‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Review: Keaton Conquers Overstuffed Sequel

The original Beetlejuice was a childhood classic of mine growing up. It was a part of the annual Halloween movie catalogue at my house, and Michael Keaton’s performance at the titular demon prankster remains the golden standard for all incarnations of the character. No one can play Betelgeuse better than him so of course any sequel would have to have his return. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees the return of Keaton alongside much of the other cast and director Tim Burton for another trip to the afterlife. It’s a serviceable sequel that sees a return to form for Keaton, who jumps right back into the black and white pinstripe suit like he never took it off. But it also struggles with an overstuffed story that underutilizes the rest of the cast with too many plotlines happening all at once and not enough time to properly explore them all. The result is a sequel that is simply fine, although it still feels unnecessary.

A now grown up Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) has embraced her ability to see ghosts and hosts a popular supernatural talk show, but when she starts seeing flashes of Betelgeuse everywhere she goes, she believes that he’s trying to reach out to her from the afterlife. Following the death of her father Charles Deetz, the entire family reunites at the old in Winter River for the funeral. Lydia’s daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) believes everything is just an act and wants a normal life, but when a “boy” tricks her into venturing to the afterlife, she learns that her mom’s stories growing up were all too true. With her daughter risking being stuck without a soul forever, Lydia reluctantly calls upon Betelgeuse for help. But can she trust the tricker to deliver or does he have some ulterior plan up his sleeve?

Michael Keaton’s return as Betelgeuse is the best aspect of the film. He instantly jumps back into his flashy, over-the-top antics and quips as if it hasn’t been over 30 years since the first film came out. The afterlife still looks and feels amazing as well. The wonky hallways, the eerie blue glow, and the gruesome undead people who roam about are all there in hauntingly beautiful fashion. The visual effects are fantastic and capture the essence of the original to a tee. Honestly, I believe that shows just how solid a film the original was back in 1988. Despite being full of dead people, the afterlife shows the most life in the film and is where Tim Burton shines brightest. It’s weird and wacky with who knows what surprises hiding around every corner. I don’t know why anyone would want to leave.

Problems arise because Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has too much going on. Monica Bellucci joins the cast and Betelgeuse’s ex-wife who is a literal soul sucker who is out for revenge, but she is barely given any material to work with. There will be large portions of the film where you’ll completely forget about her character and undead actor/detective (Willem Dafoe) chasing after her. The character is completely forgettable and doesn’t actually add anything to the story. The story should have spent more time on the relationship between Lydia and Astrid, which itself feels rather rushed. There’s always been tension between mother and daughter, much like Lydia had with her stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara), but each character feels like they’re off doing their own thing and only briefly come together.

Instead, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is constantly chasing ghosts in that it’s trying to recapture the essence of the original film. There’s another lip-sync musical number that doesn’t hold a candle to the original’s “Day-O” sequence. The film is full of references and cameos related too, from Delia’s bizarre sculpture to the shrunken head guy who know goes by Bob and works for Betelgeuse. It’s all fine. If anything, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice serves as a catalyst to watch the original. Keaton is great in both, but the rest of the film struggles when it’s not paying homage.

In the end, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a decent trip down memory lane. It’s good for a few laughs and fun to see Michael Keaton back in the role. Sometimes memories are best just as that, though, and it’s best to not dig up buried things. I’ll always have Beetlejuice and while Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fine addition, I don’t think I’ll be saying his name three times in the coming future.