Film Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - The Juice lets loose in this delightfully nostalgic comedy

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

LEVIATHAN REVIEWS: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. What's that you say? You love the new Hollywood trend of digging through the entire back catalogue of 80s classics in order to make an endless line of money producing sequels? Well then, have I got the movie for you. Despite my misgivings with this necromantic obsession Hollywood has with the 80s, I can happily say that Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fitting continuation of the original, still managing to capture its iconic and irreverent spirit (That's the only pun, I promise) while remaining exciting. Michael Keaton returns as the titular ghost, bringing his signature brand of manic energy and comedic timing to the role.

The film introduces a new generation of characters and actors, with Jenna Ortega portraying Astrid Deetz, who adds a fresh perspective to the story. Alongside Jenna Ortega, the film has all the star studded appeal of Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, and of course, Danny Devito. However, fans of the Maitlands may be sad to see that our beloved suburban ghosts have long since left the world of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, in a satisfying resolution to their story - assuming, like me, you are willing to be content with some gently placed throwaway lines about ‘the other side’.

The visual style is stunning, with Burton's signature gothic aesthetic on full display. The costumes, set design, and special effects are all top-notch, including a hilarious stop-motion sequence designed to explain the backgrounding of the character of Charles Deetz. This of course was due to the original actor Jeffrey Jones, however the less said about the circumstances of his departure the better. Nevertheless, the cast shine brilliantly in their roles picking up their characters with a devout faithfulness to the original - personally I am beginning to believe that Michael Keaton was so committed to the role that he has refused to age, time be damned. The film doesn’t allow itself to rest on its laurels though, the relatively unknown Arthur Conti is cast as Jeremy, a newfound friend of Astrid Deetz, and he plays it with phenomenal range.

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

As for the script, the sequel featured a wide range of hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments from all the characters that marked it as a truly successful comedy. The plot itself may have some shortcomings depending on where you’re sitting, the character of Rory, while funny, is essentially transparent from the time he finishes his second line. And an argument could be made that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is just a larger than life version of the original, and while that may be true it did nothing in the way of diminishing the films enjoyability.

So, Leviathan’s verdict 3.5/5: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a must-see for fans of the original film. It's a testament to the enduring power of Tim Burton's vision, and while it accomplishes itself as a self-contained story, I for one would be more than happy to watch a third installment. It might be for the best if I don’t say that title outloud, however.

Published: 12/09/2024

Author: Will Morgan

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