Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Directed by: Tim Burton

Written by: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar

Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) now hosting her own “psychic” TV show,  finds herself returning home, with her boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux), to Winter River for a family funeral. This returns Lydia, stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and Lydia’s daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), with who she has a strained relationship, to the family home and all of its memories. No memory stronger than Beetlegeuse (Michael Keaton). It’s tough for Astrid, but when she meets a local boy, Jeremy (Arthur Conti), things look up. But when Astrid’s relationship takes a turn, Lydia’s only hope is to once more call on Beetlegeuse. A call that brings mayhem, led my Beetlegeuse’s wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci), who is seeking revenge. Can Lydia use Beetlegeuse to save the day? Or will she live to regret it?

Beetlejuice is another in a growing list of films that, for me, didn’t need a sequel. But her we are and The Juice is back. And, while it’s nothing great, it was enjoyable fun over its 104 minutes run time.

Tim Burton is at the helm and this is very Burton, dark, funny and a little off the rails. The story is all over the place, with random plot points disappearing as quickly as they appear. But that said it rattles along, hardly takes a breath and is fun and funny as it goes.

The underworld is well imagined, the Soul Train is a particul favourite. But plenty of other fun in scenes of endless bureaucracy, characters with “humourous deaths” and its own underworld investigator in Willem Dafoe’s, Wolf Jackson. And to top it all a big song and dance finale!

Was the world crying out for a Beetlejuice sequel? I’m not sure. But, while the story is a bit of a mess, Tim Burton injects it with plenty of comically dark fun that never takes a breath. Keaton is clearly having a blast back in the black and white suite. And no film has ever suffered from having a big song and dance ending! A classic it isn’t, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.