Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has the familiar visual personality of Tim Burton and an energetic return from Michael Keaton. It is entertaining chaos, but the many storylines do not add up to the original's charm or depth.
Lydia returns to her hometown with her daughter Astrid after a death in the family. Contact with the ghost world brings Betelgeuse back into their lives. Several parallel strands expand the situation until the plot begins to feel overloaded.
Keaton's anarchic performance holds much of the film together. Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega also make the mother-daughter dynamic believable. Their relationships do not receive enough attention to produce much deeper emotional resonance.
The gothic sets and surreal images are unmistakably Burton's. Danny Elfman's music reinforces the dark but playful atmosphere. Individual visual moments and odd jokes are often enjoyable, though the second half becomes less coherent.
For me, Burton relies too much on effects and slapstick rather than character development. Fans can enjoy seeing the familiar performers return, but the balance between humor and heart is less secure. This is a lively sequel with plenty to look at and laugh at, leaving less beneath the spectacle than I hoped.
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