The Juice Is Loose in Time for Spooky Season

*Spoilers Ahead!* Tim Burton’s sequel to the 1988 classic “Beetlejuice” has now hit theaters marking the eve of the spookiest season of the year with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice . ” A sequel in its own right, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” returns with familiar faces, new music and striking visuals that serve as a reminder of what made us fall in love with the story in the first place. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” picks up in the present day, 36 years after the events of the original film.

Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is now a famed television personality who specializes in communicating with ghosts and is the mother of Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega). Things aren’t as normal as they seem, as Lydia has hallucinations of seeing Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). This turns out to be no coincidence, as Lydia receives a phone call from her stepmother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), informing her that her father has passed away in a freak accident and a funeral will be held at the very same house where Beetlejuice once haunted them.



The film doesn’t miss a beat in bringing that familiar charm that is personally tailored to this story. Beetlejuice continues to reign as the king of the Netherworld, offering his services to those in the mortal world. The Deetz family is even more dysfunctional than we ever thought possible.

The ghosts and freaky characters of Burton’s imagination fill up the screen to our delight, along with colorful sets and an expansion of the Netherworld. And while the infamous “Banana Boat (Day-O)” by Harry Belafonte makes an appearance, Richard Harris’ “MacArthur Park” is here to steal the show. In the film’s true beginning, we are introduced to Delores (Monica Bellucci), a woman seeking revenge on Beetlejuice.

Later on in the film, Beetlejuice reveals that he and Delores were married centuries ago, but on the night of their wedding, she poisoned him and, in turn, he murdered her. This explanation is done as a visual re-enactment to comedic effect, with Delores and Beetlejuice communicating only in Italian. The scene is short and sweet, providing more of a backstory on who Beetlejuice is.

However, it quickly jumps back into the main plot as Lydia calls on Beetlejuice for help. It isn’t until the final act, during Beetlejuice and Lydia’s wedding, that Delores finally manages to catch up to Beetlejuice. But rather than giving time for Delores and Beetlejuice to have an intense confrontation, she is instead swallowed up by sandworms without much time to protest, making most of the B-plot an afterthought.

Keaton ups the ante in the newest portrayal of his character, seemingly becoming more raunchy, shameless and comedic than the last time we saw him. It borders on R-rated at times, bringing an edge for the older audience and just enough to fly over the heads of the younger audience. While Ryder carries on the legacy of “Beetlejuice” in this film, Ortega is next in line to have the haunting done unto her.

Once Astrid learns that she and Lydia are more alike than they previously thought, they make for the perfect onscreen mother-daughter duo. O’Hara and Willem Dafoe, as Wolf Jackson, are the comedic stars of the film, effortlessly coaxing a laugh out of the audience without having to try too hard. From Delia dramatically crying in grief for her husband, to Jackson acting as a James Bond figure during his investigation of Delores, you won’t be able to resist laughing out loud.

Don’t say his name three times, or he appears. Thankfully, we only have to say it twice. Unless they make a part three titled “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice .

” Then we’re in trouble. The film has come just in time for spooky festivities and fun..