It’s fitting that so much of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” takes place in the netherworld between the land of the living and the realm of the great beyond, as the film itself is stuck in its own awkward halfway point. Torn between reverence for the 1988 original movie and a desire to do its own thing, the sequel manages to mostly serve both masters fairly well. And while it is full of great performances and excellent visuals, director Tim Burton’s latest suffers from a far too overstuffed script with unnecessary tangents and narratives. “Beetlejuice” was a clever premise (what if the ghosts wanted the living out of a haunted house?) that incorporated a lot of bizarre imagery and character work to get the most out of that deceptively simple concept. With “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” there are whole plotlines that could be removed without actually impacting the “main” story and don’t truly add anything new to the film itself. The thirty-six-years-in-the-making sequel is greatly hindered by this (as well as shockingly flat cinematography), but there is enough charm and talent within to mostly overcome these large issues.
It’s been over three decades since Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) met up with bio-exorcist Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). And yet, even as a successful TV ghost hunter, she is still haunted by that encounter…and so is he, albeit in more of a desperate romantic way. But those persistent visions of being revisited by the ghost with the most take a back seat when her stepmother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), informs her that Lydia’s dad has died and they are all going back to the house in Connecticut for his funeral. And by all, that also includes Lydia’s teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) who doesn’t believe in the paranormal and thinks her mom is a fraud. While that is brewing up top, the underworld is experiencing a bit of an issue of its own as Delores (Monica Bellucci), a soul sucking spirit, has broken free and is raging through the afterlife trying to find Beetlejuice. It’s up to an undead cop (Willem Dafoe) to try to stop her, while Lydia is finding she may also be in need of some help from the very ghost that tormented her all those years before.
There is a lot to like about “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Keaton and O’Hara are especially phenomenal in their roles and the screenwriters (Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Seth Grahame-Smith) shine brightest in dialogue with the help of these performances. Ryder and Ortega are both solid, if not given much to do, while Bellucci and Dafoe are excellent if seemingly unconnected to the actual film in which they’re starring (more on that momentarily). But it’s Keaton’s show and he’s given even more to do in this expanded role that finds him mimicking a Bava film or offering up a romantic ballad (twice!). Meanwhile, the production design, costume design, creature work and practical f/x are all truly stellar and feel like a continuation of the world from the 1988 entry and not like some hollow recreation of it. And, for the most part, Burton and company do a good job of balancing out the nostalgia with a renewed sense of energy, which is especially hard given how firmly ensconced the original is in people’s childhoods and pop culture. Though, having a children’s choir perform a slowed down, maudlin version of “Day-O” over the grave of Charles Deetz is certainly a choice (especially given who played that character). But still, for every odd misfire like that there’s some fundead wink to the previous movie that mostly works.
“Mostly works.” That’s the term I keep coming back to when thinking of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Because it does mostly work – but not without some asterisks and stumbling along the way. All that signature Burton imagery and goofy take on the gory (and Gorey) is great, if it had been shot in a more dynamic manner. Instead, DP Haris Zambarloukos presents everything in a very stale fashion—a group shot, a reaction shot, never moving the camera in anything that compliments the zany heightened nature of the macabre. And this is from the cinematographer of “A Haunting in Venice” that was gorgeously shot, so clearly it’s a purposeful decision to make everything so static. But it’s to the movie’s great detriment that it all looks so bland.
Meanwhile, the biggest issue with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has to be its story. It’s tempting to call it overcomplicated, because there’s so much going on…but it’s not overcomplicated, it’s just that a bunch of the narrative beats don’t really interact in any meaningful way. Delores’ pursuit of Beetlejuice feels like it’s supposed to add danger, but it really does nothing of consequence. If you took out that entire plotline, nothing else would be affected…which should be a handy way for writers to figure out what should be edited out. There’s boy drama with Astrid and Jeremy (Arthur Conti), and then a proposed wedding from Lydia’s manager/boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux), plus Charles navigating the underworld, and Delia navigating her grief, and the disappearance of Astrid’s father, and it all comes together but never feels like anything because it never works in any real way. There’s no “this happened so this happens therefore this happens…” but instead “this happens while this is happening and this is also happening and then they all meet up.” When there is no narrative compelling the audience, moving them from plot point to plot point, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” feels aimless and overstuffed, sucking some of the energy and fun from the proceedings.
That said, taking it piece by piece, the new Burton film has a lot going for it and it mostly works. Acting is strong, the look of the characters and world is mostly good, Danny Elfman’s score is fun, and the jokes work (even if the worst of them is used literally four times), and so on. But one can’t help that this is a draft away from being something tight, engaging, and (excuse the pun) truly alive. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” still manages to wring out a bunch of easy smiles and earned laughs and shocked guffaws throughout its too-long run time. So, while damning with faint praise, the movie is entertaining… even if it just mostly works.
3.5 / 5 Stars
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Arthur Conti
Directed by: Tim Burton
