The juice is loose!
Tim Burton resurrects 'Beetlejuice' from the grave. Does it scare you sheetless?
Say his name three times, because Beetlejuice is back in theaters.
The resurrection comes three decades after the original and just in time for the Halloween season.
The film follows Lydia Deetz (Winona Rider) and her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega “Wednesday”) who must reunite after Lydia’s father dies in a hilarious way I won’t spoil here. They travel back to the old Ghost House to help Lydia’s mom (played once again by Catherine O’Hara), try to sell the house to a new couple.
But strange things start happening after Astrid meets a mysterious boy and Lydia starts seeing visions of Beetlejuice’s return. Afraid for her and her daughters safety, Lydia must find out why the Ghost House is restless and why Beetlejuice may be in desperate need for help.
So many “legacy sequels” like to put older characters into more depressing, down-on-their-luck situations (*cough cough* Luke Skywalker. ... Sorry I had something in my throat.) Not “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” This movie was so much fun to watch!
Michael Keaton’s still got it as the ghost with the most. As Beetlejuice, he’s energetic, hilarious and as zany as ever. He gets a bit more screen time than in the original movie; the follow-up does a fantastic job on when and how to use Beetlejuice as both a comedic and dramatic character.
Beetlejuice’s backstory was really fun to explore and constituted my favorite scene of the movie.
Catherine O’ Hara steals the show with her out-of-the-box acting, portraying Mrs. Deetz as still that crazy artist we all know and love. Seeing her character succeed in life and art was touching.
Tim Burton looks like he had the time of his life directing and writing this film. The movie is still in the original “Beetlejuice” style, but with better cameras.
This set and character design is some of the most interesting and clever I have ever seen. In the Afterlife everything is vibrant, colorful and playful. It feels like they’re trying to scare you, but still allowing you to laugh and have a good time.
Astrid was a great character and holds a strong message in the movie. If you are grieving someone in your life at this point or another, watch this film.
This movie has such a great, heartwarming message about life after death. While it is spooky and kooky, it manages to find moments for depth and characters to express heavy emotions with class and care. I was very impressed by Burton’s ability to make serious and silly balance without it feeling like a hurricane of tonal shifts.
The only big negative about this movie is the multiple plot lines. Some are more interesting than others, but stay patient and you’ll be rewarded with lots of laughs and frights! This movie looked amazing in the theater and should be seen with a group.
I give “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” a solid 9/10.
