Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

I did not plan on this being my review for today. I honestly didn’t even know this flick had hit the digital platform until probably 30 minutes before I put it on. So it was a surprise most pleasant. I had fully intended to see this one in theaters but every showing I looked at opening weekend wasn’t favorable. I should qualify that I prefer to see most movies in XD at my local Cinemark. In that, I prefer to sit as close to the center of the theater as possible. Most people who enjoy going to the actual movies to see things know that’s the best place to really experience the benefits of the film in it’s entirety. If you’re going to pay for that immersion into the story where the sound is optimal and the picture is as close to perfect as you can get, you want to take the sensory journey in the most favorable seating arrangement as possible. Once upon a time I used to be a back row guy. I liked the fact that I had a good layout of the theater in front of me. But then I came to understand with the advances in audio technology that I was really depriving myself of the full treatment so I moved to the middle and have never looked back again, pun mostly intended. But because I’m a bit bougie in this cinematic mindset, it does limit my options when I’m shelling out cash for a ticket. I don’t want to really sit off to the side. Yes, I know I can still see the movie just fine. But if I’m paying for the whole ordeal, I want to do it might way. Between Frank Sinatra and Burger King ads, I’ve become a bit of a prima donna when it comes to my movie seats and I don’t feel like I need to settle for less. The problem is that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice leaves the XD after week one because the following weekend hails a new film ready to take over those massive theaters. After it was in the regular cinemas I found myself less motivated to look for a showtime and then before I knew it, the movie was on demand. So while I lament having not seen this film in it’s glory on the big screen, I am quite pleased with our showing tonight.

If you’ve seen the trailer for this movie then you know more than enough about the film for me to go through any of it. I don’t want to really spoil a thing, like I said, so I will refrain from trying to go into too many specifics about it for fear of ruining something. My overall feeling by the end of the film was that this movie was great. I will go out on the limb and give it an A. I know I’m grading the film early in my review. Normally I stick that bit towards the end. And I’m not being succinct today for the sake of anything in particular. I would like to gush at least a little bit on how much I enjoyed the film. But i do think it’s worth noting up front how much I really did enjoy it.

I honestly never thought we’d get a visit back to this IP so when talk of it got serious and eventually details of a script, shooting schedule, leaked photos and eventually a teaser trailer, I only got more and more excited for the ghost with the most’s return to the silver screen. I wouldn’t consider myself a massive Beetlejuice fan like I have posters up all over the walls or anything. I’m not even one of those people who live that Tim Burton life. But I’ve always been a fan of the original. I’ve probably watched it 50+ times in my life at least. It was a staple in my childhood. I have the cartoon series on DVD as well and have watched through it a couple of times. I had action figures and happy meal toys. I’ve always been an appropriately engaged fan I would say. I had heard the rumors back in the early 90’s of Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian just like everyone else did. But when that never materialized, eventually the original just became a classic and we all moved on to bigger and better things. You’d bust out the flick every so often. Any time you’d hear a Harry Belafonte song somewhere you’d get that whiff of Beetlejuice in the air. it was such a hallmark of my youth that it would forever be beloved. Which ultimately begged the question nearly four decades later as to whether or not a sequel now would undo the fond memories of the original by tainting them with a bad taste via a cheap money grab or we’d be treated to something truly iconic one more time. Thankfully everything came together fantastically in my estimation.

I’ve gotta give Keaton credit. He jumped back into that role with considerable ease. He’s 73 years old. Ironically being much older would feel like it would make being decrepit much easier. But the Juice is spry and so was Keaton in this film. He was fun and playful with just enough of an edge. I liked that they used him in a little different capacity in this film. Initially he was employed as somewhat of a reluctant antagonist as an aid to the protagonist. Beetlejuice is ultimately always a self serving specter but his viability as the leading freelance contractor in the bioexorcism industry was always dependent on his reputation ultimately. That’s only heightened in the plot of this film as he’s significantly expanded his empire to employ a small army of shrunken headed call center reps. Though I don’t necessarily feel like his screen time was dramatically increased, I do feel like his role was also broadened in this outing. He’s got some of the best lines in the film and he nails them as always.

Also returning were Winona Rider and Catherine O’Hara. Their chemistry in this film was wonderful. Adding in the generational element of Lydia Deetz having her own angsty teenage daughter was brilliant as it cause Rider and O’Hara’s characters to commiserate endearingly far more than in their more strained relationship in the initial film. This dynamic made the three relationships of Lydia, Delia and newcomer Astrid played by Jenna Ortega. Definitely in Ortega’s wheelhouse as she’s thriving in the horror genre substantially. What I like about her in general is that she does not feel two dimensional in roles like this. It would be easy to say she’s been typecast in the genre but I don’t think that’s true. I think she’s malleable enough to roles well outside of this that she could really hold her own in a comedy or an action movie as well. But she does shine in things of a more macabre nature and this film is no exception. There is a fun juxtaposition that she’s more of a supernatural skeptic instead of the inverse which seems like you’d assume that from her. I think this lends her a lot of credibility and adds to those familial interactions in solid ways. Rider juggles a number of different aspects in this film as a mom, a daughter and love interest to another addition to the cast, Justin Theroux. He is the hyper-emotionally sensitive beta-male, Rory, who doubles as Rider’s beau and producer. His contribution to the film is diverse but functions primarily as an alternative sort of comedic outlet which worked out rather well also.

Ultimately I really thought everything fit so well. The characters were fresh and not at all like they were simply unpacked from a dusty old trunk and shaken out for a paycheck. The storylines intersected and crisscrossed really well for me and I had a ton of fun with the whole production. I enjoyed the nods to the original as they were sprinkled in just enough to conjure up those nostalgia feels while not overwhelming the film’s attempt at being it’s own new thing. With a really packed cast of very capable actors I thought there was a real chance that things could get lost but it all worked so well that it felt like Danny Elfman was conducting a Beetlejuician symphony in and of itself. The visuals were great as we got plenty of old imagery with the advancements in movie magic that a third of a century will get you in this case. Even some of the wacky types of animation utilized at different junctures in the film were fun. We were treated to claymation sand worms once again which was great. but we also got a couple other interesting little vignettes and usages of animated extras that I quite enjoyed. Mixed in with that were the practical effects and makeup and the whole thing really came together so well. The whole time I was engaged and involved. The laughs were real and they were so much fun. There were a number of times that the really caught me off guard and it was just a blast. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun with a movie in a good while and it was sincerely refreshing. I know I’m all about the positives in this one but honestly that’s all I want to focus on in this review. It’s not a perfect film but it hit the mark so well for me that this was an easy A. I can’t quite go A+ because it is still just a regular movie and not one of those top tier amazing films that changes your life. So I have to leave a little wiggle room to maintain some authenticity to my scale here. Putting Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at the zenith of my rating system might lose a little integrity for me and I don’t need to do that. Even giving it an A might hurt my credibility with some critics but I don’t care. I had grade A level fun with this movie and I’m not going to pretend I didn’t. So hopefully I left plenty of mystery to what actually unfolds in this film while solidly encouraging you to check it out. It’s easily my favorite of my 31 days so far and I definitely feel like it will be at the pinnacle when this month is over still. He IS the ghost with the most after all and 36 years later he’s still got it. So check this one out for sure this spooky season and until next time, I’ll catch you on the flip side.