Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 

This film Is a visually striking mess of a film that I have warmed up to after taking the time to think it through. Now this film had me feeling all sorts of ways after I saw it and I had to take a long hard look about the it before even putting down my thoughts on the film as theirs so much I wanna discuss of Tim Burtons sequel to this beloved film. Now is this better than the first film? No it’s not is this film fun? Yes it is absolutely but does it have its flaws? 100%. Now I was saying for a while this is a striking mess of a film and I still stand by that statement their is a ton of film to be had with this film theirs a lot of like about this film and theirs also quite a few things I would of changed about the direction of the story this film takes but at the end of the day it is a film that is thoroughly enjoyable I can see myself rewatching every Halloween season. 

Firstly, let’s rip off the band aid and get to the issues I had with the film first so we can get the negatives out of the way. So the film’s biggest issue for me was its overly convoluted plot as it was all over the place with its story. Now their are so many films that have side plots and its main plot that being said you can do it but as long as it never detracts from the main plotline of the film and the issue I kept running into is their is about 3-4 separate storylines in the film and they could of focused on just one and used that as their core story but instead tried to stuff as much as they could into this sequel that their are some side plots that go absolutely nowhere and others that are really Interesting that could of been expanded upon. The film tries to take on more then it can chew and that is the biggest flaw and issue I have with it was it could of cut off a few of the minor subplots for a more smoother narrative that would of made it easier to follow. The second issue I had was making the character of Lydia a sad and in many ways weak personality. Now in the first film she was this spunky, dry humoured person with a sad outlook on life due to her passing of her mother. That being said she never let other people push her around and her no nonsense attitude is why so many people gravitated towards her and has become one of Tim Burton’s most popular characters. Now in this film all of that fun character personality she gave is totally absent As they present her to be haunted by the PTSD that the demon from hell put her through now I will say that aspect of the character was very interesting for her in the film but the way they went about her seeming very much like a pushover seemed so out of character for the role of Lydia. Seeing her just do whatever someone tells her and having even her step mother at one point telling her what happened to her brings up the fact she has changed and morphed into this soulless personality that she wasn’t back in the first film. Now Winona Ryder does a terrific job with what she is given it is just the character was terribly written in terms of expanding her arc and exploring new places if anything the character seemed very awkward and didn’t fit into what they showed us previously with her back in the first film. Now that is where my negatives on the film end is the convoluted plot at times and the poorly written arc and take on Lydia in this sequel and how both could of been done better with way better writing. Now for the things I liked the visual look of this film is truly stunning! From the sheer production, costumes, makeup all of the technical aspects of the story was brought to life with such great artistic passion that is felt in every frame of this sequel. Now is this film better than the original? No it isn’t but it definitely is a lot of fun and you can tell that Tim Burton had some truly amazing ideas he put in the film and their is a enjoyable story at the centre of this at times very convoluted story but the heart is very much present. It isn’t a perfect film by any means but it definitely is Tim Burton at the strongest he’s been in well over a decade I will say that and him returning to the weird and obscure imaginary stuff he’s known for is really where his strengths lie in my opinion. That is why so many people are having fun with this as their isn’t another director who can do this film its so distinctively his style which is great as his best known material is the most out their stories which is when he is giving his best work. Now Beetlejuice 2 may have its flaws but I cannot deny I had fun with it as it felt like a episode of the 80’s TV series that spawned from the first film it had this over the top colourful and pulp like quality to it that just leaves you with a smile on your face it does further the arcs of some characters and also introduce some fresh new faces sure it can feel convoluted but at the end of the day it is a fun time to be had with this worthy sequel. A lot of as they call them legacy sequels only bring back fan favourite characters and make them grim or miserable and I have no idea why that has become a trope and then have easter eggs galore now I do question some of the direction the role of Lydia takes but the film never felt like it was just one big nostalgia trip the easter eggs were done in a way that felt fun and fresh and not just placed in the film to please fans just cause they love the first film it is done quite smartly. The tone, style and sheer look of the film is amazingly well done by Tim and the creatives involved even if the film has a messy narrative it does make it fun and the positives do outweigh the negatives which is why I needed to think long about this one and not just give a immediate if I liked it or hated it mindset. It is definitely one of the best legacy sequels I have seen in quite sometime even if the story isn’t perfect it is able to give the audience fun and remind them why they love this world so much. 

Secondly, The performances are very fun and enjoyable from a lot of the cast here! Now their are some characters I would of liked fleshed out more like Monica Bellucci who has quite a cool character and is given a juicy flashback sequence and she is constantly trying to find Beetlejuice the whole time but by the time she sees him the film dose not do much with her which I think was a missed opportunity as she had such a cool contribution to the plot it just didn’t go anywhere. That is the only performance that is hurt due to how the writing affected her character if she was given more things to do and they made her the primary focus of the plot instead of exploring 3- 4 other subplots it would of also made for a much cleaner and less confusing narrative while also giving her more time to really shine. The other performance of the film I enjoyed and he did a delightful Job was Willem Dafoe now his character is so over the top and bombastic the moment the audience is introduced to him but what is so enjoyable about not just the character but how Dafoe is executing this performance is he is so self aware of what film he is in and knows that he has to crank that energy up to a 11 because he is in the zany world of Tim Burton in any other film it would be way to loud but because it is Tim’s universe it was perfectly done. Then you have Catherine O Hara who gives what may be one of her strongest performances to date in this film now I think she is so great in that first film but her contribution in this sequel may even surpass her work in the previous film as she has much more to do in terms of her character and she just delivers such a fun witted performance of the beloved character we love. She knows exactly what works in terms of comedy and she steals each scene she is in she is truly outstanding in this film and is a massive highlight in terms of the cast. Then you have Michael  Keaton coming back as the lovable demon from hell Now he gives once again another genius turn as this 80’s film icon as Keaton brings a energy and charisma that is like no time had passed regardless he is in his 70’s now he still is able to deliver that high caliber energy that he infused into the character almost 40 years ago. He slips back into the skin of the character like a glove and dominates each scene he is in with such fun charm and has you laughing the entire way through he gives another outstanding outing as this incredible character once again. Everyone else was great in the cast and yes I did not mention Jenna Ortega not to say she was bad it just seemed like her performance did not really pop for me in terms of performance among the many actors in this cast. Overall the cast was solid and all gave fun filled performances. 

Lastly, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun time even if their is flaws in the way the plot is handled its impossible not to have a fun time revisiting the world of Beetlejuice in this worthy sequel that gives the thrills and laughs we expected. It may not be as good as the first but in a world of hundreds of legacy sequels this is one I can see becoming a new halloween tradition and it definitely is Tim Burton at the best he has been in well over a decade Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Is a flawed but incredibly fun time to be had and I think the positives defiantly outweigh the negatives with this tale and it is a film so many will have fun with I recommend everyone go check this film out. 

This film takes place many years after the events of the first film and shows Lydia now traumatized by what she witnessed as a teenager and is struggling to have anyone believe what she saw was real and also has a strained relationship with her daughter who she is aching to have a better relationship with. But once a family loss happens they are thrust back into the house that haunted her so many years ago and familiar faces come back in a way she didn’t expect. 

Rated PG - 13 : Macabre and Bloody Images|Brief Drug Use|Some Suggestive Material|Strong Language|Violent Content

Michael Keaton : Keaton comes back as his second most iconic character of his career and slips into the skin of the demon from hell as if no time had passed at all. Now I may have my issues with this film but one that that was without a doubt the best part of the film was how amazing Keaton is in this film as whenever he does a role he commits his entire body to a role especially when its something as over the top and campy like Beetlejuice a performance that made him a household name in many ways. Their was no world where he was going to do a bad job in contributing his part to this follow up film and if anyone does not need much direction on what to do in terms of character work is Keaton as he was part of the creation of the his icon of a role and here he springs him off the screen in a way that was outstanding. Now their are many things of his work on this picture I loved but one that really is more prominent then ever is ability to have yes fun with the material he is given but never overstays his welcome onscreen. What people need to remember is why he was so solid in that first film is he didn’t have a massive chunk of screen time I think it was no more then maybe 10 minutes and to keep that same tradition very much present here I think is one of the strong suits of the film is it knows the definition of to much of a good thing which it never falls into the trapping of. As when the audience saw him in the first film sure he is fun but the story is more centred around Alec Baldwin and Gena Davis he is more of a supporting presence and same thing with his impact on this film as the film takes the main angle around Lydia and Jena Ortega’s characters he pops in and out but that is about it and I love that it never overthrew the main plot point of the film to become the Beetlejuice show. What Michael brings to this sequel though this time around that keeps the character fresh and interesting is that he Is still hung up on Lydia and has been trying to get her attention and will do anything to get her eyes back on him. He keeps that feeling if he is a antagonist or protagonist we never are really clear if he leans one way or the other and Keaton plays in that grey area of the characters personality in such a playful and flirtatious way that has you constantly smiling all the way through his performance. He perfectly fits into each scene he is in and the gags he does never feels overused or cheesy but it works amazingly well and Keaton cranks that part of his brain to a 12 with his energy and bursts through each scene with such a fierce sense of charisma that you can’t take your eyes off of him. Keaton has the audience learn a bit more  about his character but not to much that the mystery of him is totally gone as one of the strong aspects of his character is not knowing everything about who he is and why he is the way he is. Keeping those answers unanswered I think was smart but just reveal bits and pieces to further his arc that dose not feel repetitive of the first film. Keaton brings his absolute A game and rips a hole through the screen with his amazing dedication to this role that has become one of the biggest screen icons of the 1980’s and he once again delves into that fun nature of the character in a way that just leaps off the screen in such a playful way he speaks each word with such commitment and passion behind it and switching his voice up to sound just like he did all those years ago. Keaton delivers once again another solid turn as Beetlejuice once again. 

Catherine O’ Hara : O’ Hara is amazing in this film! Now she did a great job at playing the not so bright stepmother in the first film with an eye for abstract art and questionable fashion sense. Here she brings more laughter then ever to the role maybe even more then she did in the first film as she didn’t appear as a major part in the previous film as here she is in most of the film so we get to spend more time with her and see what she has been up to ever since her previous appearance. Now I think her contribution to this film is amazing in so many ways and I will tell you why! She has her arc probably best fleshed out from everyone in the cast as she isn’t doing a one note performance which she easily could have done here. As since she isn’t the brightest stepmother she could of just repeated what fans had already seen from her but instead tried to deliver on that sure but she didn’t just do that as switches things up and gives way more then ever before in terms of character growth. As she has lost her husband and is dealing with the grief of that but then having to snap Lydia out of this weird funk she is in and even gives her a pep talk asking what happened to the person she used to be. So she is able to give moments of sincere emotion and that signature dry wit that she is known for without it feeling way to over the top but even if their are moments of that since everything in this film is big in scale and so balls to the walls crazy her social tone deaf way of looking at things is fitting for this particular story. Catherine never wastes a moment onscreen she chews up the scenery giving what I think is a career highlight in terms of her onscreen performances that may even top what she did in the first film. The jokes she gives are so fun and side splitting they never feel badly timed but perfectly placed while also furthering her arc and showing she is more then just the airhead stepmom she does contribute quite a lot to this sequel and ends up in my opinion becoming the scene stealer of the entire film. Sure yes Keaton and Dafoe are great but I did not expect this performance from Catherine O’ Hara to be this comedically strong and she is outstanding giving a sprinkle of heart but also such a hilarious supporting turn that you can’t look away from and wish their was more scenes of her as she just blew me away with her work in this sequel. 

Tim Burton : Now there is so much I wanna say with how Tim Burton directed this film! So this man is responsible for brining modern gothic horror to mainstream viewers since the 1980’s but his massive explosion of popularity though happened in the 90’s. Now he has always had this macabre and weird goulash look to his films that feel otherworldly and so many people are drawn to his films for that reason which is his specific tone he captures in his work. Now do I think this is his best work he has given audiences? No do I think in many ways it is a return to form for him? Oh very much so. He has stumbled for many years with disappointing films such as the live action Dumbo, the sequel to Alice In Wonderland and so many people myself included knows he can make a great film when he wants to we have seen it as his earlier work can tell you that. The problem though he faces is something Wes Anderson has also faced in recent years is when their style is so distinctively them that audiences want more of that specific style that they end up becoming in many ways a parody of themselves. As the style is cool and all but its the story and the characters within that world that people fell in love with the amazing environment it is surrounded it only pushes it into greater territory due to the strong writing and character depth that pays off. I felt he has forgotten that in his last few projects so when I heard he was going to revisit a film he helped create that is so stylistically Tim Burton and its one of his earliest works before he became widely known I was hesitant to see it. As for many years Tim had shot down any pitches given to him for a follow up to the first film and so I was concerned if studios offered him enough money finally to do a cash grab sequel or was it actually a film that had a story that was worth revisiting this world once again. Now did it work? Yes for the most part their are some problems such as the sheer amount of side plots the film goes in but at the core of it I could see Tim Burton had his heart in the right place and it felt like he was back creating that obscure and out of the box ideas we hadn’t seen from him since 2014’s Big Eyes in my opinion at least. He has always been a filmmaker that has a great eye for his settings and making them truly striking and this film is no different on a technical level it is amazing from the costumes, set, makeup, production you name it all of those things were perfectly put to the screen. The plot could of extended some things and trimmed other aspects but you can see though Tim Burton was having fun revisiting one of his most beloved creations while sure giving fan service but also showing us new places these characters we love could go and letting us escape into his quirky world for a few hours and the film discusses themes of family disconnect, death, love, and even mending old relationships the film does it in a very over the top way but we love that from him though and he showcases those themes in the ways he best knows how to that always ends up coming across with a great amount of heartfelt emotion. Do I think it is better than the first? No but it is a worth sequel  that feels it is ripped out of the pages of the Beetlejuice tv show with its immersive take it has this time around we did not get the first time and it is so much fun and I can tell it is Tim at his most energetic he has been in years sure it is a sequel but at least it is a start showing that Tim still has those creative muscles in him after all these years. It isn’t perfect by any means but he did a solid job at giving the fans what they want while also showing new places that these characters could go.