36 YEARS HAVE PASSED since the last time we saw the trickster demon Beetlejuice in front of the big screen.
From the moment Michael Keaton started wearing his signature black-and-white striped suit while delivering his lines with his comedic gruff voice, was already enough to leave a first impression.
And now with him back in 2024 as the titular character, it seems Keaton's jaw-dropping touch remains.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to the horror comedy classic, has managed to capture the spirit of the OG as pays tribute to the previous movie with its various callbacks.
The cast is back!
Michael Keaton wasn't the only one who made his return as there were other notable characters who have also made their comeback. Seeing Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz brings back memories of our childhood when she was viewed as our goth girl crush.
But she's not alone as Catherine O'Hara's Delia Deetz has also returned together with her husband in the series, who makes a cameo appearance.
It was definitely fun to see the OG characters return however the introduction of new members have also lit up the film.
Jenna Ortega seem like the perfect fit for this film given her gothic role as Wednesday Addams, but in Beetlejuice, she served as a foil to Ryder given her skepticism with the supernatural. This in turn causes a conflict between mother and daughter, Lydia and Astrid, a key plot point in the film.
WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Dissecting the Lydia vs. Astrid rift
Having two family members with polarizing beliefs truly makes this film relatable, but this wasn't the only theme that was tackled as it also incorporated another problem in society: toxic relationships.
Astrid had enough of her mother Lydia falling for a shady boyfriend named Rory (portrayed by Justin Theroux).
Fed up with the situation, she decided to run off, which led to a chance encounter with a random boy, who initially looked like the dream boyfriend for Astrid.
Eventually as the narrative moves on, Astrid slowly realizes that she too has similarities with her mother which slowly softens her up.
And if you think that the toxic relationships will just end there, wait for Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice to make an appearance with his usual grotesque humor and his trickster-esque persona.
Seeing the need to get rid of his ex-lover, who ended up murdering him during the Black Plague, Beetlejuice once again sought to tie the knot with Lydia.
Initially it seemed Lydia wouldn't encounter Beetlejuice given what has transpired in the previous film but fate would say otherwise.
Placing Beetlejuice in the spotlight
As I dug deep into the film's narrative I was concerned about the numerous characters jumpacked into the film.
With so many notable villains and side characters, with some having very intriguing plot points, has Tim Burton forgotten about the titular character?
While it may seem that some of the characters are short-lived in the film, in my opinion, it was the right move for Burton to limit their involvement in the film, which in turn would give more emphasis to Beetlejuice.
The same ol' prankster remains as Juice nearly could've gotten his deepest desires, plus he was entertaining to watch especially when he was dancing and celebrating inside the church.
At the end of the day, the side characters didn't seem like nuissance in the film as each had their own moments, but Burton was able to shed more light to Beetlejuice while also integrating the other protagonists as well.
The spirit of the Beetlejuice remains
But it's not just through Beetlejuice where the spirit of the original film remained as Burton manages to rekindle the same formulas from the past, which seem to feel like warping back to the glory days of the late 80s.
The previous film has been renowned for its clunky CGI stop motion effects especially when the sand snake appeared, and I expected to see some major improvements with the sequel.
The animations have improved, but the poor movements remained which does bring back memories of the past.
Did this pull the film downward? As someone who loves looking at nostalgia, the poor animations does bring a smile to my face and it doesn't seem to be overly unbearable and glaring to the eye.
The cartoonish nature of these effects actually adds to the comedy and light-hearted tone of the film.
But it's not just through the visual effects where the sequel pays homage to the original as the characters we mentioned earlier were given a proper send off.
Delia Deetz and her husband were given the tribute that they deserved and this seems to signal that a new beginning awaits the franchise.
CONCLUSION
Tim Burton stuck with the same formulas from the past though he made some minor tweaks, but overall he did a great job in bringing a cult classic back from the grave.
Speaking about repeating the same process, will we see another Beetlejuice film after 30 plus years? Who knows what would happen once Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is announced but given the direction of the latest installment, I'm eagerly excited to see if Burton will push through with another Beetlejuice project.
Beetlejuice (2x) was definitely full of flavor and comedy that makes it worth the watch though it can be argued that the 1 hour and 44 minute screentime isn't enough, forcing us to chant Beetlejuice's name three times.
Also, justice for Bob!
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