Jacked in Reviews ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (2024)

Tim Burton’s sequel to the 1988 cult classic once again follows the Deetz’s, with Lydia (Winona Ryder) and her estranged daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega) front and centre. Making up the rest of the story is the scorned undead ex, Delores (Monica Bellucci), a deceased Charles Deetz (well, some of him), a crooked fiance to Lydia, Rory (Justin Theroux), a new lad on the scene who has a soft spot for Astrid, Jeremy (Arthur Conti) and paranormal detective, Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe). Oh, and Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton)… aaaand breath.

Compared to its predecessor – which simply saw two ghosts who wanted people out of their house – this instalment has many more moving parts. Tonally, it’s such a massive shift from Beetlejuice (1988) – which ran more like a darkly comedic, horror. Whereas the sequel is more akin to the animated series, in that, it’s more cartoonish and Beetlejuice is more of a comedy sidekick than a sinister spectre. The dialogue doesn’t so much serve in taking the story forward but bringing everyone up to date with what’s been happening with everyone for the last 30 years.

Danny Elfman deserves a lot of credit for his unearthly brass section and the eerie ambience he created the first time around. Although he returned for the sequel, his mastery felt drowned out by the features “playlist”, with songs running from start to finish (and almost felt like they belonged in a completely different movie).

The stealer of shows, however, is very much Catherine O’Hara’s Delia who beckons a laugh from the audience every time she’s on screen.

Last having donned the infamous striped suit 36 years ago, Keaton shows that age is just a number and is indisputably still The Ghost with the Most. The stealer of shows, however, is very much Catherine O’Hara’s Delia who beckons a laugh from the audience every time she’s on screen. Despite everything looking a bit more “polished”, the set pieces and practical effects are a breath of fresh air but you almost don’t have time to enjoy them. Without weighing the movie up against its predecessor, the story is still convoluted, with too many cooks (or in this case, villains) and the final act almost does a rush job of bringing all their stories to a close.

“Didn’t we say all we needed to say with the first Beetlejuice?”. – Kevin Smith (An Evening with Kevin Smith)

Belated sequels rarely land as well as the forerunner but it’s not without its fun elements and enjoyably nostalgic treats for the eyes that take us right back to 1988. Still, perhaps Kevin Smith said it best in 2002’s An Evening with Kevin Smith “Didn’t we say all we needed to say with the first Beetlejuice?”.

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