Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Santiago Cabrera, Burn Gorman, Danny DeVito, Amy Nuttall
Directed by: Tim Burton
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Horror
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Lydia (Winona Ryder) struggles to connect to her daughter (Jenna Ortega), when a family tragedy reunites the family and Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) once again makes his presence felt.

Review:

Tim: I liked Beetlejuice- perhaps not as much as many did, but I definitely enjoyed it. So, I was still pretty excited to see a sequel, 36 years after the original. You have to appreciate those opportunities. The film made a truly surprising $294 million at the domestic box office, enough to clock in as the #6 movie of the year. Nostalgia and excitement for this sequel were out in full force! Unfortunately, I don't think the film lives up to the hype. Tim Burton directs a decent movie, but it feels clearly worse than the original. There were certainly things I liked about this film, but overall, I admit feeling disappointed.

The main issue, the central reason that I believe this film fails is the script. It's a mess. We haven't seen these characters in 36 years and we only have 1 hour, 45 minutes with them. And yet, the movie wastes far too much time on a scattered, unfocused story that introduces multiple characters who don't matter in the least. Burton weaves the various storylines together in the end, but it's during a rushed, convenient conclusion that feels quite unsatisfying. It pains me to write this, because I wanted to like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. This absolutely should have been a better film than it was.

The heart of the story works well. The Deetz family is what these movies are about, and we get to check in on Lydia, Delia, and are introduced to Lydia's daughter, Astrid. Jeffrey Jones isn't in the film for obvious and good reasons- I was surprised how they made his character important to the plot, though. His death is what spurs these characters to come together. The heart of the film works, because we get to see Lydia and Delia again, and we see how the events of the first film shaped their lives, including Lydia's contentious relationship with her daughter. When the film leans into the family drama, it works. Some of this is due to the cast- Winona Ryder has established herself as a preeminent entertainer. She might not ever be considered one of the all-time great actresses, but I'm always interested in seeing her on screen. Catherine O'Hara has perfected the supporting character that demands our attention, and she does that here. And, Jenna Ortega is one of the most exciting young actresses working today, and is the perfect casting for Ryder's daughter. To see these three strong women have such prevalent roles here is a delight and the film's greatest strength.

The issues come with everything else. There's far too much in the plot. I liked the idea of Jones' character dying, but did we really need to see his destroyed corpse as a character here? I'm not sure. I dislike Justin Theroux greatly, and his character felt so annoying to me. Theroux gets way too much screen time and delivers his usual, average performance. I love Willem Dafoe, but his character was utterly pointless. It pains me to say this, but the movie would be significantly better had his character been completely cut. He adds nothing to the film, and it detracts from our focus on the Deetz family. It's a bizarre, unexplained inclusion that adds up to absolutely nothing. The same can be said for Monica Bellucci. We get a bit of backstory and I thought that worked- we learn more about Beetlejuice and their connection felt valuable to explore. I can see why the film includes her. The problem is that the resolution of their drama is so forced, convenient, and stupid that you wonder why she was included at all. She stalks around the film, sucking souls and then fizzles out when the climax comes. Her character was bungled and handled so badly. I did think Arthur Conti was a rare bright spot in the supporting cast. His character felt essential to the overall story- his relationship with Ortega's Astrid is central to the narrative. He delivers a great performance, hitting all the right notes. He's so good, I'll keep my eyes out for him in the future. On the other hand, Astrid's dad, played by Santiago Cabrera is another worthless character that never brings the emotional connection he was intended to. He's someone else who takes up a bit of screen time near the end when he doesn't add much value. I will say that Danny DeVito's small supporting role is excellent- it's nearly impossible to see him on screen and not appreciate his presence. Burn Gorman gives a good performance, but again, why did his character need to be featured as prominently as he did?

I'm literally shaking my head right now, considering all this. You have all these characters, several pointless subplots, all crammed into a not-long movie. Burton moves things along at a decent clip, but the film always feels unfocused and unnecessarily spends time on characters and subplots that never really go anywhere. This is why the movie doesn't work. Burton's flair for visuals is a major positive- the combination of practical effects and computer-generated works- the movie is a feast for your eyes. Burton really leans into the grotesque side of death and the afterlife at times and the visuals for this film always work. I appreciated the craftsmanship that went into this film. I also need to acknowledge that the "Banana Boat" song, sung by a choir in the funeral scene was an absolute highlight- I didn't know how badly I needed that version of the song. Beautiful and ridiculous all at the same time.

So, I guess that's about it, right? Anything else I should mention? Oh, wait, how could I forget to mention the titular character himself, Beetlejuice? Perhaps it's because the film seems to forget him, too. Michael Keaton reprising this role should have been the number one attraction here. I'm not saying Beetlejuice should have been the main character- the focus is rightly on the Deetz women. However, Keaton reprising this role is a rare treat and the movie doesn't lean into this at all. Beetlejuice feels like an afterthought for much of the movie. It makes no sense. I wanted to see as much of Keaton as the story would allow, but he's purposely limited. If this movie cut Dafoe's character completely and instead of his unfunny sequences, we got more time with Keaton as Beetlejuice, the film would have been substantially better. The Deetz women are the heart of the film, but Keaton is the movie's biggest attraction. What does Beetlejuice actually get to do in this film? Very little. The conclusion is so weak- the lipsyncing doesn't work and it feels like a desperate attempt to connect to the first movie, but in staggeringly less effective ways. This is the other big disappointment here- Keaton is wonderful as Beetlejuice, but he's not given enough to do. I smiled nearly every time I saw his character, but the film gives him nothing great to do. What a massive mistake.

While I'm complaining about this, I do want to acknowledge that despite the bad script, there's still good things in this film. I didn't hate Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It's a decent film, mildly entertaining. But, the elements were here for a better film- you scratch your head, because it feels so obvious. Of all the paths they could have taken forward, this is one of the least effective. Why would you sideline the main attraction? Why would you add so many pointless supporting characters that detract from the ones we want to see? The end result is a film that fails to live up to our expectations (and for me, a mild fan of the original, the expectations weren't very high). I'm happy this movie did well at the box office, but it's one of those films that I believe tarnishes the legacy of the film just a tiny bit. I'm not sure if the studio will push for a third movie, but I guarantee the box office would take a dive. People won't go see a third film because this one doesn't delight, doesn't impress. That's too bad. Even though this is a decent movie, it could have been good.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Beetlejuice, Scream (2022), Edward Scissorhands, Dark Shadows