Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
A Strange, Disjointed Return to the Afterlife
A wildly excessive hot mess that rewards die-hard fans but leaves others behind.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a movie as strange and disjointed as its behind-the-scenes development. After the original was a modest 1988 hit that became a cult classic, a sequel seemed like a no-brainer. But for whatever reason, the project couldn't come together until 2024. Whether or not it should have happened is up for debate.
"The screenplay is so jam-packed with characters, threads, and set pieces, that it feels less like a movie and more like a jumble of Post-it notes for several could-be sequels combined."— Mashable
🎬 Cast & Crew
- Director: Tim Burton
- Writers: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar (Story by Seth Grahame-Smith)
- Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega
- Supporting: Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Danny DeVito
- Music: Danny Elfman
The Director's Vision
The production design, special effects, and performances are all first-class, but the story suffers from too many threads. Tim Burton seems content pulling on all of them at once. There are needless callbacks that annoy more than they entertain, and the film is wildly excessive—betraying the simple charm of the original.
From too many musical numbers that don't add to the plot (a "MacArthur Park" sequence instead of "Day-O") to an unfunny reliance on Spanish-speaking humor, the film feels "off." While taking place in the underworld should be fun, here, less would have definitely been more.
🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts
- Handmade Feel: Michael Keaton reportedly insisted that the sequel feel "handmade" with minimal CGI, favoring practical effects and puppets.
- Plan B: Brad Pitt is actually a producer on the film through his company, Plan B Entertainment.
- Animated Omission: To address Jeffrey Jones' absence, Burton used a stop-motion animated sequence and a headless corpse to represent Charles Deetz without using the original actor.
✅ Pros
- Michael Keaton’s infectious energy as the "Ghost with the Most."
- Jenna Ortega is a perfect fit for the "surly goth teenager" archetype.
- Stunning, top-tier practical production design and makeup.
❌ Cons
- Messy, overstuffed plot with too many competing storylines.
- Awkward handling of missing original cast members.
- Excessive musical numbers that stall the narrative.
The Performances
- Michael Keaton: Reprises his role with feral, jabbering joy, proving no time has passed since 1988.
- Jenna Ortega: Delivers a delightful performance as Astrid, capturing the difficult relationship with her mother, Lydia.
- Winona Ryder & Catherine O'Hara: Their return is a nostalgic win, though the script doesn't always give them enough to do amidst the chaos.
👀 Where to Watch
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024): Now streaming on Netflix and Max.
Digital Rental: Available on Apple TV and Max.
Digital Rental: Available on Apple TV and Prime Video.
Considering the time between films, one would think they could have come up with something better for fans. Unfortunately, they couldn't. It's not a total loss—if you're a die-hard Burton fan, you'll find plenty of aesthetic delights. But for the rest of us, it’s a bit of a drag that lacks the simple charm of the original.
Final Verdict: A Strange, Off-Key Resurrection
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