Despite an unnecessary subplot, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is better than your average sequel. The strength of Tim Burton’s style still holds your attention and returning cast members are saved rehashing ‘fan-favorite’ elements from the original film with a story that gives relevance and a couple of clever twists to what we’ve seen before.
After surviving the mayhem caused by Afterlife bio-exorcist Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) 36 years earlier, widow/single mother Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) has turned her gift of communicating with ghosts into a lucrative TV career hosting a paranormal show helping people with their poltergeists. Meanwhile, her sculptress mother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) has become a successful artist and meets with Lydia to tell her of her father’s death. Delia and Lydia prepare for the funeral at the Deetz house (where they battled Beetlejuice) along with Lydia’s TV producer Rory (Justin Theroux) and Lydia’s teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega).
The town model that proved a portal to the Afterlife when Beetlejuice emerged from it is still in the Deetz home’s attic and is discovered by Astrid. Lydia warns Astrid not to say Beetlejuice’s name three times and bring him into their world. After Astrid meets a local boy who literally takes her on a date from Hell, Lydia has to eat her own words- saying ‘Beetlejuice’ three times she summons the ‘Juice’. Beetlejuice appears and agrees to help Lydia save Astrid from the Afterlife, provided Lydia go through with marrying him after their wedding was interrupted when they last met.
From the sandworms to the guy with the shrunken head, the stuff you remember from 1988’s “Beetlejuice” is back, but it’s back with purpose and under Burton’s hand, it’s fun to see again. If anything feels unneeded it’s a storyline involving Beetlejuice’s ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci), a soul sucking succubus out for revenge. Leaving corpses in her wake in her search for Beetlejuice, Delores is hunted by Afterlife detective Wolf Jackson (Willem DaFoe). As interesting as Delores and Wolf are, they’re ultimately wasted when your concentration is centered on the characters you know. Like your love for the first film, the design and effects Burton creates for the Afterlife are enough satisfy a simple storyline.
Written by Netflix series “Wednesday” writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” stays within Burton’s wheelhouse. Even while replacing “Day-O” with “MacArthur Park” as the spiritual song du jour, references to Don Cornelius’ “Soul Train” and a nod to the dream sequence in 1976’s “Carrie” are clever enough to elevate your spirits (pun). Nostalgia wins out when it comes to watching Keaton, Ryder and O’Hara wrapped up in Burton’s comfortable creative cocoon again.