'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice', the titular character in the sequel and by far the one with the best screen time.
Starring original cast members Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton, if you’re looking for a similarly-styled masterpiece. . . Think again. This was a messy concoction of ideas that don't seem to take off until we get to the third act. That said, it was joyous to see old favourites reunited with new and the overall vibe of the film was fun!
For the most part, I was left feeling underwhelmed and slightly disappointed as a big fan of the original. The simple idea of ghosts who didn’t realise they were dead or needed to move on worked so well with the quirky, misunderstood Ryder character. This new version sees Ryder as a second-rate TV medium with dodgy producer boyfriend and angsty daughter.
The film had moments of fun, but just felt messy and confusing. The addition of the beautiful Monica Bellucci felt unnecessary towards the whole story, and it never felt like she did much. In fact, I think she had one line. The trip on the 'soul train' felt like tokenism, and I wasn’t sure why this was the only moment where we experienced diversity. Justin Theroux had moments of hilarity, but again, it felt like a missed opportunity.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a Burton project and it feels like a Burton film. I’m just not sure if it feels like one of his best. It was great to see the stars, and of course as you would expect the staging, music and acting was all great – the story itself just felt like a bit of a letdown.
The best part of the whole film by far was act three, when the entire thing felt like it turned into one long music video. This was my favourite part of the film, a truly joyous moment where each cast member, Burton and the story could shine.
In my opinion, not as good as the original, but still – a lot of fun to be had. If you love Burton you’ll enjoy this, but perhaps not as much as some of his other masterpieces such as 'Edward Scissorhands' or indeed the original 'Beetlejuice'.
Overall an enjoyable movie experience, possibly one you could wait for and watch on streaming.
★★★☆☆ 1/2.
