit of hell along the way, but the real story doesn’t show up for a long time. There’s not much of a human story…you know, depth. It’s all about the crazy underworld antics.
Where Beetlejuice Beetlejuice succeeds is in how Burton recaptures the look and feel of the original world of Beetlejuice. Much of it has to do with how Burton limits the use of CGI and leans heavily on stop-motion animation and the extensive use of gruesome, gory, death make-up, especially with Charles, who died in a shark attack. Beetlebaby was a nice touch.
The member berries are ripe and ready for us to take a bite. Bob and his shrunken-head buddies are all out in force. The waiting room is back, and the Maitland’s model town is featured prominently in all the action. Danny Elfman is back with a killer soundtrack, and Colleen Atwood’s costumes have not lost a step.
Needless to say, Michael Keaton is back as Beetlejuice. He’s toned down slightly, but his irreverent mouth still runs a mile a minute. However, I seem to remember a lot more swearing and inappropriate barbs and jabs. Winona Ryder takes the lead again, but Catherine O’Hara is given ample time to further flesh out Delia’s character. As Astrid, Jenna Ortega continues to show she’s a star.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fantastic return to the world and magic of the original Beetlejuice. I had fun, laughed, and wished there was more Beetlejuice. Part two’s are rarely as good as the originals, but this one’s good enough. Yes. First was Beetlejuice. Now we have Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The stage is set for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Bee…
"…recaptures the look and feel of the original world of Beetlejuice."
