BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE HOLDS UP AND IS A GREAT MOVIE FOR THE HALLOWEEN SEASON

“Say it once! Say it twice! 3rd time’s the charm!” is a line I quoted often as a kid along with the little song that followed. Beetlejuice was a highly quotable film when it came out with lines that fit a lot of situations. It was hard to throw out a line and not have someone know exactly what reference you were making. When it comes to sequels Hollywood sometimes tries too hard to forget the original in an effort to feel like they’re branching out especially after 36 years. With the new Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice movie hitting theaters I was afraid this would be another attempt to distance the sequel.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is another sequel that ties back to its only original movie that came out in the 1980s. With Winona Ryder reprising her role, we now see an adult Lydia Deetz as a spirit medium with her own TV show where she speaks with the dead. Apparently her ability to see ghosts was not just attached to the Maitlins as a child. Her daughter, Astrid played by Jenna Ortega is a bit estranged from her mom since her father died and she is currently staying at the art school named after her step-grandmother, Delia played by Catherine O’Hara. After Lydia’s father dies they all go back to Winter River to have the funeral and maybe heal the fractures in their relationships. One concern is that Lydia keeps having visions or “the ghost with the most” popping up in all of Michael Keaton’s ghoulish glory. Beetlejuice is keeping himself busy in the bio-exorcist business with a staff of workers now. He pines for Lydia still and their almost marriage and his freedom from the afterlife. But a new evil has been unleashed in the form of Monica Belluci’s character, Delores who is just as obsessed with finding her former husband, Beeltejuice. It is a bit of a cat and mouse story of who catches up to who first, and if everyone survives.

This is one of those casts that is absolutely impeccable. No one will ever play Beetlejuice like Keaton and the rest of cast is just as perfect. Ortega is a star rocketing to the top of the young actors list with every project she does. She is the only person that could truly be believable as the child of Lydia Deetz. Even when she meets a boy in the film her vulnerability shines through while maintaining that dark aura. The entire cast hits their marks on most levels, and there isn’t the feeling that anything was forced. Burton wanted that from the get go as he didn’t write Allan and Barbara Maitlin into the story for just that reason. They are mentioned for obvious reasons and you see signs of them if you look closely at the model of the town as the camera passes over it. The good thing is that they didn’t stray from the original movie too far either to make it comfortable to the fan viewership. Some of the references are direct points that everyone remembers from multiple viewings of the original. Some of the backgrounds and lines are subtle reminders that almost seem like throwaway lines or images, but true fans catch them. The sequel has a few more intense and somewhat gross scenes than the first one, but nothing too crazy. Burton isn’t a big fan of computer generated special effects so while some things may look a a bit clunky they fit the aesthetic and feel somehow creepier that way. You can watch this a s a family with the older kids but younger ones may be frightened by the images and there is a few words you would want them repeating. It was great to see it in the theater and if you have the chance, take it. After that it will be a great addition to your Halloween watching in future years as well. Let’s not forget that this was also for the fans as I mentioned at the beginning. When Beetlejuice quickly says at one point, “I’m more of a dog person”, that goes back to a little song that kids used to sing thirty plus years ago, and that nothing is a throw away line or image.