Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) – Movie Review

“I recommend seeing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice once for nostalgia, laughter and… Bob the Shrinker.”

GRADE: C- (7/10)

by: Richard Rey

THE UPSIDE: You get to see Beetlejuice and the Afterlife again. THE DOWNSIDE: The first 30-45 minutes are slow.

“Here in the Afterlife there are no rules!” yells Beetlejuice, played masterfully by actor Michael Keaton (Batman). This statement sums up the entire movie, including its’ script and lack of focus on the story itself. For me, the biggest issue with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that we don’t see him onscreen enough.

Much of the movie revolves around a backstory and exposition of what happened to Lydia (Winona Ryder, Netflix’s Stranger Things), her father and her deceased husband and how that affects her daughter, Astrid (Jennifer Ortega, Netflix’s Wednesday).

At its core, the movies’ message is relatable and intriguing: What would happen if we, like young Astrid, could visit a deceased family member that we didn’t get to say goodbye to?

The problem is that it takes 45 minutes to really get the story going. When the second act starts, it’s engaging, fast-paced and fun. But when the movie ends, we are left wondering why certain characters had a part to play in it at all. And why did it end so abruptly? So easily? And why all of the sequences of Beetlejuice lip-syncing? The more I think about the film, the more questions

I have. But, then again, Beetlejuice did say that there were no rules, so I suppose these parts of the plot are supposed to be glossed over?

The principal cast is strong and believable, particularly Jenna Ortega and Michael Keaton who will draw audiences young and old. However, some of the supporting characters, who could’ve been written out of the script entirely, are unconvincing and, at times, feel out of place. As usual, Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) delivers and Catherine O’Hara (Home Alone) reprises her role as Delia Deetz from the 1988 film. She’s the mom who sings in the iconic Banana Boat (Day-O) scene at the dinner table. Daylight come and me won’ go home… I still can’t believe it’s been 36 years since the first Beetlejuice.

Regardless, the camerawork, sound design, costumes, production design, hair and makeup and visual effects departments all get two thumbs up for their exceptional work. But, ultimately, the story itself struggles to develop until after half an hour when young Astrid meets and learns key information about her new love interest, Jeremy (Arthur Conti, HBO’s House of the Dragon). Her boyfriend-to-be is the only reason Astrid doesn’t want to leave but the plot is weighed down by Beetlejuice’s obsessed ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) who wields the power to destroy the creatures of the Afterlife but has no real reason to be so infatuated with him. Is it the hair? The one-liners? Or is it simply the fact that he’s THE Beetlejuice? I’m lost.

For fans looking to return to the Afterlife and the world of Beetlejuice, there will be plenty of moments of nostalgia that harken back to the original cult classic. At its best, it’s funny, quirky, over-the-top and gruesome in the best ways possible. At its worst, it’s way too long and clunky to hold the attention span of most moviegoers, particularly the TikTok generation who swipe past most videos after the first three seconds. I recommend seeing this Beetlejuice once, if only for nostalgia, laughter and a voiceless afterlife side-character named Bob the Shrinker.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This is a one and done for Beetlejuice and Jenna Ortega aficionados.

IMDb Synopsis: After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use.
Genre: Dark comedy, horror, fantasy
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

Director: Tim Burton
Writers: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar

Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe Production Companies: Warner Bros., French Film Company, Plan B Entertainment, The Geffen Company, Tim Burton Productions, Tommy Harper Productions
Estimated budget: $100,000,000

Box office earnings (to date): 404,608,349
Last Revised: 10/09/2024 at 11:02pm

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