Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Movie Review

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

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Written by: Michael McDowell & Larry Wilson (characters created by), Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith (story), Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (screenplay)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Danny DeVito
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter Astrid accidentally opens a portal to the Afterlife.

Verdict
It's better than most of these sequels that resurrect a long gone movie, but I still was hoping for more. Betelgeuse is underutilized. This has a lot of characters that are props for the plot, when instead this could have built the underworld and what that place looks like by showing us more of Betelgeuse and his shenanigans. The first movie was unlike any other movie. Now we've seen Betelgeuse and this isn't as unique because of that. It doesn't try to do any world building, and it doesn't have much of a plot. I do like it better than the first one, though the plot shares several similarities.
It depends

Review
Thirty years after the first movie, Lydia (Winona Ryder) hosts a paranormal show that capitalizes on her abilities. She's estranged from her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) who was closer to her father and doubt's her mom's abilities.

Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) has expanded his bio-exorcism operation, overseeing several employees. It's a huge missed opportunity that we don't see more of Betelgeuse in the underworld and conducting bio-exoercisms. We see him in an office with employees and that's it. When I rewatched the original movie, it wasn't good as I remembered and I was surprised at how little screen time Betelgeuse had. I assumed this movie would correct that. While he gets more screen time, he could have been better used. I wanted to see him getting into and out of trouble. He's started projecting himself into Lydia's world as he's still smitten with her. Why he waited thirty years for these projections serves the plot. There's another subplot about someone after Betelgeuse. It's an incredibly unfulfilling subplot, to the point of being largely pointless other than filling time.

Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux play Lydia, Astrid, Rory

This has a lot of references to the original, with so many so quickly it starts to feel forced. The original movie was a new and engrossing premise. This doesn't try to build on top of it. While we have a lot of different characters, they only exist to serve the plot. The characters are props. Betelgeuse's employees could have been great comic relief. Willem Dafoe plays a detective that also feels pointless. He shows up as needed, and despite Dafoe's great delivery, his character achieves nothing.

Michael Keaton plays Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse is called upon in two different instances to resolve issues for characters. He resolves these issues so quickly it's disappointing. He would have been more fun if he used his employees and had to work the bureaucracy of the underworld. Whenever you invoke Betelgeuse there's always a catch. That's resolved far too easily. If this had expanded on him breaking into the under world offices to solve problems, that also could have been a reason he's removed from reality.

Nick Kellington, Willem Dafoe play Bob, Wolf Jackson

While I like this better than a lot of the sequels that exist just to turn a profit, this could have been so much better. Watching this, I wonder if Michael Keaton only agreed to a set number of days and that's why we don't see more of him as Betelgeuse. I don't know why you wouldn't use him more.

I wonder about the goal of this movie. Was it just to turn a profit? Is it filled with pointless side characters just to fill time? I assumed these side characters would have more importance. Betelgeuse's employee Bob could have been better comic relief. The solution to this movie is so easy. Betelgeuse is the most interesting character. Why does he not get a fun adventure? Following him around in the underworld would have entertained while also building this strange world. The movie fails on both accounts. I like it better than the first movie, because in that movie despite how I remembered it, Betelgeuse is only on screen for ten minutes.