After more than 35 years, the Ghost with the Most (Michael Keaton) is back on the big screen, getting a legacy sequel of his own.
In addition to Betelgeuse, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) also comes back, though she has traded her gothic, rebellious attitude for a TV personality, albeit still wearing black. She has to step away from her paranormal-centric show, though, as she has to attend the funeral of her late father.
Joining her is her stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), though the latter isn’t as excited to be there as she has a strained familial relationship. However, when the family goes back to their old house, some dangerous afterlife shenanigans begin, forcing them to not only band together, but call on help from the titular character.
The quality of these legacy sequels where films from the 80s or 90s get follow-ups can be rather hit or miss. The sad thing is they can often be subject to production company control and feel like a total money grab. Thankfully, that’s not really the case with the “Beetlejuice” sequel.
The picture has two things working in its favor. First, like its predecessor, it’s directed by Tim Burton, a guy full of style who knows how to make an impression on the screen. There’s no doubt that he’s had an up and down run in the last decade or so with wins like “Big Eyes,” misses like “Dumbo.” However, there’s no doubt that he can give a movie some dark personality.
Speaking of personality, that leads to the second point. This movie has Betelgeuse, an undead character that ironically breathes a ton of life into a film. Keaton is of course back as the character and like last time, lends a tremendous amount of energy to the undead conman, making him memorable.
The result is a movie that has an enjoyable Halloween-like aesthetic, reminiscent of the first movie with its bizarre afterlife and autumn-like setting. It also has a lovable character who’s once again a hoot to watch on screen. The hijinks from Betelgeuse consistently entertain, making for a fun romp.
Another positive is Willem Dafoe, who plays Wolf Jackson. In life he was an actor who played a police detective, and in the afterlife he’s an actual detective investigating ghostly crimes. It’s a fun, welcome addition to the “Beetlejuice” series.
A bit more disappointing is Ryder’s Lydia. It’s understandable that the character has grown up and changed over the years, but it still feels like the character has lost a lot of her fun edge that she had in the first movie.
Again, her character has been through some things, but it would have been fun to see more of that old Lydia come out as the film goes on. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really happen. Thankfully, the dynamic between her and Astrid is pretty well handled and Ortega is fairly solid on screen as Astrid.
Likely the biggest issue with the second “Beetlejuice” is how it’s paced poorly. The film has two antagonists and not only are they both dealt with in very anticlimactic fashion, there’s also a major lack of buildup. It’s just odd how the story brings things together and finishes plot threads off without a good framework.
In the end, though, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is still an enjoyable experience. Keaton is a blast on screen, Burton adds a lot of gothic character to the film and it’s overall a breezy watch. It would have been nice for it to be better plotted, but as it is, still pretty good. 3.5 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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