Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

After numerous attempts to get a sequel made since the 1988 original, Michael Keaton finally returns as the over the top bio-exorcist in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Keaton returns alongside cast members Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara with director Tim Burton while introducing new characters played by Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe. The sequel sees Winona's Lydia return to her old home after the death of her father, alongside her stepmother and daughter, Astrid. With Betelgeuse aware of Lydia returning and his ex-wife being freed and seeking him out for revenge, he must figure out a way to escape his ghostly confines by once again trying to marry Lydia. The sequel definitely keeps the gothic and darkly comedic feel and tone of the original while still feeling fresh and unique from it. Burton's style has not lost its touch and he can still capture that over the top and weird feel that made the first film work so well. One strong aspect that keeps the movie from being stale is that Burton chose to do the effects more practically, alongside stop motion, rather than overdo it with CGI, which it still uses but when it's needed. The writing from Alfred Gough and Miles Millar does capture a lot of what made the original script by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren so special. They were smart not to overuse the title character similarly to the original and keep him minimally instead of just wholly focusing on him as one would expect due to his large popularity. Most of the story is pretty good and Gough and Millar both manage to make the characters memorable and have such fun moments, but certain storylines, such as Lydia's boyfriend taking advantage of her abilities and Betelgeuse's ex looking for him, often feel like they needed more time to them. All the while, the returning and new cast members all give strong performances and Keaton hasn't lost his physical prowess even in his 70s. Two strong aspects that also perfectly capture the essence of the '88 original are Haris Zambarloukos's cinematography and Danny Elfman returning to do the score. The movie wouldn't be as memorable without their work not only keeping the original's style and look but also further expanding on Elfman's music by incorporating instrumental versions of songs the first film used and newer songs this entry introduced. It can be agreed that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice may not reach the highs of its predecessor, but still manages to be incredibly entertaining on its own. Over all: 93%

2024 top list so far:

1. Dune: Part 2

2. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

3. Deadpool & Wolverine

4. A Quiet Place: Day One

5. Inside Out 2

6. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

7. The Fall Guy

8. MaXXXine

9. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

10. Abigail

11. Monkey Man

12. Late Night with the Devil

13. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

14. Alien: Romulus

15. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

16. The Book of Clarence

17. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

18. Drive-Away Dolls

19. Kung Fu Panda 4

20. Lisa Frankenstein

21. Argylle

22. Mean Girls 2024