Growing up with the endearing quirks of the 1988 film, I had hoped Burton’s vibrant tales of the Deetz family would be revived by this modern sequel. However, I was instead met with a lukewarm plot, cringe-worthy lines, and overly crude imagery that provided nothing but cheap shock value and discomfort among watchers (me included).
Premiering on September 6, 2024, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice put Burton back into the spotlight, just in time for the Halloween season. The film features surprise appearances and anticipated returns from stars such as Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Willem Dafoe, and Jenna Ortega. As a sequel to the well-regarded film from 1988, this movie was anticipated to add another success under Burton’s name. Many viewers would say that the film did just that, with its box office gross soaring up to $292.1 million in the U.S and its rating sitting at an agreeable 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, after watching it this past month, I cannot say I agree.
Starting with the disastrous plotline, it seemed that Burton imagined more than one version of this film. I found the villains to be the primary contributors to the messiness of the storyline. More specifically, I did not feel invested in any of the plotlines that followed Delores (Beetlejuice’s estranged and vengeful lover), Jeremy Frazier (Astrid Deetz’s meet-cute boyfriend turned killer), or even Beetlejuice himself. They all seemed to be diluted among plot holes and rushed pacing that littered the film. Even worse, the villains were built up to seem heartless, overpowering, and menacing; however, their defeats were nothing more than a simple twenty-second scene that conveniently carried the narrative along to be tied up in a nice, pretty bow.
In addition to the wimpy villains, there were so many painfully cliched moments with blatantly lazy writing. A specific scene that comes to mind is between Jenna Ortega’s and Arthur Conti’s characters. With their chemistry being obviously forced, I couldn’t help but watch through my fingers to hide from the cringe. The classic meet-cute can rarely be done well, with this scene being no exception as Astrid, Jenna’s character, just conveniently ran her bike right into the tree that Jeremy, Arthur’s character, happened to be sitting in. The dialogue between them that followed was no better, as it was filled with disingenuous angst and phrases that clearly came from the staff of adult writers attempting to talk like a teenager.
– Spoiler in the next paragraph –
In regards to the uses of CGI in this film, what I found to be the worst part was not based on shoddy graphics or the use of a green screen. Rather, it was the last scene in the movie where Astrid randomly gives birth to a baby-esk-Beetlejuice accompanied by various crude references. It was very strange and flat-out gross, with its contents contributing nothing to the plot other than garnering shock value from viewers. To be clear, weirdness can be done tastefully if within the right context; however, this addition to the movie just felt out of place, especially with its nasty sound effects and uncomfortable length.
While I still hold the original film close, this movie really didn’t do it for me. It had some fun moments here and there and artfully tuned into the spooky vibes that many people enjoy during fall. Despite this, it simply missed the mark in my terms and I found an unfortunate amount of grievances while watching that prevented me from even slightly liking it.
So, if you are searching for a movie to wrap up the autumn season, maybe don’t waste your time on this one.
Cover Image Source: Waxwork Records
Indresh Chandel 