Another year, another Tim Burton film, and while there was much anticipation surrounding the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, especially when it was announced that the current horror-queen, Jenna Ortega, would be playing a leading role, I’m sure I speak for many when I say that the product was, unfortunately, a bit of a let-down.
Now, most of us know the Academy-Award winning Beetlejuice, which brought about Winona Ryder’s breakout role as Lydia Deetz, as well as amassing a cult following. If you are unaware or just haven’t gotten around to seeing the movie, it essentially follows the story of a young couple as they navigate their newly found deaths. The picture revolves around them trying to get the new inhabitants of their home to move out via various means; one of them is calling on the demon “Beetlejuice”, who has the power of possession, telekinesis, manipulation of surroundings, and the list goes on. This is a wonderful movie, and a fun Halloween-night classic. This was the original appeal with Beetlejuice; characters you can root for and a clear plot line, with a significant amount of time spent getting to know Barbara and Adam, the clear main characters. Almost 40 years later, and in comes Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
To say this is a bad film would be wrong. To say this is a good film would also be so. There are really two main issues with this sequel: the plot line, and the characters, which are, as we all know, two very essential elements to any film. During the watch, it very quickly becomes evident that the creators were pulling at threads. Rather than a main plot line and goal, such as in the original, the writers opt for a confusing jumble of narratives, none of which relate to each other or are developed enough to carry any real weight or meaning. There is a way to execute a multi-plot narrative, but the problem with this sequel is that none of the characters are actually given enough screen time for the audience to truly connect or resonate with them on a deeper level, making the whole picture feel like an elongated parody or skit rather than a fully fledged movie. This brings me to my second point: the characters.
There are a diverse number of issues with the characters in this film, but the main one was, indeed, their aforementioned screen-time. However, having touched on this, another point of concern is the overall gullible, weakness and dislikeable nature of almost every single character. Lydia, once a strong-willed teen, grows up to be easily manipulated and neglectful of her daughter, who takes on her mother's tendencies of naivety. Delia wasn’t and still isn’t particularly pleasant. No one likes Beetlejuice in the first place, although he begins to feel like the most level-headed person in the whole ordeal. So, we have no one to root for. Additionally, there is a big issue with casting. While it’s great to have stars, there comes a point where it can be too much, and that point is when almost every single major role is taken by someone who you can name off the top of your head. Rather than seeing the characters, you merely see the actors, and not at the top of their game either, as with weakly constructed characters, comes relatively shallow acting, especially since no one was given more than a minute of screen time per scene.
Overall, it was just a little uninspiring, and simply not on par with the original and many others within the genre. There should have been much more focus on the mother-daughter relationship between Lydia and Astrid, and nothing about this movie, save maybe the opening credits, actually take you in and transport you to a different world. So although it was still a fun time, it was just simply lacking depth, character and plot.
In summary: a mess, but maybe worthwhile for hardcore fans.
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