Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the heavily anticipated sequel to the original classic comedy of the 80's. And while it does retain much of its aesthetic from the original film, the heart seems to be missing, perhaps weighed down by a cluttered storyline and actors who seem a little too tired.

We pick up years after the first film. The family has all moved away and gone on with their separate lives but are brought back together in the original house, in the original town when a family tragedy occurs.

From the outset, things feel slightly off. One of the main things I noticed was that the returning actors didn't have the vigor they had in the original film. I understand that everyone has gotten older (both in the film and in real life) but much is lost when the dialog pacing slows, particularly Keaton as Beetlejuice, whose comedy is rooted in the quicker delivery and timing. The characters just didn't seem all that interested in their situations. Ryder and O'Hara also didn't deliver the same characterization as they did in the original. O'Hara isn't quite as eccentric and Ryder isn't as morose as she was in the original so their characters feel disconnected from their younger versions. Even Jenna Ortega didn't quite seem to know where her character was going because it didn't really go anywhere.

I wonder if it's because script can't seem to get to a point or choose a proper narrative. It's almost like there are 3 separate stories that are being told but we only get 1/3 of each. It felt like a bunch of important stuff to give context was just plainly missing and the exposition was scattered and messy. I didn't know who the protagonist was nor could I figure out who was the antagonist of this movie.

Like most Hollywood films, it's not a "bad" film, per se. It's well produced, the effects are fun, it's family friendly, more or less, but I venture it's not going to be one of those films you and your family will remember in any meaningful way.