Michael Keaton Shines in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ | Spoiler-Free Movie Review
Where to Watch: Theaters
Directed By:
Tim Burton
Written By:
Fede Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Seth Grahame-Smith
Starring:
Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci
Genre:
Comedy, Horror
Rated PG-13
All media courtesy of Warner Bros.
After decades of waiting, the 1988 Tim Burton classic “Beetlejuice” has a sequel. The Deetz family returns home to Winter River after a tragedy brings Lydia (Winona Ryder), her mother Delia (Catherine O’Hara), and her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) together to the town that started it all.
Lydia is still seeing visions of Beetlejuice when she’s running her own paranormal investigation show with her producer and boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux). She’s not connecting with her daughter Astrid in the same way that she couldn’t connect with her stepmother Delia when she was young. When new horror threatens to upend their family further, the three of them will have to seek out the help of our beloved disgusting prankster in black and white stripes to save their family.
Beetlejuice is facing his own deal of challenges. His ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) has returned to seek her revenge on him and is being hunted down by former actor and paranormal Detective Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe). Michael Keaton doesn’t miss a step and returns to the character with the same energy and wildness as the first film. If you are a big fan of the character, you will be happy leaving the theater.
All of the performances are good, with standouts for me being Willem Dafoe, Catherine O’Hara, and Jenna Ortega. I don’t feel like Winona Ryder or Monica Bellucci have enough to chew on here but they still give great performances with what they have.
There’s one cameo that made me have a Cheshire grin, and though he doesn’t speak, we gotta give credit to Bob the shrunken-head man and all his hard work in this film.
What brings the enormous amount of nostalgia in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” comes in part from the incredible sets, practical effects, and use of stop-motion animation to make the film seem like it was made back in 1988. Tim Burton explores new areas of the world of the dead, building the environment and showcasing more of what death is like there.
The sets are fantastic; they are big, huge set pieces that make a big quality difference between this film and other films relying on a green screen to fill the background. But the practical effects, hair and makeup, costumes, and everything on the technical side are perfect.
Where the issues that come for me are within the pacing of the story and a big elephant in the room for all our main characters’ journeys. While I understand needing to continue the stories of characters and explain why certain actors are not in this film, to me it seems like a bad move to make it the center point of the living characters’ story.
I will be able to elaborate on this in a spoiler review, as it would spoil crucial plot points, but this issue was a significant reason why I had a tough time settling into the movie.
Additionally, the Deetz and Beetlejuice storylines can almost be two completely different movies. It’s not paced very well between the two and can sometimes feel all over the place. The saving grace comes from how incredible the performances and practical designs are but you can’t help but wonder if the film were streamlined more if it would improve it.
Overall, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” expands on the lore of the first film well but can feel like a mixed bag when it comes to certain story choices. Great performances from Jenna Ortega, Michael Keaton, and the rest of the main cast, and incredible practical effects and set design.
If it wasn’t for the glaringly obvious issue the film not only doesn’t avoid but makes the centerpiece of the story, I would say this is one of the best legacy sequels of the year.
See It or Skip It? See It
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
