Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
When I was a kid, my older brother and I had a few go-to movies we would watch again and again. Some were not appropriate for kids, but the '80s and '90s were a wild time, my friends.
Among this stable of repeatable flicks was "Beetlejuice." The odd 1988 Tim Burton film is all sorts of weird, but I think that's what my brother and I liked so much. We laughed at Micheal Keaton's brash and motor-mouthed ghost and loved singing to Harry Belafonte's "Banana Boat" in one of the strange movie's strangest moments.
As I grew older, I remembered "Beetlejuice" with nostalgic fondness, often repeating my favorite lines and thinking it was a great movie. At some point in my adult life, I rewatched "Beetlejuice," and guess what? It's not a great movie.
There is little to no plot, the jokes aren't as great as I remembered, and the best part of the movie — Beetlejuice — only has 17 minutes of screen time in the 92-minute film.
The sequel, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," is now in theaters, and despite realizing I don't like the original that much, I was kind of looking forward to it. I hoped they had learned some lessons from the original and put together a movie with an interesting storyline.
Here are some reasons: "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" isn't a great movie — but is still a pretty fun time at the theater.
Catherine O'Hara is hilarious
Some of the original "Beetlejuice" cast are back for the sequel, and I'm so happy Catherine O'Hara is one of them. I think O'Hara is a brilliant comedic actor, and while her Delia Deetz has many of the same qualities as Moira Rose, it's hard not to love her character. Since Delia was around for the first film, Moira has many of the same qualities as Delia.
Regardless, there is more O'Hara this time around, and that was a fantastic choice, in my opinion. Her timing, apathy and joy in watching her granddaughter, Jenna Ortega, treat her mother, Winona Ryder, the same way Ryder treated O'Hara in the first film are wildly gratifying. Not all of O'Hara's moments land, but outside of Beetlejuice, she was the best part of the movie.
Other notable and fun characters include Willem Dafoe's Wolf Jackson, whoever plays Bob and a surprise cameo from one of my all-time favorite comedic actors.
Michael Keaton is still brilliant as Beetlejuice
"Beetlejuice" was so iconic because of Micheal Keaton's performance as the title character. I've always been a Keaton fan. He's a great actor. He showed his chops in movies like "Birdman," "Spotlight" and "The Founder." For my money, however, I've always thought he was at his best in comedic roles. From '80s classics like "Mr. Mom" and "Gung Ho," to underrated gems like "Multiplicity" and scene-stealing minor roles like "The Other Guys," Keaton is natural and at home with comedy.
Beetlejuice as a character is despicable and awful, but you can't help but love the ghoul. He's brash and inappropriate, but that won't stop you from laughing out loud. This new movie has plenty of quotable lines, delivered with expert timing and tone from Keaton. If you loved the first movie, I think it's safe to say it was because of Keaton. If you love this new one, guess what? It's because of Keaton.
You will be disappointed if you're hoping for more Beetlejuice than the original. I don't know how much screen time the lovable fiend has in the new movie, but I think it's not much more than the first. At first, you may feel like that's a bummer, but it's pretty brilliant. We are left wanting more — and he doesn't overstay his welcome. Too often in sequels, filmmakers double down on the scene-stealing characters, and it quickly turns from fun to obnoxious. Notable examples include Mater in "Cars 2," and the Minions in their first solo movie. Too much of a good thing can be bad and, thankfully, that didn't happen with "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice."
It has a storyline
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" doesn't break any new ground with its storyline, and while much of it is predictable, the sequel has more of a plot — and one we care about more than the original.
I don't want to give much away here, but the writers did good work catching us up with what's been happening with the Deetz family over the past 30-plus years. It's easy to care about the characters, again, after such a long time apart. In addition to the goings on in the living world, we get more of a glimpse into the afterlife and have storylines there that are making their way to an intersection where the dead meet the living.
Enough is going on to keep viewers interested, even when our favorite ghost has long absences.
What parents need to know
"Beetlejuice" may have been marketed to kids with toys and Happy Meal tie-ins, but it never was a kids' movie. "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is no different. There are plenty of off-color jokes, comical but gross violence, plenty of blood and gore and coarse language.
The movie is rated PG-13, and it earns that rating. If one word had not been bleeped out, it likely would have earned an R rating.
Conclusion
Did the world need a "Beetlejuice" sequel? Probably not. Am I mad they made it, anyway? No. The movie is far from perfect, but it has enough laughs, jumps and nostalgia to make it worth a watch. If you hated the original, there is no need to see the sequel, but if you're curious, I would say go ahead and scratch that itch. It's not a bad option for the Halloween season.
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is officially rated PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use.
