The newly released Horror/Comedy “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” directed by Tim Burton is a sequel to the cult classic “Beetlejuice” originally released in 1988, also, directed by Burton.
This movie has a star-studded cast as it brings back it’s iconic characters such as Micheal Keaton as ‘The Beetlejuice’ and Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz. There was also the introduction of new characters including Astrid Deetz, Lydia’s daughter, played by rising star Jenna Ortega.
Micheal Keaton really steals the show with every scene he was in, every quip he threw at me had me fighting laughter repeatedly. His return as ‘The Juice’ even after thirty-six years held the same kind of grotesque charm that was so encaptivating in his first performance.
The film follows several plot points with the main driving point being that Charles Deetz, husband to Delia (Catherine O’Hara), the family must come together to dispute whatever is left within the house. With Lydia and Astrid’s relationship being established from the beginning to being estranged, there tends to be a constant state of tension between them.
Insulted by her mother’s engagement, Astrid meets someone leading to her eventually getting in trouble on the other side. This leads to Lydia needing the only person right for the job, ‘The Juice’ is loose! But he is not living it up as a undead man. The truth of Beetlejuice’s status is made clear when we get an introduction to the vengeful, soul sucking, ex-wife of ‘The Juice’; Dolores, played by Monica Bellucci.
In my opinion, I believe the actors were the best part of the film. There was such passion from all the returning actors that you could feel their energy through the screen. The new actors lit up the production with Ortega’s stellar performance as a never-before-seen character being a large highlight of the film.
This movie aligns stylistically with all of Burton’s previous work, gothic and surreal. The fluidity of the transition of the two movies is exponential. In other words, the original cheesy, surreal, and dark style is perfectly encapsulated from the first movie and was brought to life in the sequel.
The only cons were that at certain points the pacing could use some improvement. An example of where I think the pacing of the film was messy was with the elimination of a specific character, as it was done way too fast. It felt like a blink, and you’ll miss it situation. I remember sitting in the theatre looking at my friend confused, as this scene played out, I did not think it would be so underwhelming.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience watching this movie with my family, all the laughter we shared together was greatly appreciated. Even if this movie turns out to not be for you like it was for some of my family members, I will still recommend watching “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” as the best time we had was after the film where we all shared our thoughts.