Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

What We Thought:

Overall I had fun with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It’s not a complete slam dunk legacy sequel, but fans will enjoy Michael Keaton’s return. It has more positive than negatives, but the negatives are what bring down the film.

Along with Keaton original cast members Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara come back for the sequel. O’Hara absolutely steals the show in a fantastic supporting role. As Ryder’s stepmother/artist in Beetlejuice, she chews the crazy Tim Burton scenery in this sequel with her original co-stars and new co-stars. She’s Ryder’s stepmother which makes her Jenna Ortega’s grandmother and my god does O’Hara get huge laughs in the role dealing with her stepdaughter, granddaughter and those around her.

Keaton and Ryder had fantastic chemistry in the first film and they are right back to form decades later. Keaton is every bit as over-the-top this time around and Ryder goes from teen goth chick to paranormal TV host medium with ease. Both actors bring an effortless charm to their beloved characters and the film wouldn’t work without them reteaming with Tim Burton. With the small town setting of the first film and original actors, the film is at its best with this group.

That brings us to the new characters. Jenna Ortega plays the daughter of Winona Ryder whose father is dead. She believes her mother is a fraud and doesn’t believe in paranormal activity. Ortega’s Astrid is a perfect mix of Ryder’s original loner character with today’s skepticism. She’s a great addition to the cast and when this film does well she better return for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

My main issue with the film are the characters played by Willem Dafoe and Monica Bellucci. Both performers are good in their roles, but I didn’t find their characters to be necessary. Dafoe plays a dead detective character who was an actor in the real world who tries to hunt down Beetlejuice and others in the Afterlife. Bellucci plays a woman from Beetlejuice’s past and the character would be cool if she was the main villain. Unfortunately both of those characters are really just for the side story that I’d cut completely.

The story is about three generations of Deetz family members returning to the small town of the original film because of the death of Charles Deetz. The actor who played him in the original film is now a registered sex offender so killing off the character makes perfect sense. The character is referenced more than I expected, but having his death lead them to Winter River is the perfect set up. Ortega’s character meets a boy while there and the main plot splits off from there. That’s all the movie needed. Having Beetlejuice’s ex with Dafoe’s detective investigating things should have been saved for a third film because the main plot here works without them.

All that being said Beetlejuice Beetlejuice should easily be the #1 movie at the box office this weekend and do very well with many of us already preparing for Spooky Season. O’Hara, Keaton, Ryder and Ortega shine in a film that has Burton’s touches all over it. Fans at the screening seemed to eat it all up and I agree overall. It’s not too much fan service and it never feels pandering or like an unnecessary cash grab. Cut the side stories and it would be even better, but as is it’s still…

RECOMMENDED!