Surprise surprise! In an age of soulless retreads, the franchise with the soulless lead actually gives a damn. Tim Burton and Michael Keaton team up by going back to an old tried and true formula that apparently works just as well in 2024 as it did in the 1980s. It also helps a bit when a couple streaming sitcom heavy hitters are along for the ride as well.
Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) has cashed in on her weird childhood confrontations with Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) in the form of a ghost hunters type TV show/podcast produced by her new boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux). Though she’s made bank, Lydia is still adrift as a single mom, estranged from her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) like she was estranged to her own mother Delia (Catherine O’Hara). Lydia’s father dies, and wanted to be buried in Winter River, forcing the family back together around Halloween. How convenient, since our Juicy poltergeist is being hunted down by his ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) who may or may not end up using the trickster’s last “fling” to draw him out.
Tim Burton brings his years of experience for how a movie like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has worked in the past. His formula relies heavily on character ratios that fit comedies. That means, even though Beetlejuice is the main selling point for this film, for the movie to work he’s gotta still be a side character, generating chaos, then going away for a bit. That’s a bold choice for the star, but it pays dividends, as every 20-30 minutes the underworld hellraiser pops up to the delight of the whole audience, bringing the energy back up instantly. By adding Jenna Ortega to the mix, the main crux of Burton’s film is now a mother/daughter generational tale, with Winona playing the grounded lead, letting Ortega and Catherine O’Hara cook with more screen time to build/rebuild their brand of weird. I think I like O’Hara’s Delia in this even more than I like Beetlejuice in this sequel, as her character has aged perfectly into modern times: a self-absorbed artist completely reliant of dopamine hits for her narcissism. Finally, with no more need for the Maitland’s (RIP) as audience conduit, the rest of the time is devoted to fleshing out the underworld.
And that’s the other big part of Tim Burton’s formula. Despite the generally useful nature of CGI filmmaking, it strips many productions of any sort of style that could be generated by a director trying to make a memorable movie. Burton instead cashes in on the bigger budget to build a more elaborate underworld, mostly practically. What results is the weirdo canvas to end all weirdo canvases: a place where anything is possible, and everything is 1 layer removed from reality. The creature effects are real and wacky, with the expected eye bulges and gut spilling. The “deaths” are gnarly and great at capturing that entry level horror that Beetlejuice clearly was for thousands of kids. But that’s expected stuff right? You know what else is down there? A dead B movie star (Willem Dafoe) playing his latest role: a film noir detective, funny everytime they bring it up. There’s also a creature that staples itself together, but in a strangely arousing way. It is from this creativity that the CGI emerges, complementing the demented tale Burton wants to tell. And tell he does, letting his freak flag fly in a way he hasn’t done in at least 12 years, probably longer.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is just as fun and enjoyable as the beloved 1988 OG. Not all the pieces fit exactly right, but honestly, for a movie like this, it’s almost more charming that they don’t. One thing is for sure though: grandmas everywhere are going to be confused as hell, trying to relate to their grandkids, not realizing Thursday Adams is also the same girl in the Beetle Bug movie. Better go get that mom translator to help figure out what they’re trying to say.