Plot: What’s it about?
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice was released theatrically on April 3, 1988. To put things in perspective, I was finishing up my freshman year of high school. As of this writing I’m in my early 50’s. That’s a long time between a movie and its sequel. But we’ve been treated to a few of these in recent years beginning with Top Gun: Maverick and more recently with Twisters. Just because time has passed doesn’t mean that the audience isn’t there. I remember seeing The Color of Money in theaters way back in the mid 80’s only to be told by my mother that it was the sequel to the 1961 classic The Hustler. I guess my point is that this is nothing new in Hollywood. According to Tim Burton, the idea for a sequel had been thrown around for years, but life and other things got in the way. As we know, Burton has continued to dazzle us with his films and, evidently, the planets aligned a few years ago. The principal cast returned with the exception of Jeffrey Jones who…had some troubles of his own. And evidently Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis were set to do a cameo here, but no amount of de-aging would make it believable. But, the wait is over. It’s been just a shade over three and a half decades, grab your copy of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased and let’s see some ghosts!
Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is now widowed. She’s the host of a paranormal television show that’s overseen by her beau, Rory (Justin Theroux). Lydia, along with her estranged daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega) are brought to the family home in Winter River. While there they meet Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and we learn of the death of her husband, Charles (Jeffrey Jones from the original, but it’s handled in a way in which Jones’ likeness wasn’t used, otherwise he’d get paid). However, Astrid meets a local teen who she likes, though she’s put in danger leading Lydia to reluctantly call on Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) for assistance. However, not all is swell in the afterlife as he’s got his own problems with his ex-wife, Delores (Monica Belluci). She’s risen from the undead and how seeks revenge on him. Adding more fuel to the fire Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), an “afterlife cop” is on the case as well. Who said being dead was easy?
I had a bit of a hard time grasping the concept for the film at first. Sometimes “legacy sequels” seem to show characters just because they can. But there’s a little more to it than that with this one. The new faces have a purpose and with Burton at the helm, the film was in good hands. Evidently Michael Keaton said that this was one of the only sequels he’d do (if we don’t count Batman Returns). And evidently art imitates life as Burton directed a few episodes of Jenna Ortega in Wednesday which led to this being developed. Regardless of the feeling of a few decades passing between an original and its sequel, this one grew on me. Finally, the box office for the film showed that the magic was still there. With a budget of $100 million, the film managed to rake in nearly $500 million at the worldwide box office. So while I’ll always have a soft spot for the original, this one was done right.
Video: How’s it look?
It’s a refreshing change of pace to see a film presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. As much as I love utilizing as much real estate as possible, sometimes it’s nice to see a movie fill up most of the screen. That aside, the HEVC 4K image shines from beginning to end. Those familiar with Burton’s work know that he has a flare for the darker tones and while they’re present, the image wasn’t compromised in the least. Blue and red hues dominate the “underworld” while the bright blue skies make for a nice, well-balanced color palette. Detail is, of course, razor sharp and if you’re doing a double feature there are a lot more wrinkles on the actors’ faces nowadays. But hey, we all age. Those looking for a top notch transfer won’t be let down as this one delivers.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Both the Blu-ray and 4K discs contain the same Dolby Atmos track, so you won’t be left out in the cold if you opt for the Blu-ray. There’s a lot going on in the film, particularly in the rear channels. It took me a minute to figure it out as I thought something was wrong with the speakers. Nope, it’s just the movie messing with me. I found the front-heavy soundtrack to be ample and even during the film’s third act (with the MacArthur Park song), it really brought things up a notch. A nice ambiance is present throughout with vocals leading the way which sound nice and sharp. And, fear not, Burton and longtime collaborator/composer Danny Elfman’s score is, once again, leading the way. I don’t even want to think what’d happen if Tim Burton made a film without Danny Elfman.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – Director Tim Burton gives us a very decent track and I do like the way he can articulate. Some directors just assume we know what they’re thinking. Granted, some of what he says is a bit redundant if you’ve watched all of the features, but this is a well thought-out commentary track and one that fans should enjoy.
- The Juice is Loose: The Making of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – Director Tim Burton explains his motivations for the original all the while telling us how this had been “here and there” for the past decade or so. We get some chit chat from the cast (Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, etc.) who tell us that they’d spoken with him and now, finally, the whole project had come to fruition. There’s a lot more to this than meets the eye, though, as the 30 minute feature does cover all the bases.
- The Ghost with the Most: Beetlejuice Returns! – As the title entails this one is all about the titular character. We get some archival shots/interviews with Michael Keaton as well as some new ones (where’d that hair go, Mike?) as he and Burton dissect the character and the movies in particular.
- Meet the Deetz – This one is all about the ladies. Director Tim Burton as well as Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega discuss the family dynamics as well as working together on such an iconic franchise and with, you guessed it, Tim Burton.
- Shrinker’s, Shrinkers Everywhere! – Going on the assumption that you’ve seen the first film, no doubt the ending scene where Keaton’s character swaps numbers with a shrunken-head man. Well, he (and several others) are back in this installment, one with the name of Bob. I love palindromes. I didn’t quite get it, but for those that did – this one’s for you.
- An Animated Afterlife: The Stop-Motion of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – Let’s face it, Tim Burton and stop-motion essentially go hand-in-hand. From. Corpse Bride to The Nightmare Before Christmas to the prison-striped earthworms that appear in both films. Yes, CGI has come a long way since the original, but there’s something more organic about the way these are done.
- The Handbook for the Recently Deceased – We’re greeted by Danny DeVito who has a blink-and-you-miss-him cameo in the film and also some of the background players who “died” for the film. Some of the practical effects that were used for the makeup and costumes are explained. This is a book that I don’t want to read anytime soon.
- ‘Til Death Do We Park: Beetlejuice and Lydia’s First Dance – Does every movie need a song and dance sequence? Probably not. But this is Beetlejuice we’re talkin’ about and, well, Tim Burton does have his own mindset. So the final act and the MacArthur Park song/wedding song was dissected for this segment. Enjoy. I did.
The Bottom Line
While the spirit (pardon the pun) of the original is there, I felt it a bit lacking. Then again, I could have been more influenced by nostalgia. Certainly the main three returning actors: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara haven’t lost their flare and it was nice to see them reprise their roles. Warner’s disc pulls no punches with exceptional audio and video and a nice arrangement of supplements.
