Arriving 36 years on, this follow-up to the director’s classic supernatural comedy is a gleefully zany farce packed with knock-out punchlines and great practical effects.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review: Tim Burton’s Sequel Surpasses the Original
Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice has arrived, 36 years after the original. This zany, hilarious film is filled with great practical effects and punchlines, making it a fun watch. Michael Keaton returns as Betelgeuse, the mischievous ghost, still looking the same thanks to the heavy corpse makeup from the first movie.
Unlike other disappointing sequels (Ghostbusters: Afterlife comes to mind), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice manages to surpass its predecessor. It delivers both nostalgia and fresh content, much like Top Gun: Maverick. The film’s practical effects, including puppets, prosthetics, and goo, add to the humor, while avoiding an overreliance on CGI.
However, the film does feel a bit overloaded with characters and plotlines, causing some pacing issues, especially towards the end. Betelgeuse now has a job in the underworld’s nightmarish bureaucracy, and Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) returns as a “psychic mediator” with a teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Lydia’s stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) is still as delightfully over-the-top as ever.
The film touches on themes like aging and grief but always swings back to its silly, ghoulish tone. Despite the crowded story and some chaotic moments, it’s one of Burton’s most entertaining films in years, packed with clever jokes, musical numbers, and animated segments. Fans of his quirky style will love this return to form.
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Catherine O’Hara
Run time: 1hr 45m
Rating: ★★★★☆
#BeetlejuiceSequel #TimBurton #MichaelKeaton #HorrorComedy #FilmReview