Tim Burton’s newest film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a lighthearted and fun successor to its original. It’s been thirty-six years since Beetlejuice was released in theaters. It was immediately beloved and considered a classic.
While the sequel brings back familiar characters and charm, there are a lot of parts that felt disjointed. There are a lot of characters and plot lines to keep track of. Occasionally, it feels like you have to work to keep up with them because there is so much going on at once.
The disjointed aspect of the film really comes through in the first act. A lot of people are introduced to the plot and at times it doesn’t even feel like Beetlejuice. On top of this, the movie occasionally suffers from feeling too modern. My biggest complaint has to be that the warm, cozy feeling that was given by the first film was not present at all within this one. One of my favorite things about eighties movies is that they look a certain way that’s very comforting and this is lost when they remake them. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was just too polished, there was no nostalgic or warm feeling while watching it.
Despite this, the movie was funny, well thought out, and very fun to watch. Michael Keaton is amazing in his role as Beetlejuice and feels just as authentic as it was the first time around. It felt like a return to form for Tim Burton who is now notorious for movies that don’t quite make the cut. This movie felt very aligned with the original and it was good to see old characters with new lives. The continuation of Winona Ryder’s character Lydia feels very natural and has a good progression from her storyline in the first film. She plays the role of a mother in a very serious predicament with her daughter Astrid, who is played by Nexflix’s Wednesday, Jenna Ortega. Both Ryder and Ortega shine in their roles and along with Michael Keaton’s performance as Beetlejuice, they make up the heart of the film.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice delivers in its third act. The actors all flow, the story feels concise, and it’s completely hilarious to watch. It brings back the familiarity of the original and adds new aspects to it that make it genuinely funny. The climax makes for the entire movie. For a movie with many pitfalls, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is still exactly what you’re looking for if you want to laugh and feel nostalgic for the first film. While not perfect, it still does what it’s supposed to do and is still (in my opinion) a very good movie. The movie is rated PG-13 for audiences, and though it may be frightening for some children, most jokes will go over their heads and it should be okay for them to watch.
