More crammed than a mass grave - 6/10

by Jad Sammour

Watched on Friday, September 13th 2024.

After nearly 40 years everyone's favorite goth director returns to the afterlife of Beetlejuice (or was it Betlegeuse?). The beloved 80s film had a sequel in development in years and finally hit theaters this September.

I love the original Beetlejuice, I think it's great and funny with an entertaining narrative and a wonderful, morbid atmosphere. The sequel had huge shoes to fill and it fills them as much as a skeleton would, which may seem like a bad thing but in Beetlejuice metrics that's pretty good... a little bit thin on substance but perfectly and deliciously macabre. And that's the core of the issue here: the sequel does not have the best story which is mainly a partial rehash of the original (unsuprisingly) but with two additional subplots that do intersect with the main story but are useless and not necessary for the core story - despite them being really fun and bringing in additional world-building.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun film, and I mean FUN. It is filled with a lot of gags and funny jokes in addition to an unrelenting plot that stays busy with little room to breathe. It's utterly stimulating and keeps the viewer busy (be it stuff that serve the plot or not). The film overindulges in its own world and takes every chance to expand it and develop it and sometimes at the expense of the film's betterment. 

I was not a big fan of the direction they took with Lydia's character. In fact I was not a huge fan of the sequel's story direction for the most part. In spite of this, I still enjoyed the film. Willem Dafoe's subplot is electricly entertaining (I love Willem, he's great in everything). Monica Bellucci's role was useless but she's amazing (and incredibly beautiful), maybe it was Tim Burton showing off his wife (I would do the same). Michael Keaton's triumphant return as Beetlejuice is awesome, I love the character and he's great. Lots of fun. Jenna Ortega plays another high schooler, I guess. 

The film's look and aesthetic channels the original as much as possible with gothic sets and designs inspired by German expressionist films (notably The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, again), however this does not work all the time, mainly I think because the film was shot on digital giving a sterile and cilinical image devoid of grain and organic ruggedness, making the sets look a bit artificial and a little fake. The stop motion segments warmed my heart with awesome models and designs and colors. So overall the film does try to remain faithful to the original in all ways, with special effects that barely use any digital components and this brings a sense of tangibility and fun and a direct link between both films. And Dany Elfman returns to compose some awesome music.

Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an entertaining film that may not reach the heights of its predecessor but achieves high levels of entertainment and quirky, macabre fun!

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