5 things to know about Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’

Does the sequel make a satisfactory addition, or is it a mere cash grab?

Waiting a long time to produce a sequel can have both good and bad side effects. Actors can age with the role or age out of it, the story requires a need to exist outside of cash-grabbing, and the audience has to be interested. I can’t say the past 36 years have been spent crying out loud for a Beetlejuice sequel, but the idea wasn’t a bad one.

Michael Keaton’s afterlife trickster can still roast humans verbally and mortally, and he’s got a good amount of heat due to his wide array of work behind and in front of the camera recently. Burton has always seemed at home in this twisted, darkly comedic cinema world, and Beetlejuice’s “ghosts are real and also funny” aesthetic hasn’t lost all of the zip on its baseball since its 1988 release.

Aptly named Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (don’t say his name three times, or Candyman five times for that matter), Burton’s sequel picks up with a grown up Lydia (Winona Ryder) desperately trying to reconnect with her daughter (the always working Jenny Ortega) as her popularity drains the life out of their relationship. Toss in a larger than life Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and Justin Theroux’s clingy assistant, and Keaton’s mad man has plenty of cards to play with.

But is it any good? Was it worth revisiting? Most importantly, will it make you laugh and smile? Here’s five things to know, aka reactions that should clear up my take on the movie.

1) Keaton is still a master of comedy

Long overshadowed by his more often showcased dramatic talents, Keaton is one of the most versatile comedic talents that Hollywood doesn’t tap into enough. He can be serious, goofy, flat out funny, and seriously goofy. One of the biggest reasons to revisit the Beetlejuice world is to uncover that deliriously deep voice of Keaton’s titular character, like one of his clones (Doug #2) from Multiplicity.

It’s Keaton who praised the sequel’s script early on and after production wrapped, which is always a good sign for a fine movie. That made me gain interest for the movie, and he wasn’t wrong. He’s at ease in a role as wacky as this, and then he can go play a well read and very serious hitman in Knox Goes Away. That’s versatility.

2) Ryder’s all around most fitting role

The actress plays bewildered distress better than anyone, as in she’s mastered that gothic look of despair. Like with Stranger Things, Ryder shows her acting chops in being able to jump back into this darkly humorous playground and put in some good work. It never hurts a movie when the actors still look like they can live in the world and still portray all of the character’s idiosyncrasies. Ryder may be best known for Girl, Interrupted, but Delia in the world of ghosts will always fit her like a shoe.

3) The supporting cast is game, buys into material again

You can put O’Hara into any role, and she’ll give it life. Having made a career out of playing rich moms who go through a crisis (Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek), slipping into the role of a mega mom who gets her head turned by the metaphysical is another easy fit to slip back into for the actress. Like Ryder’s haunted child, Delia has found a way to make money off her fear and it’s becoming toxic in the family. The more drama, the better for O’Hara.

Theroux is hilarious as Lydia’s television show producer and assistant, a literal cash grab of a man who cranks up the emotions to 15 and is wearing out Ortega’s rebellious daughter. Danny DeVito shows up for a nice cameo, and Monica Bellucci makes for a vicious, soul-sucking villain who wants her own walk down the aisle with Beetlejuice.

4) The movie doesn’t overstay its welcome

Call me practically curious for noting when a movie doesn’t mess around and completes its story within 110 minutes, but I am not in a movie theater to waste my time. If it’s long, make it worth it. If it’s too long, a good cinephile will know. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice breezes by with its straight to the point plot and unforced humor, allowing the cast to do their thing and crank up the nostalgia for fans of the original.

While the twists aren’t frequent, the surprises are and they make the film a fun experience for people who don’t need world-building and multiple sequels. Keeping it tight just like someone keeps their core tight is a good thing. This is a sequel that will not bore you.

5) It’s genuinely funny

There’s no loose-hanging fat humor or too complex to understand jokes happening here. Sometimes, sequels try to alert the media that they’re taking place and being made in a brand new world. Burton and his team of screenwriters forgo that thankfully, avoiding the insertion of every pop culture and modern day life trope into their piece of make believe; just put on a good show and let Keaton run around and do his thing for a couple hours. Was the sequel absolutely necessary? No, but it sure makes for a good movie with some worthy laughs.

Bonus Things: Thank you Tim Burton for still believing in practical special effects, and I would like a spin-off with crazy-small-headed Bob.

Here’s the thing. You’ll know right away if a sequel is necessary or a pure cash grab meant to trick people into enjoying something that has gone stale. Burton, Keaton, and company go down a different road, one that doesn’t rely on any profound message or reinvent the wheel. It just wants to entertain and draw some laughs.

Rating: See it this weekend with the whole family.