BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (2024)

Genre: Fantasy/Comedy
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Frightening Scenes and Coarse Language)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: https://www.beetlejuicebeetlejuice.com.sg

Opening Day: 5 September 2024

Synopsis: Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected 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 rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it's only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice's name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

Movie Review:

Ah, the good ol’ 1980s. One of the most iconic Tim Burton movies that came out during the time was Beetlejuice (1988). The premise was simple – a recently deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis exuding fine on screen chemistry) engages the titular “bio exorcist” to scare their new house owners (the obnoxiously fun Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) away.

What audiences didn’t expect was a devilishly outrageous cinematic experience with Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuse (that’s the character’s actual name in the franchise) antics which are outlandishly eccentric, and sometimes even inappropriate by today’s standards. Of course, there was also Winona Ryder who rose to prominence by working her unique gothic charm.

So it makes perfect sense to bring back these beloved stars of the original movie. Keaton returns as the politically incorrect afterlife ghost, Ryder’s Lydia Deetz has grown from a gothic teenager to a gothic mother of a teenage girl, and O’Hara ‘s Delia Deetz is still the outlandish stepmother. In a brilliant casting move, Jenna Ortega and her goth glam are put to good use as she plays Lydia’s daughter Astrid. Elsewhere, Justin Conti takes on the role of Astrid’s love interest, while Justin Theroux portrays her soon to be stepfather.

And just to liven up the party, Willem Dafoe hams things up as a ghost detective, Monica Bellucci leverages her sultriness to play a femme fatale who is after Betelgeuse, and Danny Da Vito has a bit role as a janitor who died by drinking varnish (we are not kidding).

It has been 35 since the first movie, and the sequel hasn’t lost any of its freakish allure. Kudos to Burton who undoubtedly had a great time making this movie by staying true to his signature use of practical effects and twisted quips, which is something he probably was restricted from going all out with while making the live action adaptation of Disney’s Dumbo.

And the result is a movie that makes you feel like you are sitting on a theme park dark ride, where ghoulish sets await at every corner, and you don’t know what to expect. The level of creativity is limitless, and you can imagine how the team of filmmakers is constantly excited to bring whatever crazy idea that hatches in Burton’s mind. There is even an unexpected song and dance sequence that is bizarre yet effective in bringing the story forward.

The other person who probably had tons of fun on set is Keaton, who was only on screen in the original one and a half hour movie for 17 minutes. Similarly, he does not have the most amount of screen time in the sequel, but the makes every second count the moment he appears. Betelgeuse obviously isn’t the good guy here, but he is the naughty fellow you want to hang out with on an uninhibited night out. He says all the things you don’t dare to say, and acts in the most irresponsibly funny way. It’s fun and exciting, but it is also something you know won’t go down well with your parents.

Movie Rating:

(You will have an uninhibated time with the ever politically incorrect Betelgeuse, thanks to Tim Burton's ghoulish imagination)

Review by John Li