As a longtime fan of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, I was both excited and curious about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The original film had that perfect blend of dark comedy, supernatural antics, and Burton’s unmistakable quirky style, so naturally, I wanted to see what new story Burton had up his sleeve for these characters.
However, while there were fun moments and a lot of nostalgia in this sequel, I have to admit, I left the theater feeling somewhat disappointed.
First off, let me get this out of the way… The best part of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was, without question, seeing Michael Keaton return as the iconic, mischievous Beetlejuice. It felt like no time had passed.
He fully embraced the role again, bringing the same chaotic energy and humor that made him such a great character in the first film. Keaton’s performance was seamless; he didn’t miss a beat, and his scenes are undoubtedly the movie’s highlights.
But unfortunately, as great as Keaton was, the rest of the movie didn’t live up to my expectations. The story itself had so much going on that it felt overly convoluted. There were two major storylines competing for attention, and as a result, the movie felt unfocused and a little scattered.
I won’t spoil anything, but one story focused on Lydia’s daughter, Astrid and her journey into the afterlife and the other story focused on Beetlejuice wanting to marry Lydia as his X-Wife is hunting him down. Both stories were interesting, but neither was given the time to breathe and develop properly.
The film introduced a host of new characters, many of whom had the potential to be really engaging. Jenna Ortega as Astrid, brought some fresh energy to the cast, and Willem Dafoe as a B-movie action star turned afterlife cop was as eccentric and enjoyable as you’d expect.
The returning cast, including Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, brought a nice touch of nostalgia, and they were joined by Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Arthur Conti. However, with so many new faces and side stories, there just wasn’t enough time to give these characters the depth and development they deserved.
Honestly, these two stories could’ve been split into two separate films. I think Burton would have been better off choosing just one storyline to focus on and saving the other for a future installment. That way, the movie could have really delved into the characters and concepts without feeling so scattered.
That said, I did enjoy some of the core story concepts. The idea of three generations of the Deetz family returning to Winter River after a family tragedy to kick off the story, only to have Astrid find herself stuck in the afterlife, was compelling.
I also liked the story of Beetlejuice and his wife, and I would’ve loved to get more of that story and get to know that character better. She was so much fun, but she could’ve been a wild and strong scene-stealer of a character, but she wasn’t given the time to make that happen.
The movie also took some big swings with some of the comedic elements, and it got really weird at times, and I have to say, I enjoyed those moments.
I just wish the film had taken more time to let that premise unfold naturally rather than rushing into so many different directions. There’s real potential there that got buried under the weight of trying to fit so much into the film’s story.
Then, of course, Danny Elfman’s score was the perfect eerie, whimsical backdrop to the madness onscreen. But even with all the talent involved, the movie couldn’t quite recapture the magic of the original.
Burton just wanted to deliver everything at once, which ended up diluting the impact of the individual elements.
In the end, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had its moments, but it just didn’t hold up to the brilliance of the original. It was fun to see Keaton back in action, and there are some interesting ideas buried in there, but overall, the movie would have benefitted from a more streamlined approach and more focus on developing its characters and stories.
Here’s hoping that if we get another sequel, Burton will take the time to let the story breathe a little more.
