Tim Burton’s beloved Beetlejuice was a game-changer in the industry. With its wacky out-of-the-box humour and shock value that were expected during the 80s, audiences flocked to the cinema to see what the buzz was about. 30 odd years later, Burton revives this classic and mixes the old with the new to excite the fans of the original and bring in a new audience through its new characters.
After defeating the Maitlands, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) hosts a supernatural talk show called Ghost House, produced by her boyfriend Rory. Lydia returns to her hometown of Winter River with her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who she has a difficult relationship with. After meeting a charming young man, Jeremy, she travels to the after-life unaware of the dangers that she faces. Once Lydia finds out, she seeks out the help of Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) to bring her back.
Burton’s fascination with the gothic theme is intriguing and the way that he mixes its characteristics like ‘the unknown’ with the characteristics of the comedy genre serves an exciting way to enjoy his films. The way that he uses the main character who yearns for something more drives the story forward onto a journey that ultimately makes them realise that what they want isn’t what they need at all. In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, it’s Astrid who wants more from her mother and her journey begins once she meets Jeremy. Through this, Burton is able to show different ideologies and the relationship between a mother and daughter.
The return of Keaton as Betelgeuse is delightful and Burton ensures to keep him politically incorrect as possible. Due to their love for that character trait, Keaton and Burton deems Betelgeuse as a character whose whole point is that he does not undergo any character arc or development, never evolving. However, Winona Ryder’s Lydia certainly has a character development as she is now a mother and dealing with a teenage daughter who plays by her own rules (a reminder of her younger self in the first film). The star of the show is definitely Jenna Ortega who plays Astrid flawlessly and serves as a representation of the Gen Z generation whereas Lydia represents the Boomer/Millennial generation. What’s interesting is how Burton does this to bring the fans of the original film and open the franchise to today’s generation.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has something for everyone and is the perfect sequel to the first. The characters and story are easy to relate to that leaves you in fits of giggles (in some places) but makes you think in other places.
