It’s been over three decades since Michael Keaton’s iconic performance as Beetlejuice terrified and delighted audiences in Tim Burton’s classic 1988 comedy. In the original film, Beetlejuice is summoned by Goth teen Lydia Deetz to scare away the new owners of her house. What ensues is a trippy ghostly battle and a truly unique movie that established Burton as a master of mischievous macabre.
Jump to 2022, and Beetlejuice is rising from the dead once more as Burton revisits this beloved character for a new sequel. Lydia is all grown up now, played again by Winona Ryder, hosting a TV show about the paranormal.
But she remains forever haunted by her link to the pesky spirit world. When strange happenings hit her hometown of Winter River, she’ll have to reckon with the demon she never fully banished—Beetlejuice is back with his trademark chaotic antics.
Michael Keaton slips back into his moldy green suit to reprise the title role, joined by many faces from the original. Catherine O’Hara returns as Lydia’s kooky mother, Delia, just as flamboyantly eccentric as before.
And newcomer Jenna Ortega is on hand as Lydia’s rebellious daughter, providing a new generation to experience the bizarre adventures that unfold. With Burton’s inimitable flair for the fantastical, this sequel promises both hilarious tributes and new terrors to delight fans both old and new of his wildly imaginative afterlife creations.
The Living and the Undead
It’s been over three decades since the events of the original Beetlejuice, and a lot has changed for Lydia and the others since those crazy days. Lydia is all grown up now, still seeing spirits but putting her gifts to use on TV as the host of Ghost House. Though fame has found her, she remains haunted by her past.
Now in her 50s, Lydia is contending with the difficulties of life beyond her rebellious years. A mother struggling to connect with her teenager, widowed and grappling with the loss of her husband. Her daughter Astrid wants nothing to do with the paranormal, believing her mom’s talents are hokum. Played with sass by rising star Jenna Ortega, Astrid just wants a normal life free from hauntings.
Whereas Lydia’s relationships have evolved over the years. She and her stepmother Delia may bicker as always, but their bond has endured despite Delia’s spiraling eccentricities. Really letting her freak flag fly now as a mixed-media artist, Catherine O’Hara is on top comic form as the scene-stealing Delia.
The family drama cranks up when Lydia’s dad suddenly passes. In a clever animation sequence, we learn his demise was far from peaceful. And his death brings everyone back to Winter River, including Lydia’s smarmy new fiance, Rory. Skeevy and opportunistic, Justin Theroux oozes slimy charm in this role.
Of course, no Burton tale would be complete without an uninvited return from beyond. And sure enough, just saying his name three times is enough to conjure the cringe-inducing chaos of Beetlejuice once more. As undead as ever in Michael Keaton’s brilliant performance, our favorite bio-exorcist is back for more mischievous mayhem.
Capturing the Kooky Cadence
There’s no mistaking the idiosyncratic flair of a Tim Burton picture. With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, he slips right back into his distinctive style and injects the film with his singular sensibilities.
Burton plunges audiences back into his macabre but playful vision of the afterlife. From the opening frames, he pulls us into his world through Danny Elfman’s instantly recognizable score and creepy crane shots over the town. It’s like putting on an old favorite jacket—you just feel at home in this realm once more.
Visually, production designer Mark Scruton ensures every set design provides endless places to discover. The afterlife branches out with spooky new sites, from sewer tunnels to surreal bureaucratic offices. Colleen Atwood’s costumes equally dazzle, whether decaying ensembles or Delia’s flamboyant modern art garb.
Burton revels in practical effects work. Without relying on CGI sleight of hand, he populates scenes with elaborately crafted creatures, from scuttling cockroaches to menacing sandworms. It’s a testament to his command of the macabre that none of it ever feels truly frightening—just enjoyably eccentric.
No soundtrack elevates the zaniness quite like a Danny Elfman score. He grasps Burton’s deranged spirit perfectly, spinning ominous melodies into jovial excess. It elevates even the most grisly moments with manic energy.
Under Burton’s guidance, the cast fully commits to the absurdity. They plunge headfirst into the irreverent anarchy without restraint. It’s this unhinged interplay that makes revisiting these characters, even decades later, feel so lively.
In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Burton masters his stylings to conjure his most delightfully bizarre visions yet. It’s a tribute to his one-of-a-kind imaginings that, no matter the setting, we always feel right at home in his wonderfully weird world.
Living with the Undead
Some characters you just never forget. Over three decades later, Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice remains one of the most memorably vile creations in cinema history. Slipping back into character is effortless for Keaton, bringing the same crackling energy and manic gusto that made this demonic ghoul such an unlikely scene-stealer way back when.
With Keaton leading the way, it’s a thrill to see this ensemble reunite. Winona Ryder seamlessly rekindles her bewitching persona as Lydia Deetz, perfectly capturing the character’s restless spirit. Clearly these actors simply get each other, their comedic chemistry sparking as naturally as ever.
Then there’s Catherine O’Hara, elevating the sheer lunacy of Delia to gloriously unhinged new heights with her gleeful line readings and flawless comic timing. O’Hara remains an utter joy to watch.
Among the newcomers, Jenna Ortega stands out as the rebellious Astrid, matching Snark for Snark with her mother in their prickly exchanges. Ortega brings a lively wit to her role that perfectly grounds the increasingly absurdist proceedings.
Burton aficionados will delight in seeing Willem Dafoe and Robert Short bring their signature eccentricities to scene-stealing supporting roles. And of course, no Beetlejuice outing would feel complete without the trademark puppetry mastery of long-time collaborator Blair as ever-multiplying Bob.
Most rewarding is seeing how these characters have grown while staying demonstrably unhinged. Sequels often fall short of depicting lived-in history, but Burton devises intricate backstories that ring beautifully true to his peculiar worlds. Returning to old haunts has never been madder or more welcome.
Borrowing from Beyond the Grave
Tim Burton has always had a wicked sense of humor. In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, he takes those macabre sensibilities and runs wild, crafting one demented gag after another.
Burton packs the film with callbacks to the original, from the sandworm stampede to brief pop-ins from old faces. Fans will get a kick out of these nostalgic nods strewn throughout.
Fresh bursts of hilarity emerge too. Whether visual puns playing on phrases or digressions like Beetlejuice’s riotous past as told through b-roll Italian cinema. Burton finds the funny even in the darkest of corners.
No sequence unleashes the absurdity quite like baby Beetlejuice’s birth. As couples therapy takes a demonic detour, this animatronic nightmare will have you howling.
Willem Dafoe relishes the camp as a former action star reduced to eternity behind a ghostly precinct desk. With melodramatic one-liners delivered straight to camera, it’s a treat to see such an esteemed actor go gleefully over the top.
The climactic wedding brings the absurdist wit to a crescendo. As the unholy union descends into a dance battle to “MacArthur Park,” it’s clear Burton still has a keen eye and ear for the surreal and side-splitting.
Throughout, the warmth and charm of beloved characters like Lydia and Delia balance the black comedy. Under Burton’s guidance, the ensemble finds nothing but glee in the ghastly proceedings.
Making Magic out of Melodies
Music has always played a pivotal role in transporting audiences to Tim Burton’s imaginative worlds. And Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is no different, with songs strategically placed to heighten key scenes.
First introducing the eerie tones of Danny Elfman, listeners know they’re in for a peculiar treat. He masters dissecting sinister from silly, matching the director’s tone with flair.
Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park” gets a hysterical twist as the climax. As the ill-fated wedding descends into a demented dance battle, it’s cathartic joy seeing stars like Michael Keaton cut loose. Their gleeful commitment to the absurd elevates one of pop’s most nuts compositions to glorious new heights.
Scattered needle drops like the Bee Gees’ “Tragedy” similarly find cheeky new meaning through Burton’s deranged lens. Placed against Monica Bellucci rebuilding herself, it’s a creepy yet fitting serenade.
Elsewhere, “Day-O” receives another fond callback. Like the shrimp frenzy before, seeing souls leap to the strange brings pristine silliness. Few directors harness the ridiculous as ingeniously as Burton through his musical choices.
Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice proves how integral melodies become in transporting us inside the director’s madness. Songs feel handcrafted to maximize each sequence’s absurdity rather than mere choice adornments. Under Burton’s guidance, music becomes true magic.
The Ghost that Wouldn’t Fade Away
Over three decades have passed since Tim Burton first unleashed Beetlejuice onto an unsuspecting world. In that time, the offbeat supernatural comedy only grew in cult following and influence, cementing itself firmly in the pop culture consciousnesses.
So with a property so deeply ingrained in his directorial roots, perhaps it’s reassuring but not surprising that Burton’s handle on this bizarre universe remained as keen as ever for the long-awaited sequel. While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice won’t rewrite any rulebooks, it thrills in simply allowing fans to relive the magic of reuniting with these beloved oddities.
Burton has varied wildly in style and subject over the years, but few films felt quite as authentically Tim Burton as that 1988 original. Rekindling the same subversive spirit of spooky fun, this follow-up proves the director remains perfectly attuned to the kooky key of his own creation.
For those yet to meet Lydia, Beetlejuice, and their wacky world, the movie stands proudly on its own two feet. But for the longtime devotees who simply wanted to return to the graveyard one more time, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be tough to repress a pleased grin. Some ghosts, it seems, will refuse to fade without a fight.
The Review
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Burton captures lightning in a bottle once more with this gleefully demented sequel. While it won't astonish, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an exuberantly spooky tribute that gives both new and old fans precisely what they want—a reprise of the anarchic afterlife antics that made these characters so beloved. One can't help but feel remiss, repressing a smile throughout its riotous lunacy. This is macabre merriment at its finest.
PROS
- Keaton and Ryder slip effortlessly back into their iconic roles.
- Tim Burton's direction brings his singular visual style and dark humor.
- Danny Elfman's score and choice of needle drops greatly enhance key scenes.
- Practical effects invite comparisons to the original film's style.
- Strong ensemble casts with memorable additions like Ortega and Dafoe
CONS
- Plot complexity means some threads aren't resolved cleanly.
- Nostalgia focus risks obscuring the story for newcomers.
- Length challenges keeping manic energy throughout
