'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice': The Juice is Loose!
Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara team back up for the return of Beetlejuice in Burton's latest film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
All the pieces are there: unique set designs, familiar characters, dynamic practical effects, the humor we all love from the first. But does Beetlejuice Beetlejuice capture the same magic of the original? We think it does. But we have notes.
In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Lydia and Delia Deetz return to the sleepy town of Winter River to bury Charles Deetz, now with Lydia's daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega) in tow. While there, Astrid meets a boy that she likes that reveals exactly what you think it will reveal. Oh- and there's Delores (Monica Bellucci), who is trying to find Beetlejuice all while the main and side storyline are occurring. Yes, it's as confusing (and pointless) as you think it is. Delores' part in the film could not have been there and it wouldn't have taken away from anything that happened in the film.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
In the original, we got a glimpse into the afterlife but in this film, we were given much more insight into what happens after your number is finally called. This is where Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice shined. When Delores returns, she is out for revenge and starts taking out people in the afterlife one by one to get information on where she can locate Beetlejuice. Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe) portrays an actor who played a detective on television prior to death, is investigating the deaths. Dafoe is peak Dafoe and is an added bonus to the Beetlejuice story. But the expansion of shrunken head guys that infuse comedy in the film's threads, specifically the one named Bob.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is entertaining and a fun time at the movies. It brings back those nostalgic feels and adds in some new, serving as an opportunity to excite new fans of the franchise. While there are some weak writing and comedic moments that don't quite land, the film does its job.
⭐⭐⭐ out of 5