We can celebrate how Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has director Tim Burton reaching back in time with visual tricks and hilarious jump scares that remind us of his very first films. The campy horror mixed with terrible images that make us flinch or want to squeeze our eyes shut is back, as is the off-the-wall and weird humor that characterized that earlier cinematic output. So for that, we can be extremely thankful. In fact, between the claymation, the black and white sequences, the dream reveries, and the shock value carnage, it would be safe to say that Burton has truly delved into his bag of tricks to keep us visually occupied throughout this film - and for the most part, it works!

It’s been 36 years since the first Beetlejuice, so while it’s important to respect the provenance, throw us Easter eggs, and push fan service, Burton and the team know they also have to offer something new beyond playing macabre. The novelty of that first film pushed its boundaries, and a lot of that rode on how just a manic character Michael Keaton was in portraying Betelgeuse. That would be expected and a known quantity, so what can change things up narrative-wise to keep us invested in this new installment?

The answer would seem to lie in developing Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), and giving her a daughter in Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Still a goth and now hosting a Lydia show on haunted houses as a medium, her producer Rory (Justin Theroux) is also a boyfriend and wants to be more! Theroux wonderfully plays this ridiculous ‘fake’ straight up and is hilarious. Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) is back as a street artist, and thanks to her, we get the musical recall of the Banana Boat Song or Day-O, but in a version that’s bound to take you by full surprise. 

Am ex-wife of Betelgeuse shows up in the form of Delores (Monica Bellucci), but after a stupendous introduction, not enough is made of this character - and this was a letdown for me, as there was so much possibility here if you wanted to introduce a new, possibly recurring, character. Cameos from the likes of Danny DeVito are audience pleasers, and we have Willem Dafoe as Wolf Jackson, law enforcement from the Afterworld. 

As I hinted at, there’s a lot to take in optics-wise while watching this film, and nuggets of humor are sprinkled generously. The mother-daughter and mother-stepmother scenarios are what I thought bogged down the film somewhat. As a continuing narrative direction, we don’t get caught up in the story or care enough. Astrid is a weak link here as we don’t latch on to her. I found Rory even more memorable as a repulsive invention of Theroux. 

So do we need a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? You can bet your bottom dollar that if this rakes it in at the US box office this weekend, we won’t be waiting 36 years for that third installment! Watch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in your favorite cinemas, and for the whole cinema experience, head to an SM IMAX theater!