Rating: 4/5 stars

The lecherous bio-exorcist Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton, “The Flash”) returns in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the latest slice of gothic whimsy from director Tim Burton (“Wednesday”). 

Set over 30 years after the events of the 1988 original, this legacy sequel revisits the morbid Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder, “Stranger Things”) and her dysfunctional family to return to the small town of Winter  River, where supernatural shenanigans await.

A difficult-to-classify, but ultimately satisfying film follows. The past decade has been an inconsistent one for Burton, to say the least, with movies such as the 2016 and 2019 films “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” and “Dumbo” receiving  far more mixed reception than his early work (definitive classics such as “Batman” and “Edward Scissorhands”). However, between the recent Netflix series “Wednesday” and this film, the goth auteur may be experiencing a career renaissance. 

It is no coincidence that Jenna Ortega (“Scream VI”) stars in both, with a commendable performance here as Lydia Deetz’s estranged daughter Astrid, leading an all-around excellent cast. Joining the franchise alongside Ortega are Monica Bellucci (“Twin Peaks: The Return”), Justin Theroux (“White House Plumbers”) and Willem Dafoe (“Poor Things”). Bellucci leaves something to be desired, despite a memorable introductory sequence: Theroux is a uniquely entertaining addition and Dafoe is as effortlessly captivating as ever, playing an action star-turned-ghost detective. Meanwhile, returning stars Keaton, Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara (“Argylle”) all slip back into their roles quite comfortably; these legacy characters are familiar enough to be instantly recognizable, but different enough to not have stagnated within the film’s internal timeline. Keaton’s Beetlejuice is the exception, a character deliberately devoid of any growth or progress, but still iconic, unique and entertaining.

“Unique” and “entertaining” are apt descriptors for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” on the whole. Although the film starts slow, it ramps up over the course of its runtime, culminating in an utterly zany second half rife with laugh-out-loud moments of dark humor amidst an expressionistic underworld of bizarrely yet beautifully clashing aesthetics. Musical numbers and stylized flashback sequences (including a quirkily animated one near the start) are also sprinkled throughout, but despite the chaos and diversity of what you see on-screen, Burton’s direction and a pervading sense of fun prevent “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” from becoming a complete  scattershot  mess. 

Some elements are still lost in the shuffle, however. There are at least four characters that could be considered the villains of the piece, but with the exception of Beetlejuice – who serves mostly as more of an anti-hero, anyway – their respective storylines are not particularly impactful or resolved in satisfying ways. The aforementioned slow start is also just one part of an unorthodox plot structure that may bore some viewers before the film’s midpoint. Finally, a small handful of the film’s visual effects are uncannily artificial; most seem practical and blend well with Burton’s chaotic goth aesthetic, which is on full display throughout, but those few subpar (and recognizably digital) effects still serve to detract from an otherwise visually inventive, entertainingly designed movie.

Those criticisms are all relatively minor in the face of the rest of the film, however, especially its latter half. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is, as mentioned, thoroughly entertaining, unique, and fun. It marks a return to form for director Burton and features memorable performances from both its new and returning cast members in addition to too many memorable moments to mention. Although it is not a perfect film, it is well worth a watch for fans of the original, Burton’s work in general, or anyone looking for a crazy, creative romp that reminds you what life – and death – is really all about.

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures via YouTube