It has been literal decades since the release of Beetlejuice and this weekend we finally arrive with a sequel to the 1988 comedy. Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder resume their roles from the first film in this sequel, also directed by Tim Burton.

I will be honest. When I first saw the trailer for this sequel, I was not very excited. It looked like this movie was going to just revisit the same bits as the 1988 film did and I saw no reason to get excited for this. I do like Michael Keaton though and I had some hope.

After seeing the sequel, I found it to be a fun film that is definitely worth a viewing, even if it is far from perfect.

According to IMDB, “After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s (Michael Keaton) name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.”

The cast of this film is sensational. Michael Keaton pulls of Betelgeuse with the deft touch of a master, losing not one step from the first film. Jenna Ortega is a wonderful addition to the cast, making a perfect daughter for Winona Ryder’s Lydia. Catherine O’Hara is over the top as Delia Deetz, who was recently widowed. The cast was excellent and pulled off the comedy with an ease.

I do have to say that I thought the storylines going on in the movie were very messy and chaotic. Some of them felt as if they were there just to fill time. The individual plot points did not form together into a tight and cohesive story. Instead it was much more of a disjointed tale. Some of them worked well, especially in this type of a movie, but the overall story was not what this movie will be remembered for. Some of the storylines in this movie could have easily been removed from the movie and there would be little to no change in what happened.

The world of the dead is totally fascinating and fun to watch as the film treks though it. The special effects were great most of the time and the extended use of practical effects made the dead world feel like it was in the same world as the original. For most of the time, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice looked great.

There is a fantastic scene involving “MacArthur’s Park” near the end. I loved that. Michael Keaton may be the best lip syncher in movies.

I had fun watching this sequel. It is far from a great movie and the story is completely messy. I think you could easily take Willem Dafoe and Monica Bellucci out of the film without missing a beat and you would never miss them. Still, the drawbacks of the film did not detract from my enjoyment of the film. It was worth my time and I would recommend it, especially for those who were fans of the 1988 Beetlejuice.

3.6 stars