BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE: MOVIE REVIEW

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (aka Beetlejuice 2) raises a cult classic from the dead, and it was well worth the 36-year wait.

Tim Burton’s 1988 film Beetlejuice is a much-loved favourite in my family and follows many of the true tropes of a Tim Burton film – dark humour, black with pops of colour, blank stares, and excellent use of visual effects. One of my concerns going into Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was that it would lose much of the charm of the original by leaning too heavily into computer-generated graphics, but I needn’t have worried. The sequel makes great use of costume, hair and make-up and old-school visual effects like plasticine stop-motion which fits perfectly with the sand monsters and face-stretching in the original.

It wouldn’t be a true sequel without the key cast reprising their roles, so thankfully Michael Keaton (as Beetlejuice), Winona Ryder (as Lydia Deeks), and Catherine O’Hara (as Delia Deeks) are all back home in Winter River for the next installation of this story. Jenna Ortega is perfectly cast as the new protagonist, Lydia’s daughter Astrid, and Justin Theroux was also a stand-out as Rory, who surprised me with his comedic abilities.

You wouldn’t know a day has passed between films with how effortlessly Keaton steps back into the black and white suit of Beetlejuice, while Catherine O’Hara brings elements of Schitt’s Creek’s Moira Rose to her renewed portrayal of Delia – the quirky artistic matriarchs do have a lot in common, so it doesn’t feel out of place.

I’m not sure that the characters played by Monica Bellucci (Beetlejuice’s soul-sucking ex-wife) and Willem Dafoe (a dead actor, now a cop in the afterlife) added much to the story, but I certainly always love the tongue-in-cheek mannerisms of an actor playing an actor. Arthur Conti, who plays Jeremy, a young man Astrid meets in the town of Winter River, is under-utilised in my view – of the three main storylines, his is the most crucial to the plot, but it feels wrapped up too quickly.

As with the original, the soundtrack plays a crucial role in this film, with a beautifully executed funeral scene choral rendition of Harry Belafonte’s Day O, and a hilariously choreographed and lip-synched wedding scene to the tune of Donna Summer’s MacArthur Park. While the original soundtrack had island vibes, the sequel leans heavily into the soul genre.

As a fan of the original, I think Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun and fitting continuation of the story with a great balance of old and new characters and numerous references to the original. I think it would still be good viewing if you haven’t seen the original, but certainly even better when you catch the little inside jokes. With a runtime of under two hours, there’s a lot packed into this film, so best to skip the bathroom break and hold it till the end!

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE is now showing at Metro by Hoyts.

Written by Megan Stericker