Drummed up from the nutty imagination of Tim Burton, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a dark humor jamboree made for a specific viewer. Like the cult-favorite original from 1988, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is out there. Characters traipse between Lydia Deetz’s TV set for “Ghost House” to the Afterworld like those on an errand day would run from Trader Joe’s to Target. Demons guzzle blue cleaning liquid like candy on Halloween. And like mother, like daughter, Lydia’s teenage daughter Astrid Deetz falls prey to a charming ghost. Overall, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a horror-comedy that feels amusingly rough around the edges and makes for a fun Spooky Season watch.
Twenty-something years after “Beetlejuice,” its sequel finds Lydia Deetz as the host of a paranormal sightings show. With her classic jagged bangs and all-black attire, Lydia (Winona Ryder) is instantly recognizable as an awkward stress ball haunted by Beetlejuice, the demon who tried to force her into a marriage in her teens. It seems his connection to her is still present though she’s been living above-ground for years, and she fears his resurgence like young children fear Bloody Mary folklore. After a taping of “Ghost House” is interrupted by one of Deetz’s Beetlejuice hallucinations, she gets a call from her mother about a family tragedy, which sets up the film.
Learning that her father has passed — during an offhand, airy call from her mother Delia (played by Catherine O’Hara in “Schitt’s Creek” form) — Lydia is forced to reunite with her estranged daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) and return to the “ghost house” in Winter River to sell it. She’s joined also by her kooky TV producer and fiancé Rory (Justin Theroux). Here, three generations return to the famous Maitland attic from the first film and all hell (literally) breaks loose when Rory says the “Beetlejuice” name three times to conjure him.
Multiple storylines unfold from here — Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) attempts to force Lydia into another marriage; Astrid unknowingly opens a portal to the Afterworld and buys herself a one-way ticket on the “Soul Train;” and Delia “dies of embarrassment” and reunites with her beloved Charles in the afterlife. We watch as the messy, somewhat-rushed plots play out and wonder where they’ll lead the Deetz’s this time.
With Easter Eggs to previous Burton films and the original “Beetlejuice,” this modern reboot is sure to delight old and new fans alike. It may leave a bit to be desired, but there’s something refreshing in its story universe and visual aesthetic. Get your tickets for your own ride into the circus.
Movie Times: Click Here
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Director: Tim Burton
Actors: Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Justin Theroux; with cameos by Willem Dafoe and Danny DeVito
Run Time: 1 hr, 45 min
Rating: PG-13 for Violent Content, Bloody Images, Strong Language, Drug Use, and Suggestive Material
