As a child of the 80s, there were plenty of filmmakers whose work I admired, but Tim Burton was the main reason why I fell in love with movies. The iconic characters he brought to life, combined with his wild imagination, are just two of several reasons why I love and adore Tim Burton as a filmmaker and storyteller.
Beetlejuice was a film that I was obsessed with growing up. Truthfully, almost every Tim Burton film, from the original Frankenweenie to Mars Attacks, holds a special place in my heart. These films shaped my childhood, solidified my love for cinema as an art form, and sparked my imagination.
The idea of a Beetlejuice sequel was something that I always wanted to see, but given Hollywood’s inconsistent track record with sequels, I was a bit nervous to see how a Beetlejuice 2 would turn out. Thankfully, I am happy to report that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is not only a return to form for Tim Burton but also a sequel that manages to recreate the magic of the original.
Taking place 36 long years after the first film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice follows Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), who currently hosts a reality television show centered around ghosts and spirits. Lydia is a widow with a teenage daughter named Astrid (Jenna Ortega). She’s also dating Rory, one of the show’s producers, played by Justin Theroux.
After deciding to take a hiatus from her television show, Lydia receives an unexpected call from her mother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), alerting her that her father, Charles, has died. Lydia, Astrid, and Rory quickly head to Winter River for the funeral. Upon their arrival, Lydia begins to revisit her past, including the trauma that Beetlejuice has caused her. As she tries to sort out her issues, Astrid uses this opportunity to explore Winter River. Through a series of unfortunate events, Astrid finds herself in deep trouble as she has opened a portal into the afterlife.
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As someone known to be a Burton apologist, I have always been able to tell when he was given creative control over a project and when he wasn’t. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is his first film since 2012’s Frankenweenie, where Burton had carte blanche to do anything he wanted. It is refreshing to see that Burton didn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel with this film despite having the luxury of creative freedom. He instead constructed a welcomed continuation of this world and the beloved characters that audiences have fallen in love with over the past three decades.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t feel like a movie made in 2024 but rather one from the late 80s or early 90s. This aesthetic adds a sense of nostalgia without feeling forced down the audience’s throats. While there are several nods to the original, if you haven’t seen the movie, I think the sequel explains the past well for those unfamiliar with the backstory.
As with all Burton projects, the film is a visual feast for the eyes, as he manages to incorporate several filmmaking genres and styles, including paying homage to horror, film noir, international cinema, and stop-motion animation. The wealth of crafts on display is sublime, including the cinematography, costumes, hair and makeup, production design, and score.
While there are several great moments throughout Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, my favorite scene involves the song “MacArthur’s Park.” This sequence will more than likely become one of the most talked-about moments in the film, and if the movie becomes a massive hit, as I believe it will be, I think it could, with time, become as iconic as the “Day-O” scene from the original.
In terms of performance, Michael Keaton still has the juice and delivers a hilarious and brilliant performance as Beetlejuice. It goes without saying that Keaton was born to play the role, and his energy is infectious. As a viewer, you can’t help but love Beetlejuice, no matter how jarring or outlandish his behavior can be.
Beetlejuice is a unique and one-of-a-kind character that only Burton and Keaton could bring to life, and kudos to Burton and Keaton for keeping the character of Beetlejuice the same character in 2024 that he was in 1988. He is still wildly inappropriate and perverted, like he was in the 80s. You have to appreciate that Burton and Keaton wanted to keep him that way despite Hollywood trying to erase things from the past.
Catherine O’Hara’s Delia Deetz hasn’t changed either. I love that these two characters have clearly gotten older, but they still feel like the characters we know and love. O’Hara, as Delia, continues to play up her role as this lovable artist who is obsessed with extravagant and over-the-top artistry. She shines in all of her scenes and is so much fun to watch whenever she is on-screen.
However, unlike Delia and Beetlejuice, Lydia has changed because she has matured a lot since we last saw her as a teenager in 1988. In many ways, Winona Ryder’s Lydia is almost as iconic as Beetlejuice. Ryder brought to life this character in 1988, and now, she gives her even more perspective and depth. Lydia might not be as sarcastic and spunky as she once was as a teenager, but her character has evolved, as you will see throughout the film.
This brings me to all the newcomers: Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux.
I like Jenna Ortega as an actress, and she is the perfect choice to play the role of Astrid. However, since she is also playing Wednesday Addams, her performance may seem a bit too familiar for certain viewers. While it is easy to argue that Wednesday Addams and Astrid Deetz are different characters from different franchises, as a fan of Burton and Ortega, you can’t help but notice the similarities in the characters. While Astrid might be a bit more upbeat than Wednesday, both are sarcastic and have similar personalities, and this ended up taking me out of the film a few times.
I am not trying to detract from Ortega’s performance because she looks and plays the part very well. I liked Astrid’s story arc and enjoyed how her character grew as the film progressed. As an actress, I like seeing Ortega playing in the Burton sandbox and hope they continue working together.
Monica Bellucci as Delores is a fun character who feels like an amalgamation of characters from different films. She looks a bit like Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas but is a total femme fatale. Her character, like Willem Dafoe’s Wolf Jackson, feels inspired by classic Hollywood movies. I enjoyed the two characters because they bring something unique to the table, even though their characters don’t add much to the story.
This brings me to Justin Theroux, who plays Lydia Deetz’s manipulative television producer and love interest. I found Justin’s portrayal of Rory consistently entertaining while entirely over the top. His character is quite the misogynist, yet the script gives him plenty of great dialogue that somehow makes him a lot of fun to watch.
As a lifelong Tim Burton fan, I loved Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It is his finest work since Ed Wood. It’s a film that feels special because there is a clear inspiration behind it, and it doesn’t feel like a cheap studio cash grab. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was made with love, and you can feel that love in virtually every frame.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the most fun I had at the movies all year. Burton and Keaton have always been a match made in cinematic heaven, and I hope they continue working together for the foreseeable future. This sequel was worth waiting for and is destined to create a whole new generation of fans.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens in theaters and IMAX on September 6, 2024.
