BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE

The Juice is loose and Tim Burton is back on form in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, an energetic sequel that overcomes rushed plotting with an entertaining cast and an abundance of gothic joy.

Seeing the people who shaped your childhood stumble, inevitably causes heartbreak, and I have endured plenty during the past two decades of Tim Burton’s career. Luckily with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice the director finally gets back on track with his most joyous, inventive and giddily funny movie in ages.

Not that there aren’t a few roadblocks along the way. Most troublesome is a screenplay that tries too hard, with so many story strands and characters, old and new. The first half of the picture drags with exposition and the latter half rushes to tie up all loose ends, giving some of the most intriguing subplots (think: Monica Belluci’s soul-sucking bride) short shrift along the way.

Still, who cares when Tim Burton, his cast and crew so spectacularly engulf you in the sheer enjoyment that they clearly had making this belated sequel. Burton in particular seems reinvigorated, as he mixes in several stop-motion sequences with a fantastic black-and-white Mario Bava homage (in Italian!). Best of all might be a showstopping opening that sees Belluci stitch her chopped up body back together with a staple gun to the pumping tune of The Beegees’ Tragedy.

What a joy it is as well to see Winona Ryder so lovingly revisit her most iconic role, and Michael Keaton to up the zaniness as Beetlejuice: he knocks the physical comedy out of the park (quite literally at times). Jenna Ortega is a welcome addition to the cast as Ryder’s daughter – she’s the beating heart of the picture – though I was not a fan of Justin Theroux’ overacted, stereotypical bad guy.

Speaking volumes about how surprisingly well Beetlejuice Beetlejuice succeeds, is the films climax. Against all odds it nearly outdoes the classic Banana Boat sequence of the original. Rest assured: you will be leaving the movie theatre with a big smile on your face and vintage song MacArthur Park on a constant loop in your head.

release: 2024

director: Tim Burton

starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux