Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Is Overstuffed, Delightfully Demented, And Perfect For Fans

Right from the opening notes of Danny Elfman’s fresh, new take on the Beetlejuice theme, I knew I was in for something more than a tired attempt to squeeze every last dime out of a dead franchise. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had reviewed the legacy sequel playbook and then promptly fed it to the sandworms. This was one sequel that wasn’t content to coast by on a series of callbacks and references to the original.

Beetlejuice is a weird, nightmarish fever dream full of calypso music, creepy stop-motion, and a morbid sense of humor. It’s also a beloved classic. Trying to recapture that magic for a sequel would have been a fool’s errand, and apparently, Tim Burton agreed.

Don’t get the wrong idea; his movie still features stop-motion and tons of macabre jokes. It’s still a Tim Burton movie, after all. But as I watched Beetlejuice Beetlejuice for this review, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the gags—hit or miss—were new.

Michael Keaton, for example, never once utters the phrase “It’s showtime!” or calls himself “the ghost with the most.”

Instead, Burton gives us a slightly less menacing bio-exorcist. This Beetlejuice is less a sleazy womanizing demon and more like that one uncle who gets a little out-of-pocket after a few too-many beers at Thanksgiving. He’s still a creep, but dare I say a slightly more lovable one?

All of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s returning characters are slightly softer than they were 35 years ago. Even Burton himself seems to have mellowed a bit with age. As a result, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has more heart than its predecessor, something I was as shocked to see as you are to read in this review.

The film begins with Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), now a reality television star, returning to Winter River, Connecticut, for her father’s funeral. Her estranged daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and eccentric stepmother, Delia (Kathrine O’Hara), are along for the ride.

In her grief, Lydia begins seeing visions of Beetlejuice for the first time in almost forty years, and slowly, her life begins to unravel. When Astrid has her own run-in with the supernatural, Lydia is forced to call on her worst nightmare for help. I’m trying to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but let’s just say Beetlejuice Beetlejuice features a dynamic between Lydia and the titular spook that leans closer to the Beetlejuice cartoon than the previous film.

Actually, most of the established dynamics from the first film are different in the sequel. Lydia and Delia still razz each other, but now there’s a layer of affection underneath the teasing. It’s clear that Lydia no longer thinks of Delia as her wicked stepmother but instead as a true parental figure.

Meanwhile, Beetlejuice is on the defensive this time, thanks to an ex (Monica Bellucci) who wants to steal his immortal soul. No longer the antagonist, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice gives us a more sympathetic “ghost with the most” while still maintaining the appropriate amount of sleaze.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s namesake is still involved in some absolutely vile shenanigans, including a scene with a baby that’s too weird to include in this review. He may be slightly less abrasive, but don’t get it twisted: Beetlejuice is till one seriously messed up dude.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s infamous “Soul Train” scene in my review. A critical plot point revolves around a subway that takes the residents of the afterlife into the great beyond. The subway is dubbed the Soul Train and is full of COC (Corpses of Color) boogieing like dancers from the ’70s show of the same name.

It’s hard to see the scene as anything other than a response to the popular Burton critique that his movies feature very few minorities. Honestly, as of this review, I’m not sure how “offensive” the Soul Train scene in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice really is, nor am I the right person to talk about that aspect of it.

The movie’s other obvious flaw is that there’s just too much going on narratively. The movie has not only a B plot but also C, D, and possibly E plots.

REVIEW SCORE

Ultimately, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t a perfect film, but the movie’s good qualities far outweigh the bad, and I sincerely hope this review convinces more people to go and see it. After all, it isn’t every day that a movie comes around featuring a scene set to all seven-plus minutes of “MacArthur Park.”

I told you it was a weird movie.