Movie Review

Nostalgic sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice adds no life to '80s classic

Winona Ryder Michael Keaton Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Unless you’re a Tim Burton superfan, it’s easy to forget that 1988’s Beetlejuice was only the director’s second feature film, one that would set the template for all the other weird stories and images he would later bring to the big screen. Now, like so many other beloved ‘80s properties, it is being resurrected 36 years later with the legacyequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

It focuses on Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), now hosting a ghost hunter show while still occasionally seeing glimpses of her old nemesis, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). When her father dies in tragic-but-funny fashion, she returns to her family home with daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) and boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux) to be with her mom, Delia (Catherine O’Hara).

It isn’t long before a series of events summons Beetlejuice back from the underworld, bringing with him mayhem and unexpected people, including a group of people with shrunken heads; Delores (Monica Bellucci), a woman looking for revenge on Beetlejuice; and Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), a deceased former actor who now fashions himself as a type of detective.

Directed by Burton and written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (the creators of Netflix’s Wednesday), the film has many of the familiar touches of the original, including multiple grotesque and scary characters. However, Burton’s filmmaking ability turns the images of reanimated bloody corpses, people having their souls sucked from their bodies, and more into fun entertainment, a trick that not many other directors would be able to pull off as well.

What’s missing this time around, though, is a coherent story. Instead of trying to tell one story with some side plots, the filmmakers give equal attention to multiple side plots, never properly bringing them together. Every major character has something different going on, to the point that it feels like there are five different short films vying for the audience’s attention. Beetlejuice is supposed to be the character that ties them all together, but his appearances are so sporadic that it never works.

Naturally, the film is also full of nostalgia for those who loved the original film. The talents of Keaton, Ryder, and O’Hara means the mere presence of their characters will be enjoyable for fans, as will the appearance of the original house and Bob the shrunken head. But other elements don’t work, most notably the awkward centralization of the deceased Charles Deetz, played by the now-disgraced Jeffrey Jones in the first film. They try to be creative in showing him, but it would have been better to explore a different reason to get the gang back together.

The 73-year-old Keaton is still as amusing as ever in the title role, even if he feels like a sidekick to everyone else. Ryder and O’Hara have seemingly turned into their movie personas over the years, so they both feel natural in reprising their roles. Ortega is a rising star, but she’s weirdly not showcased as much as you might expect in the film. Bellucci and Dafoe are given parts that amount to nothing, which is indicative of the larger story problems.

Ultimately, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t give a good enough reason for it to have been made. It doesn’t move the characters forward in any significant way, it puts forth retreads of jokes that were funny in the first film, and it has way too much going on storywise. It might have been better for Beetlejuice to remain in the underworld, where he belongs.

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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens in theaters on September 6.

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Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

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The Invite is now playing in theaters.

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