Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: Michael Keaton is the hardest-working spirit in the afterlife

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024 | USA | Tim Burton | 105 minutes)

I used to be 9 years previous when Tim Burton’s beloved ghost-comedy Beetlejuice film got here out. Now I’ve gotten fats and most of my hair is grey. I wasn’t precisely holding my breath for a sequel but it surely all the time felt inevitable as a result of no standard piece of IP actually stays dormant for greater than thirty-five years when milking each ounce of Gen-X nostalgia has confirmed so profitable over the previous decade or so. That is notably odd while you solely have to say the antihero’s identify thrice for him to seem. (There was that musical the place insane Congresswoman Lauren Boebert was kicked out of the theater for vaping and giving her boyfriend a handski, however let’s by no means point out that once more, you sicko.)

Whereas movies like this involuntarily summon the cynic inside me (my 23andme outcomes say that I’m 74% crank), the viewers on the preview I went to was psyched in methods I hadn’t anticipated. Many had been wearing full steampunk apparel and I don’t assume I’ve ever been in a crowd that cheered the composer’s identify within the opening credit.

As a movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t dangerous – some components are fairly good (notably once they contain Michael Keaton, who misplaced zero % of his enthusiasm and zaniness for the reason that first Beetlejuice movie). It simply felt pointless with many (many!) extra transferring components than it wanted.

Save for Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, many of the forged got here again for half deux. Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton all reprise their roles and Tim Burton is again to direct and Danny Elfman (he of the composer’s applause) once more gives the music. Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and spooky it-girl (Cousin Itt-girl?) Jenna Ortega because the Deetz household’s youngest Astrid fill out the primary forged.

Michael Keaton, as I discussed above, is a gasoline. He’s as manic as he’s ever been and provides 90% of the film’s enjoyable. Winona Ryder is again as Lydia Deetz however she’s grown up and now hosts a TV present as a medium referred to as “Ghost Home.” Justin Theroux is Rory, Lydia’s supervisor and fiancé who appears to have malevolent intentions. Monica Bellucci is Delores, an ex who is set to kill the undead title character as revenge. Her murderous methods contain sucking out an individual or apparition’s soul. When it’s time, and never a second sooner, it’s 100% how I need to exit.

I don’t assume I absolutely perceive what Willem Dafoe is doing right here. One thing a couple of ghost-hunting detective who was a film star when he was alive. He does carry one other well-known identify to the forged and some humorous bits, so there’s that.

A lot of the movie could be very spectacular. I liked the expansive world-building Burton and his crew put collectively. There have been some cool visible results and a few working gags that had been fairly humorous. I laughed exhausting every time the late Charles Deetz was on display. I additionally actually preferred the storyline between Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega. Nonetheless, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice throws numerous proverbial spaghetti on the proverbial wall and fairly a little bit of it sticks as a result of numerous it was thrown. If I used to be nonetheless a music blogger, I’d name it “extraordinarily busy.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a enjoyable expertise general. Whereas I might be misanthropic when my nostalgia will get trampled by bare capitalism, this film – and Michael Keaton particularly – does work very exhausting to earn these wistful Gen-X {dollars}.

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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters now.