Beetlejuice from 1988 was a comedy hit from wunderkind director Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands) and comedian Michael Keaton (Nightshift) which finally gets a worthy sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The Deetz family suffers a personal loss bringing them together again to a special house. Lydia (Winona Ryder), who grew up with ghosts, is now a middle aged mother of a rebellious, non-believer girl, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and must help her ditzy mother (Catherine O’Hara) make funeral arrangements. When Astrid is in danger of being trapped in the Neitherworld, Lydia must take desperate measures even if it means an unholy deal with a nemesis from her past, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), himself being pursued by a mysterious, vengeful woman. Can Lydia save her daughter from a horrible fate without sacrificing herself? It all comes down to a wild, climactic scene in a wedding chapel.
Utilizing mostly practical effects, puppetry, and ingenious makeup to create unique and otherworldly effects, it’s obvious that Burton, who possesses such an imaginative sense of creepy visuals and characters, could design an amusement park on the imagery alone. The original cast meshes well with new supporting members including Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, and Justin Theroux. However, it is Keaton, as before, who makes the most of his strategically limited screen time. He’s still got it.
After
tying up previous plot points concerning the Deetz family (throwing in an
homage and cameo honoring past Burton characters) and an interesting, origin history
of Beetlejuice, the film becomes more involved and engaging by the final act,
and not a minute too soon. The magic
is still there with some amusing and laugh out loud moments, and if the final
scene is any indication, a third film is quite possible, and hopefully much sooner
than 36 years!
****
of ***** stars (for Beetlejuice fans)
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