Director Kevin Smith once joked that a sequel will hopefully not materialize to 1988's classic chill-to-the-bone ghost comedy, "Beetlejuice." That once-upon-a-time proposed sequel was something along the lines of "Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian" to which Smith quipped, "Must we go tropical?" Well, a sequel arrived and without Smith's involvement and I am happy to say, yes, this sequel is as good as the original and just as fun and diverting with a lot of unexpected turns and twists to make for a delirious ride into the afterlife.
Winona Ryder reprises her Lydia Deetz role, a little older but still looking as Goth as ever. She's the host of "Ghost House" where paranormal events inside haunted houses are investigated. At the taping, she think she's spotted the funhouse demon Betelgeuse. Complications have arisen for Lydia. For one, her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega, undeniably well cast) is at a private school and wants nothing to do with her mother ("You care more about ghosts than me.") This is all largely due to the unfortunate passing of Astrid's father, and Lydia's former husband, who died in the Amazon. Another death has now been reported, that of Lydia's father who almost died in a plane crash out to sea when he then got eaten by a shark. Lydia reunites with her stepmother Delia (Catherine O'Hara, always wearing colorfully gaudy costumes) for the funeral, and Delia is sad and tries to fake scream in front of a camera to let out her frustrations (that is a good idea). Before long, there is the summoning of Beetlejuice or, more appropriately, Betelgeuse which Lydia's producer/boyfriend (Justin Theroux) thinks is important so that Lydia can deal with her past demons. Little does he know that they both have a ticket to the afterlife which includes shrunken headed desk clerks and gruesome ghosts.
Most of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is engaging, darkly imaginative and wonky, as you might expect from director Tim Burton. Nothing here visually is all that different from the original, only the dialogue is sharper and funnier. There are too many characters, though most have sufficient screen time without bungling the narrative. I would have liked to have seen, however, more of Monica Bellucci as Betelgeuse's former girlfriend (a black-and-white flashback narrated in a different language by Betelgeuse is vintage, classic Burton and hilarious to boot). The one character that sticks out in my craw is Theroux's boyfriend character whose reasons for being with Lydia have nothing to do with love - he is a one-dimensional bore that takes time away from O'Hara and Ortega. Bellucci could have used more screen time, divulging her love for that pin-striped suited demon. A boyfriend for Astrid could've led to something darkly romantic, but it is quickly resolved in too abrupt a fashion
Still between the ghoulish afterlife depictions (love that "Soul Train") and the sandworms and the practical stop-motion effects overall, Burton's demented and spirited sequel is some of the best work he has done in years (excepting "Big Eyes," a truly wonderful biopic). Kudos to Michael Keaton reprising his horny toad of a demon with relish and some good comical scenes (the reprise of the marriage scene is a hoot). Winona Ryder brings much needed sympathy to her Lydia - you keep wanting to reach out and comfort her (can you tell I was always a fan of Ryder's?) Jenna Ortega is fantastic as the daughter who doesn't believe in ghosts and eventually comes around. O'Hara's outrageous outfits brings back memories of the original film and TV's "Schitt's Creek." Hearing the song "MacArthur Park" brings memories back of the 1970's. "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is a delightfully gleeful and joyous movie. It left me with a silly grin and a hope that when I meet my maker, it will look like the afterlife of this movie.
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