Film Review- Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

 

Serendipitous circumstance makes this belated sequel to the Eighties cult film bang on trend what with Wynona Ryder being a part of Stranger Things, Jenna Ortega starring in Wednesday and the fact that ghosts and ghouls are arguably more popular than ever. So, it doesn’t really matter whether you’ve seen or recall the minutiae of the original Beetlejuice as there is if anything too much exposition to get us where we are, simply sit back and enjoy the mayhem. If you’re wondering about spelling the main character’s name is spelt as Betelgeuse (same as the red star) but pronounced Beetlejuice yet that’s also the title of the film. Believe me it’s far from being the oddest thing about it!

One of the unusual aspects of the character Betelgeuse is how relatively infrequently he pops up in his own film. I read somewhere that his total screen time in the first movie amounts to fifteen minutes. He’s a little more visible this time but even so there are long periods when he is off screen and that works to the character’s advantage. A seedy ghost who is not especially pleasant to anyone, he’s a difficult fit as the centre of a film and if anyone other than Michael Keaton was playing him it might not work at all. Sporting the same make up and costume as he did back, Keaton can pass for the same ageless character and is certainly willing to give a lot of eccentric commitment to the role. Its just as electric a performance as in the first film.

The narrative picks up with the funeral of Lydia Deetz’s father. Lydia- a seemingly ageless Wynona Ryder playing deft comedic beats- is now hosting a supernatural talk show yet is still seeing Betelgeuse in brief flashes and is unsure if its real or her imagination. Nervy and often spooked Lydia has become an even stranger adult than she was teenager! The family get together includes Catherine O’Hara in incendiary form as the fearsome Delia, now a pretentious visual artist. Her contributions are well worth the film alone. Also, we meet Lydia’s happyish boyfriend Rory, gamely played by Justin Theroux and her daughter Astrid. Despite the genre similarity Jenna Ortega manages to successfully circumnavigate being too similar to Lydia in the first film or to her role as Wednesday. She’s a little softer here, less grumpy, and more like a regular teenager albeit one used to the eccentricities of the family. Monica Belluci  plays Dolores, the ex wife of Betelgeuse and her initial appearance - literally pulling  herself together – is startling but her ultimate purpose seems to be to wander around looking for her ex or you might say waiting for the climax of the film. The actress makes the best of a somewhat loosely written role. 

The film has several sub plots which means the pace meanders a little at first but from the halfway point it catches fire especially when we take a trip into the underworld. There are some surprises though not necessarily ones you don’t see coming. The busy narrative manages to tie everything together quite neatly in the end.  A couple of things do jar; one is the prominent use of actor Jeffrey Jones’ image which in view of his past misdemeanours seems inappropriate considering they were the reason he wasn’t invited back. And I felt slightly uncomfortable with the racial stereotypes in the `Soul Train` sequence which seems out of place these days.

One of the most appealing aspects is the amount of physical sets and props that Tim Burton has clearly used. Rather than go for outright realism the film is imbued with a cartoonish quality and is all the better for it.  Digital effects sparingly used blend in with the bold props. The dialogue too has a straightforward clarity so nobody really has any deep conversations except a handful of reflective moments that contrast well.  There are segments where you wonder “but what’s this really about?” Its best not have those moments though because there are so many delightful, funny and inventive scenes that carry you through. Burton's old foil Danny Elfman comes up with one of his best scores in a while to underscore the vivid imagery.

None however quite prepare you for the triumphant church sequence near the end which is hilarious, anarchic and clever and soundtracked by the full version of `McArthur Park`. The Richard Harris version too. Finally something even more absurd than the promotional video this song had back in the day. Easily on a par with the silliest highs of Barbie, I doubt 2024 will have anything quite to match this moment which tops off a film that indicates, along with Wednesday, that Tim Burton is having a career creative renaissance.