By Robert Ernest (@thatRobster | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
In 1988, Michael Keaton portrayed arguably one of cinema’s most iconic characters in Beetlejuice and after years of whispers and rumours he finally returns in this long-awaited sequel.
It’s dangerous territory revisiting something so beloved over 30 years later and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice succeeds mainly due it staying on brand and recapturing the essence of its predecessor. That essence is of course the styling of Tim Burton and you won’t forget for a moment that this film comes from his imagining. Everything about it screams Burton from its eerie creepiness to its fantastic claymation scenes and perhaps much of its appeal is its form of nostalgia.
The story is quick to start as we are reintroduced to Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) who hasn’t changed much apart from finding celebrity as a TV paranormal investigator. Catherine O’Hara reprises her role as Delia Deetz and everything about her is simply fantastic, although her leaning into some Moira Rose-isms doesn’t hurt. Justin Theroux plays Lydia’s annoyingly cheesy and deeply narcissistic boyfriend, Rory and Jenna Ortega rounds off the main cast as Astrid, Lydia’s daughter. Willem Defoe and Monica Bellucci are shamefully underused but add some extra fun from the underground. The mix of the OG cast and its newbies allows the film to feel old and new at the same time.
There is no doubt about it – the main attraction is Michael Keaton and just as it was to see him play Batman again in 2023’s The Flash, it’s incredible to watch him having untold amounts of fun playing Beetlejuice once more. His jokes land brilliantly and every time he appears on screen it’s almost like your heart skips a beat with excitement. He just makes you smile as he’s running around causing chaos, being the demonic menace we kind of love but shouldn’t. I wish there were more interactions between him and Bellucci’s character, Delores as there’s a great film in there just with their story. It must be really hard to get back into playing a character you played so long ago and hats off to Keaton – he did a stellar job.
I will admit that I wanted a little more as much as I enjoyed it. A more well-rounded story would have given it an extra edge as some felt like it was just slotted in which could explain why some characters felt underused. However, it was a lot of fun. The waiting room was utilised very well and ‘Bob’ gave me so much joy. I loved the MacArthur Park scene towards the end and Danny Elfman’s score throughout helped give it all that bonus pinch of nostalgia.
If you loved the original, you’ll be sure to enjoy the sequel and it leaves you craving another sip of Beetlejuice.
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