There are many reasons why Tim Burton’s classic 1988 comedy Beetlejuice
remains required Halloween viewing to this very day. It’s creepy, it’s imaginative,
and it boasts an all-star cast – namely the always hilarious Michael Keaton as
the titular Ghost with the Most. Fans have often speculated as to how a sequel
might play out – heck, Kevin Smith was nearly attached to a Beetlejuice Goes
Hawaiian sequel in the 1990s – but plans never really panned out until this
week, when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice arrived in theaters.
Keaton returns alongside Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara as
Lydia and Delia Deetz, and newcomers to the cast include Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s
supernaturally skeptic daughter Astrid, Justin Theroux as Lydia’s “love” interest
Rory, Monica Bellucci as Betelgeuse/Beetlejuice’s soul-sucking (literally) ex
wife Delores, and Willem Dafoe as actor-turned-undead-detective Wolf Jackson.
With Burton back at the helm and a cast as stacked as this one, what could possibly
go wrong? Well, a few things, unfortunately.
There’s much to enjoy about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Keaton is an absolute delight as the pinstriped prankster we know and love, bringing
endearing-yet-repulsive charm to a character who hasn’t grown all that much in
36 years (nor would we want him to). Much like in the original, Keaton’s Betelgeuse
is used sparingly and strategically, typically in scenes involving impressive and
often disgusting practical effects (including one that is already a disturbing full-sized
NECA collectible, but I won’t spoil that here). As ever, he – now aided in his
bio-exorcism business by hordes of tiny-headed “Shrinker” monsters – is motivated
by an intense desire to rejoin the land of the living. When the death of
Charles Deetz draws Lydia, Delia, Astrid and Rory back Winter River and the “Ghost
House” from the first film, Betelgeuse sees his chance to reconnect with Lydia
and pick things up where they left off nearly four decades ago. But when Astrid’s
own romantic entanglement puts her in danger of being stuck in the Afterlife
forever, Lydia finds out that she needs Betelgeuse just as much as he needs her.
She calls on him for help and, naturally, it’s SHOWTIME! Again!
Keaton reprising this iconic role alongside Ryder and O’Hara,
plus the smattering of Tim Burton style and a gaggle of gross-out effects make
the film worth seeing for spectacle alone, sure. However, it’s clear that Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is juggling one too many storylines by the time it reaches its underwhelming
finale that feels like a checklist of studio notes – including a lip-sync musical
number that doesn’t come close to the classic Harry Belafonte “Banana Boat (Day-O)”
scene from the first film. The underutilized Bellucci and Dafoe often feel like
they’re in different movies entirely, and when everyone is smashed together in
the climax, it’s hard to escape the feeling that this movie doesn’t quite live
(or die) up to its own ambitions. Plus, there are several extended jokes throughout,
including a repeated “Soul Train” gag, that never quite land and tend to play
out a lot longer than they need to.
As the latest in an increasingly long line of legacy
sequels, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice succeeds as an excuse to resurrect a
classic character and let him run amok alongside some familiar faces for an
hour and 44 minutes. But if you’re expecting anything close to as good as the
original, you’ll be as disappointed as a Shrinker going hat shopping. If you’re
a fan of the original and a fan of Tim Burton’s early work, check it out in a
matinee or, more preferably, when you can watch it on streaming from your own “Ghost
House.”