Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burtons thirty six year old cult classic. There have been numerous starts and stops for Keaton’s exterminator, with a working script for a Hawaiin-based caper. But the time has finally come to re-enter the iconic home in Winter River.

tim Burton’s new film retains much of the charm and practical effects of the first. The casting is solid, the atmosphere superb, and the plot lines are entertaining. Even if there are a few too many of them.

Returning to Winter River

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice throws a lot of stories at the wall to see what sticks. There are never less than three concurrent conflicts going on at once and few of them come to a satisfying conclusion.

The film begins with a little set dressing and exposition to understand where our heroes have been for the past thirty-six years. Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz now hosts a ghost talk show and is estranged from her daughter Astrid. Lydia and Astrid’s estrangement stems from the divorce and disappearance of her father. A lot is going on in this film but at the center are Lydia and Astrid. Their story is central to the plot and the film at its core is one about mothers and daughters.

A Crazy Cast of Characters

The original film told the story of this wacky world through the eyes of a recently deceased couple. This framing device helped not only introduce the audience to the world of Beetlejuice but also provided a straight man to the crazy characters inhabiting the film.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doubles down on the wacky characters both living and dead and asks Jenna Ortega to do most of the straight-man heavy lifting. This works for most of the film but with a narrative bursting at the seams, it’s often that we spend a lot of time with just the outlandish players. Jenna Ortega does the best she can but it can be a little exhausting when we spend twenty minutes jumping between Keaton, Dafoe, and even Danny Davito all chewing the scenery.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Never-ending Plot Lines

The film quickly pairs Astrid and Lydia with Lydia’s stepmother Delia played excellently again by Catherine O’Hara. Delia’s husband and Lydia’s father has died in a humorous plane crash/shark attack accident and the family must travel back to Winter River to bury their father and sell the iconic ghost house. Concurrently Beetleguese is being stalked in the afterlife by a scorned lover out to enact revenge.

These stories are enough to fill two hours but the film also presents Justin Theroux as Lydia’s sleazy fiancee, A mysterious love interest for Astrid, and Lydia agreeing again to marry the bio-exorcist. Some of these plot lines wrap up nicely while others conclude with a quick joke or exposition fine print read from the handbook for the recently deceased. Oh, also Willem Dafoe is here as a ghost detective/actor.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is never boring but it is all over the place. It’s difficult at times to remember every plot thread the movie is pulling. Sometimes we are following Astrid to the underworld only to remember briefly that Beetleguese’s wife is out to get him. There is a lot to follow but in reality, it’s not a huge issue. The movie is much more about vibes and aesthetics than telling a compelling narrative.

The Bureaucracy of the Underworld

A highlight of the original Beetlejuice film is the never-ending bureaucracy of the afterlife. There are accountants, civil servants, and case workers all working meaningless dead-end jobs for eternity. All of that returns here and looks just as creepy and beautiful as it did in the first film.

Burton uses some CGI in this film, it’s 2024 after all, but he wisely chooses to do most of his effects practically. Fans of puppets and stop-motion sandworms should rejoice as the film is abundant with both. Beetlejuice has an instantly recognizable aesthetic due to the use of practical effects and this film retains that aesthetic almost perfectly.

Life in the Afterlife

It’s a good thing that the underworld looks so great because the film spends a lot of time there. The original film gave us brief snippets of the space between but Beetlejuice Beetlejuice greatly expands on this world and its no longer living inhabitants. Rather than just seeing a small waiting room with brutally mangled customers, we are treated to soul trains, detective offices, and even after-life laundromats. The underworld in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is brimming with personality and it’s a treat to spend so much time there.

The sequences above ground are similarly pretty, bathed in fall colors instead of the cool tones of the undead. Winter River felt like a New England dream in the first film but we rarely got to see the town. Much of the first film takes place inside the Maitlands residence but here we get to go outside and see the town encompassing the iconic home. It’s a gorgeously realized location and one that makes the film instantly feel like an October classic.

Love, Death, and Family

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice expertly expands on the original film while also playing the hits. There are references and nods to the original film but this sequel feels like a fresh and new experience. When such a long time has passed between entries there is often a desire to just remake the first one for a new audience. It’s The Force Awakens problem where a movie simply tries to emulate its greatest entry. Tim Burton is a better director than that and the quality of his new film is a testament to it.

Tim Burton’s 20th film may not rank amongst the top films in his filmography. It is not as adventurous as Ed Wood or as existential as Edward Scissorhands, but it is a great addition to his catalog. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a worthy successor to its predecessor and is sure to become a Halloween family favorite.