One of the irksome aspects of modern trailers is their tendency to unveil nearly the entire storyline, along with the best lines and stunts, within a brief two-minute preview. Fortunately, this is not the case with ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ the much-anticipated sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 critically acclaimed and commercially successful film. The trailer, showing for what feels like an eternity, perfectly serves its role as a teaser without giving away too many details of the upcoming film.
Returning to her iconic role, Winona Ryder resumes the character of Lydia, the Goth teenager who once nearly tied the knot with the politically incorrect ghost and bio-exorcist, Betelgeuse, impressively brought back to life by Michael Keaton. In the present day, Lydia has moved on to become a host of a popular TV show, ‘Ghost House,’ where she explores various haunted locations. However, her rebellious daughter, Astrid (portrayed by Jenna Ortega), is skeptical about her mother’s ghost-seeing abilities, especially since Lydia cannot perceive the ghost of her late husband, Richard (Santiago Cabrera), who just so happens to also be Astrid’s father.
Lydia’s life has taken another turn—she is in a relationship with her producer, Rory (Justin Theroux), but she continues to feel Betelgeuse’s eerie presence, even spotting him amidst the audience during one of her show’s tapings. The plot thickens when Lydia’s father, Charles, passes away, prompting the Deetz women—Lydia, her eccentric stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara), and Astrid—to return to their original haunted house in Winter River. In the afterlife, Betelgeuse is on the run from his nefarious ex-wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci), a sorcerous, soul-sucking witch who once poisoned him during the plague.
Astrid, unhappy about her circumstances, finds solace when she meets Jeremy (Arthur Conti), a young lad deeply engrossed in Dostoevsky in his treehouse. With Halloween fast approaching, a flurry of events is set to unfold, including Lydia’s impending marriage to Rory at midnight, attended by “select influencers” and possibly a Netflix executive. Meanwhile, Astrid and Jeremy plan to spend Halloween handing out candy to trick-or-treaters while Delia captures bone-chilling screams for her avant-garde grief installation.
From its spectacular visual design to the fascinating energy of its acclaimed cast, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is a joy to behold.
. Returning cast members shine brightly: Michael Keaton’s gloriously unhinged portrayal as Betelgeuse is once again a highlight, Winona Ryder effortlessly embodies the lost Goth spirit who transitions into a bewildered Goth mother, and Catherine O’Hara continues to be a delight as the quirky installation artist, Delia.
The new entrants to the cast add vibrant bursts of hilarity and delight. Special mentions go to Monica Bellucci’s malevolent witch Delores and Willem Dafoe’s portrayal of B-movie star Wolf Jackson, who exudes the very essence of a tough-as-nails detective from a Dashiell Hammett novel. Danny DeVito also earns his place in the limelight as a janitor, who becomes one of the first unfortunates to encounter Delores.
The film’s visual style is a treasure trove of boundless creativity. The bureaucratic maze of the afterlife and the Soul Train to the Great Beyond, which whimsically mirrors a physical representation of the African American music genre, are visually arresting. The diverse visual treatments—from classic black-and-white scenes illustrating Betelgeuse and Delores’s tragic love story, to the animated sequence depicting Charles’ untimely demise—add delightful layers of aesthetic charm. Charles did not meet his end through a plane crash (though he was in one) or by drowning (as the plane crashed into the ocean) but rather through a grisly decapitation by a shark, enhancing the film’s dark comedic appeal. These imaginative sequences serve as extra frosting on an already psychedelic cake.
In summary, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ offers a sweet, giddy charm that makes the 36-year hiatus well worth the wait. The imaginative sequel captures the essence of what made the original a beloved classic while offering new thrills and laughs for a modern audience. As the film currently delights viewers in theaters, it stands as a testament to Tim Burton’s enduring flair for combining whimsy with the macabre.
