I'll be the first to admit, I haven't been too keen on many of Tim Burton's recent outings. They've all felt a little bereft of the true Burton touch. That's not to say there haven't been one or two that I genuinely liked, but rather that they've felt Like Burton going through the typical dash of gothicness, monstrosity, or otherwise grossness. This can not really be said of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (well, not entirely, I mean).
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice picks up decades after the first. Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is a paranormal TV show host whose life seems to be in shambles: her daughter Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega) avoids her like the plague, her boyfriend (Justin Theroux) is the sleazeball TV producer of her show, her mother Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara) has somehow found success as an artist (ignoring her past failures), and her father is killed off early in the film (due to obvious real life crimes) which is what gets everyone back to the old Deetz house... Oh, and Lydia is having visions of Betelgeuse.
Beyond that main thread, there's a myriad of subplots going on that are often left dangling, never explained, or just simply thrown aside. Like why is Betelguese showing up in Lydia's visions? Why is Betelguese's ex wife (Monica Bellucci) suddenly a character that is looking for him? Why is Astrid's storyline a weird rehash of the first film? Why are the Maitlands written off so haphazardly? Despite these usual narrative killers, the film somehow works. The entertainment factor supersedes all the warranted nitpicks.
While it may seem weird to point out that this film looks, feels, and sounds exactly like a Tim Burton film, I assure you it's not. There are so many elements beyond the signatures of his that really imbue the film in his aura. The film's third act features an elongated dance sequence (described by the titular character as a dream sequence) to the tune of "MacArthur Park" sung by Richard Harris. In a world where song placements are often integral to a movie's money making plans, there's no way that anyone other than Burton would make a choice like that. Add on the two Soul Train references (that weren't short either), a black and white Italian language flashback, and a really fucking creepy baby Betelguese wreaking havoc a few times in the movie.
There are however some concessions that have been made throughout. The certainly harder edge the original film had has been softened for the sequel. Beetlejuice's vulgar persona is not as upsetting this time around, with his taste for a younger bride ignored and sexual proclivities pushed even farther off-screen than before. Many of the just-under-the-surface ideas from the first are ret-conned out of existence, like suicides living out the afterlife as public servants and Lydia's mother is no longer dead (although this may be from the musical and never explicitly said in the original).
The third act kinda falls apart and the film doesn't really have an ending, but once again, the charm and genuine fun vibes take precedent. While not an explicitly horrifying, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is a great movie to add to your Halloween season!
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is still in theaters and streaming now! I'd suggest seeing it on the big screen and supporting your local movieplex, but if staying home's your vibe, you have options!
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