For nearly a decade, Tim Burton was one of the most exciting and original voices in Hollywood. But for just as long - if not longer - he's been a joke. A shorthand for lazy films with spooky vibes and little substance. And those were the better ones. His list of uninspired remakes is a troubling reminder of just how far he and modern movies have fallen.
It was safe to say my expectations could not have been lower for a 34-year-old sequel to one of his best movies. But to my surprise, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a gory, goofy delight.
Michael Keaton looms much larger in this sequel than the original. Your memory may have convinced you his demonic horndog dominates the film that bears his name, but he's only in it for about a third of its runtime. Here, he's up to many of his same tricks. But both Keaton and Burton are smart enough not to just let Beetlejuice mug throughout the film. His performance delivers just the right amount of absurdity, humanity and perversion.
Beetlejuice now runs a much bigger bio-exorcism operation, complete with his own unintelligible, uniformed minions. This ghoulish spin on the Minions of the Despicable Me universe could have been tired. But like the rest of the film, it's far more creative than expected. He's been desperate to reconnect with Lydia (Winona Ryder), who's now a paranormal TV host, engaged to her sleazy manager (Justin Theroux) and estranged from her moody daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) and eccentric artist stepmother (Catherine O'Hara). When they all return to Winter Haven for the funeral of Lydia's father - which ingeniously sidesteps the need to include or recast Jeffrey Jones - he seizes his opportunity.
There were plenty of ways this sequel could have gone wrong, starting with its look. One need only remember the horrors of Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland to envision what an ugly CGI mess this could have been. But thankfully, he returned to stellar makeup artists, costumers and visual technicians to recreate a world that's tactile and memorable. It's horrifying, but in exactly the right way.
While the original film was a compact marvel of world-building and humor, this sequel is overstuffed. Despite a runtime that's certainly not bloated, there are frankly too many new characters with too little to do. Willem Dafoe is great as usual as a dead actor-turned-underworld cop, but his presence is only required because of an even less necessary character. Monica Bellucci (Burton's real-life romantic partner) plays Beetlejuice's ex, a literal soul sucker from the Dark Ages out to reunite with him. This isn't Burton's first time giving a nothing part to his latest paramour, but it's a habit he needs to break if this is the start of a stronger run.
The return of Beetlejuice had ample opportunities to be a garish disaster. But thanks to a great cast and a hard-working crew, it's a welcome return.
