'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' is a surprisingly lively legacy sequel

Of all the classic films of the 1980s, *Beetlejuice* was one of the few that remained untouched by the modern nostalgia pipeline. Apart from the hit Broadway musical and plenty of appearances at Spirit Halloween stores over the years, the film seemingly remained a singular classic locked in 1988. However, the power of nostalgia-driven legacy sequels has finally caught up to the "Ghost With the Most," as a new installment, nearly four decades later, has hit theaters. 

Set in the present day, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is now a popular television psychic medium. Recently, visions of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) have plagued her. Following the death of her father (don't worry—Jeffrey Jones is far, far, far away from this movie), Lydia, Delia (Catherine O'Hara), her estranged daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and manager Rory (Justin Theroux) return home to Winter River to pay their respects. Through a series of events, Lydia and Beetlejuice's paths cross again, and they must work together when ghostly evils come calling.

I’ll be transparent right from the start: I was fully expecting *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* to be a dreadful viewing experience. When it comes to legacy sequels, the past few years have given me little faith in the idea of digging up beloved classics for watered-down follow-ups. Shockingly, the film not only delivered an entertaining continuation, but actually warranted its existence (which, sadly, is not the case for most other films of its kind).

What elevates the film above many of its competitors is the performances of its returning cast. This is not a *Frozen Empire* situation— the legacy players are bringing it, and the new additions add some much-needed freshness. It goes without saying, but Michael Keaton is the MVP of the film. Unlike his sleepwalking performance in last year's *The Flash,* Keaton effortlessly steps back into the role as if no time has passed at all. While the film makes him pull out some of the fan-favorite moments, he’s allowed to play with a whole new bag of tricks. Another standout is Catherine O'Hara, who is given some of the film's best lines. Of all the comedic performances in the film, O'Hara’s is the only one where every joke lands.

Winona Ryder takes the character of Lydia in a nice and natural direction, now playing a mom with a "strange and unusual" teen. Ortega, though playing her usual schtick, is given enough to work with to warrant her inclusion in the story.

The same cannot be said for some of the other new additions to the cast. Theroux has many of the film’s dullest moments, and his storyline is painfully predictable. Willem Dafoe plays Wolf Jackson, a deceased actor known for playing a cop, now a "real" cop in the Netherworld. As much as I love Dafoe and as nice as it is to see him in a more comedic role, the jokes centered around him are incredibly one-note. Of all the new inclusions, Monica Bellucci feels the most shoehorned in. Despite a memorable introductory scene set to the Bee Gees' "Tragedy," she's treated as an afterthought for most of the film. In fact, her character never interacts with the rest of the cast until the final 10 minutes, where she is unceremoniously defeated in one of the film's lesser references to the original.

If *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* suffers from anything, it’s having way too much going on at once. Part of the charm of the original film is its simplicity: The Maitlands (Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis) want the living out of their house, and Beetlejuice causes some shenanigans. This time, there are at least four subplots happening simultaneously, and with a 104-minute runtime, most of the stories become undercooked. While I appreciate the film's restraint in limiting Beetlejuice's screentime to 17 minutes, like the original, it’s clear they’re worried audiences will get bored without other things happening.

If the film wanted to simplify things, it could cut out Theroux, cut Dafoe, keep Bellucci, and make her more of a presence in the overall story, while centering the film around Ortega's character and her love interest, played by Arthur Conti. I won’t give anything away, but the storyline becomes far more interesting as the third act begins.

Ultimately, *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* is a worthy enough sequel that expands on the original and lovingly pays tribute to it without being pandering. Tim Burton feels energized and alive for the first time in decades as he taps into his weird and creative side—something we’ve sorely missed. The passion of everyone involved is palpable, and since they’re having fun, we’re having fun. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s refreshing to have a legacy sequel that wants to be its own thing, not just the original, but worse.