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Beetlejuice is one of those films I’d say I admire more than I like, which honestly also wraps up my feelings about director Tim Burton. His quirky, gothic aesthetic doesn’t always work for me, but I gotta respect him for the big swings he takes when making his outlandish movies. It’s hard to really deny why the original Beetlejuice is so iconic. It’s goofy and vibrant enough for kids but also quite disturbing and dark for adults, something we really don’t get a lot of in PG films nowadays. A PG film back in the day meant you could potentially see someone’s face melt right off or topless women. 

I am happy to say the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice does maintain that zany, dark crudeness that made the original a hit to begin with. Burton is back with the impressively designed sets and kooky worldbuilding we know and love him for. The continuation feels strong enough to stand on its own, never relying too much on nostalgia to entertain. That being said, there is still plenty of crossover from the original film to give fans a good time. Though the pacing can be kind of lopsided and not every plot point earns its right to be there, I feel confident in saying this is the best Burton has been in the past 10 years. Still can’t get past that Dumbo movie, but we’ll get there.

Taking place almost 20 years later, Lydia Deetz is now a famous supernatural talk show host alongside her scummy manager/lover Rory. She also has an estranged daughter named Astrid, who wants nothing to do with her paranormal mumbo jumbo. Lydia is pulled back to her old house by her step-mother Delia when her husband Charles tragically dies, which sets in motion the opportunity for Lydia and Beetlejuice’s paths to cross again. 

Many of the returning cast shine once again, while most of the newer additions manage to leave their mark in their own way. Winona Ryder’s Lydia is front and center, dealing with the pressures of being a mom, hosting a television show, her overbearing manager, and a paranormal demon still trying to marry her. The weight she carries slowly wears her down, but she still does her best to make things right. It’s great to see Ryder slip so seamlessly back into the role, never really missing a beat and adding a new layer to the character in the process. But of the returning cast, it’s Catherine O’Hara and Michael Keaton that really stole the show for me. O’Hara’s comedic timing as Delia is impeccable, dealing with the loss of her husband in her own oddball, performance art way. And then there’s the titular ghost with the most. There’s no watering down or adjusting the character to modern sensibilities. Beetlejuice is just as crude and rude as he was in the 80s, even being given a bit more to do this time around, yet Keaton always keeps him to his scumbag nature. And if you’re wondering, no, serial kid toucher Jeffrey Jones does not return as Charles, but Charles does appear in the film, and the way they get around using Jones’ likeness is honestly quite hilarious.

The most prominent new character is Astrid, Lydia’s daughter portrayed by Jenna Ortega. They give her a fun little side plot with a ghost boy that goes in a fun, albeit predictable direction, and even though I like Ortega for the most part, she does seem to get type casted into the same roles which don’t always give her room to deliver the best performances, this film included. Justin Theroux, on the other hand, was my favorite new addition as Rory. He’s such an over-the-top, scummy slime ball that harkened back to an older archetype of villain we don’t see a ton of anymore. He’s never really much of a threat, just a pathetic worm trying to marry Lydia for her money. Sometimes the classics just hit.

The real money maker here is the visuals, with Burton returning to form in both his set design and coloring. The ghost world is obviously the highlight, retaining the same kind of angular, pop-grunge aesthetic that takes heavy inspiration from Italian “Giallo” thrillers and German Expressionism. He manages to make this world so vibrant and interesting to look at, with little sight gags and details to pick up on in the background. The funhouse horror aesthetic isn’t the most believable at times, but it doesn’t really need to be does it? It fits wonderfully as a juxtaposition of the real world, appearing far more endearing and creative than what CGI can conjure up. There are a ton of practical effects to admire, from puppeteering to stop motion, that obviously come from a place of love for the craft. The lighting as well gives the film a style of its own, never trying to ground itself in reality, but rather going for a style over sensibility approach I definitely appreciate.

Like many of these legacy sequels, the plot can sometimes find itself overstuffed with ideas trying to cater to the past film while also trying to trample new ground as well. This leads to quite a few plot points that don’t get expanded upon well enough by the end. We are introduced to Beetlejuice’s ex-wife Delores, an undead soul sucker who has a pretty awesome introduction set to the Bee Gees, but she hardly makes a sizable impression on the rest of the film, barely interacting with any of the characters until the end. In an attempt to juggle the stories of Lydia, Astrid Delia, and give the side characters enough to do, the pacing can feel pretty slow at times while it tries to cram everything in. The beginning really dragged for me, but it does pick up in the middle before kind of trudging to the end. The climatic musical number is a ton of fun however, and while everything isn’t wrapped up super cleanly, I still had fun with it.

It probably won’t beat out the original, but Beetlejuice Beetlejuice does deliver on the outlandish creativity I’ve been missing from Burton. Most of the cast is great to see return, but the real selling point is just the wonderful directing and craftsmanship Burton and team applies to its ghoulish world. Even with only about 10 minutes of screentime more than the original, it doesn’t flow quite as well while trying to cover too much ground. Even still, I think this is a perfectly suitable return to form that doesn’t try to change the personality of the original in the slightest. Why this wasn’t released near Halloween is lost on me, but it may just be the kickoff into fall you’ve been looking for. 

RATING

Ghost With the Most

If you’re looking to find your way into the afterlife, Beetlejuice is your man! If you’re looking to just come ever so close in a somewhat safe manner, then maybe give this cocktail a try! It’ll give you a pep in your step thanks to the highly caffeinated matcha powder, while the sweet flavors of vanilla and pumpkin spice prep you for the impending fall season, where you can dress like a pinstriped ghoul and no one bats an eye! This earthy, creamy cocktail is quite simple to make and can bring anyone back from the dead, and by dead I mean at least a moderately deep sleep.

INGREDIENTS

• 2oz vanilla vodka
• 1 teaspoon matcha powder
• 1/2oz almond liqueur
• 1/2oz honey
• 1oz pumpkin spice cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the vodka, matcha, almond liqueur and honey to a shaker and shake with ice.
2. Strain into a rocks glass over ice.
3. Slowly pour in the pumpkin spice cream to layer.