Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Screened at Regal Cinemas 9, Palm Springs, California.

In one sense, I was looking forward to an actual (wwas ait, they're really doing it?) sequel to Tim Burton's 1988 classic Beetlejuice, but messing with perfection rarely pays off as we're all well aware. So first I had to ask myself if I wanted to go back and spend time in that world again. Once I decided that was likely going to be worth giving this follow-up a chance, especially when it's 36 years later - it's like making a sequel to Psycho in 1983 in that all you can think is "what the fuck are you doing?!?!?," I then decided to lower my expectations as far as they could go, and that was amplified by the trailer. Looked good - but it already didn't feel the same.

STRENGTHS

-It looks fantastic. There are a few CGI moments, but overall this is done with practical effects, which means basically that more "real" feeling from the original carries over here.

-They double-down on the afterlife scenes, and it's pretty great. Clever new arrivals of the "undead," new places to see in the afterlife, the colors - oh myyyy the colors! They really nailed this. Frankly, they had to.

-Nostalgia "callbacks" are there but they aren't overdone and their aren't too many of them that don't feel out of place. It was quite frankly a relief.

-Not only going back to Vermont, but getting to see both very familiar surroundings, but more of the town as well. Loved it.

-Catherine O'Hara did an excellent job reprising and developing her character, and she was as funny as you'd expect from her.

-I liked that Charles Deetz still played a significant part of the film, even though the actor who played him in the original is, well, not available.

-Jenna Ortega. As much as I like her, I was concerned about whether or not she was going to fit into the cast and story, but she did flawlessly and brilliantly - a major positive for the film overall. La Quinta what's upppppppppppp?!?!?

-Willem Dafoe. Another surprisingly great addition to the cast, he was clearly having a blast in this. He was funny and I liked the character quite a lot.

-There were also a couple surprising choices, visually I guess you'd call it, that I won't spoil, but I was a bit shocked of a few of the places they went to.

-Sigur Rós music in a Beetlejuice movie. Definitely was not expecting that.

-Danny fucking DeVito?? HELLS YES.

WEAKNESSES

-I've seen some reviews stating how the first third was rather worrisome, and prevented the film from really taking off from the start and I strongly agree with that. With the story approach, I can see why they took that angle, but it honestly slowed the film down from the opening scenes and it was a bit baffling to me.

-Justin Theroux. I like him, and I didn't despise his character, but I didn't like it and feel it was likely the casting choice. Perhaps it's just me.

-Winona Ryder. Listen, I love her. She was especially huge in the mid to late 90s and was considered a bit of a "manic pixie dream girl," which I personally didn't get it, but I appreciated her acting chops. Now, not so much. No offense to her, but in Stranger Things, I sensed a decline. Here, while not BAD, her acting just isn't good anymore. Not sure what it is, but she never feels fully present to me, and it effected the character in that besides her look and style, I really didn't feel like she portrayed the character as we came to know her.

-Not having The Maitlands in the story, other than a mention of them being killed off again it seemed, created a real empty hole.

-Mr Burton, PLEASE stop putting your girlfriends in your movies. It was unnecessary on quite a few levels.

Overall, I would recommend it. It's entertaining, it's fun, it's funny, it's gorgeous, and really, they did they best they could in getting that lightning into the bottle again. It is a worthy sequel, but in no way does it match the genius fun of the original.