Any time a movie like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is announced, fans of the original are usually the first to ask a question familiar to anyone who’s worked on a legacyquel: “Why?” With several decades passing since director Tim Burton’s horror-comedy blockbuster struck it big, the many false starts of this return trip to the afterlife have only upped the ante of anticipation. Now that the hour is finally upon us, I can gladly say that those of you who never said die on a Beetlejuice sequel will not be disappointed, as Burton and company’s love and respect for the 1988 original is shown off in every fiber of this tale. It’s a great example of understanding why that movie worked and how to bring it back for a new generation to behold.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Release Date: September 6, 2024
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Jenna Ortega, and Willem Dafoe
Rating: PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use
Runtime: 105 minutes
MORE: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: Release Date, Trailer, Cast, And Other Things We Know
There’s a refreshing lack of overthinking when it comes to how Beetlejuice Beetlejuice picks up the torch. Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is hosting her own TV show focused on (what else) ghost hunting. An enterprising boyfriend/producer (Justin Theroux) encourages her, and she has a daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega) who thinks she’s a fraud… and it ends up being the worst time in the world for a death in the family to send our strange and unusual protagonist back home.
Using the death of Charles Deetz (played by Jeffrey Jones in the original) as the catalyst for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s new tangle with the undead, the film delivers double doses of mother/daughter dysfunction that work rather well together. Just as Lydia and Astrid are engaged in a debate over whether the former’s gift of seeing the dead is an actual thing, Lydia and step-mother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) clash in their grief. And before things get too comfortable, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) rears his head, as the return of his almost bride has stirred up some commotion in the hereafter.
Tim Burton has basically made another Beetlejuice movie, and that’s a high compliment.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t a legacyquel that’s overburdened with new backstory or lore in an attempt to “outdo” the original movie. Instead, Tim Burton’s new adventure in death is another point in time in this universe that delivers the sort of mayhem you’d expect. That’s not a complaint either, as trying to match the anarchic energy of the first Beetlejuice was risky. Seeing Michael Keaton’s happiness in turning loose the juice once again is perhaps the greatest sign that this entire enterprise was a good idea done right.
There are no grand reinventions used as a loophole for continuation. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice operates on similar principles to those that were laid out before, just with a couple new wrinkles to the guidelines of living vs. dead relations that fit the narrative. Burton’s return to his landmark horror-comedy alongside Wednesday collaborators/writers Alfred Gough & Miles Millar is a welcomed revisitation of familiar characters and situations, while giving us some freshness to enjoy in the process.
Doubling down on the carnival-like atmosphere of the afterlife and the musical-adjacent laughs of the first movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a long awaited follow up that smartly avoids feeling like a rerun while also playing some of the hits. Yes, “Day-O” gets a shout out as a clever easter egg, but it’s also an effective laugh in how its used. When it comes to the new musical moments that transpire, the numbers are executed at full throttle, with new deep cuts that may unexpectedly land square in the audience’s heart.
Even with the entire cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice being in tip top shape, one performer almost steals the entire movie.
With a killer ensemble that sees Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder returning to match wits with worthy newcomers Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux, there’s no shortage of fun in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. And a good piece of the magic comes from Ryder and Ortega’s chemistry as a mother/daughter duo. Though the reunion of the Wednesday lead and Tim Burton may have sounded like a no-brainer, Ortega is thankfully given a break from the “spooky” energy her loyalists recognize her for.
Astrid Deetz is a good example of the double edged sword that is presented through the new additions roped into Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s cast. Giving Lydia a daughter works as a chance to push the story along, while also organically recalling where Winona Ryder’s character was in life at a similar age. It’s a complication that makes sense, because Astrid’s skeptical nature is inherently challenged by her mother’s history, intriguing us to think about how she’d handle the existence of Beetlejuice once he pops up.
Sadly, not all of the new characters present are given enough room to really add to the big picture. This is by no means the fault of the actors, as the busy plot of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice adds one too many would-be adversaries and oddballs. Both Justin Theroux’s Rory and Monica Bellucci’s Delores represent the same sort of obstacle to the plans of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). The advantage that Rory is given is that even when he’s not present in the main thrust of the unfolding chaos, he’s still able to add comedic touches here and there.
The same sadly cannot be said for Delores, although her inclusion as a looming threat isn’t a total waste. Rather, there’s not enough of Monica Bellucci’s presence to live up to her role as a well-renowned femme fatale in the world of the afterlife. The inclusion of Beetlejuice’s old flame is a novel idea, but its execution falls short when compared to her living counterpart in Rory.
At the same time, the stacked deck of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s cast seems to have changed the game for two performers in particular. Michael Keaton gleefully faces off against humans fresh and familiar with his trademark zest, and his request to keep his amount of screen time relatively close to his run in the first picture was a wise move.
However, it’s actually Catherine O’Hara’s Delia Deetz that damn near steals the movie from everyone else. Already an icon of the avant-garde artists of the world, O’Hara’s series fixture just might build an even greater fanbase, thanks to her unique grieving process and how it affects her family.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice knows the magic words to say when crafting a horror-comedy that’s done with heart.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice works as a next chapter in the mythos as it isn’t trying to “make a universe,” but instead acts as a worthy successor. That much can be said even with the inclusion of a couple stray characters that don’t totally pay off, because the original Beetlejuice did that same thing and people still loved what it was trying to do. If you think this long awaited sequel is going to help this world make more sense on a story level, you’re going to be disappointed.
I encourage audiences to venture into Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as viewers experienced its 1988 predecessor. Back when the brand name meant nothing, and people didn’t know what to expect, this supernatural sideshow earned love as a living manifestation of chaos barely held together by plot. For Tim Burton and company to have achieved that feat again, after almost four decades of waiting, feels like enough of a victory for those who have been looking forward to more of the same.
Sidestepping the trend of merely resurrecting a storied IP without a good enough reason to continue, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice exists purely out of love. Seeing Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara taking such pleasure in reprising their characters should stand as all the proof one could need that things were in good hands. But experiencing a rejuvenated Burton engaging in live-action, stop motion, and practical effects storytelling all over again is where the true payoff lies.
People wanted “another Beetlejuice,” and that’s exactly what’s arrived. You could very easily watch these movies back to back, and leave the room with a smile on your face. No matter when you start celebrating Halloween on the calendar, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feels like a well-deserved cinematic kickoff to the season proper. And as always, anyone with a passing fascination for the strange and unusual is welcome to the show.