DIRECTOR Tim Burton brings back the characters from his old film, Beetlejuice in the sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Burton, who throughout his film career is known for his dark gothic style in his films, still sticks to that impression in his new film.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice comes 35 years after the first film, which was released in 1988. The main character Beetlejuice is still played by Michael Keaton, as is the ghost communicator Lydia Deetz who is still entrusted to Winona Ryder.
However, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice also expands the universe of characters by adding new faces and, of course, new conflicts. Lydia faces conflict with her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Already a teenager, Astrid, who does not believe in ghosts, is rebellious and distanced herself from her mother due to the death of her father.
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Initially, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice runs with two parallel stories. A real world where Lydia and her family live. Second, the afterlife, where Beetlejuice and the dead people, including the actor Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), who is styled like an afterlife policeman.
The two worlds, previously had no connection. Only occasionally did Beetlejuice show himself to Lydia. However, since Astrid suddenly met a ghost man named Jeremy (Arthur Conti), the two worlds became more connected.
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Delving into Lydia’s dark experiences about all of Beetlejuice’s memories. In the past, Lydia was asked to marry Beetlejuice, so that the ghost could come back to life as a human. However, by doing so, Lydia will turn into a ghost.
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That’s what Astrid experienced when she met Jeremy. Astrid, who had been gloomy and bullied at school, felt she found joy. Before she realized she had been manipulated, Astrid had been taken into the afterlife. Lydia was forced to call Beetlejuice’s name three times to save Astrid.
From the screenplay written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and the story by Gough & Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feels fresh. Still with Burton’s gothic and gloomy style, but has a comedy that gives the mood of this film to be lighter.
Catherine O’Hara, who plays Delia Deetz, Lydia’s mother, is a character who successfully appears with minimal effort but maximum results. The star of the Emmy Award-winning comedy series Schitt’s Creek is a weapon for Burton to bring Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as a horror fantasy that also has strong comedy elements. O’Hara throws out various types of comedy, from dark comedy, cynicism, to as simple as situation comedy.
Meanwhile, Ryder and Ortega’s bond reflects an organic mother-daughter bond. The characterizations brought by both of them shape the dynamics of the film to move forward. The relationship that was distant at the beginning of the film becomes closer in the final act. Keaton, appears subtly through Beetlejuice’s visuals. With his attractive appearance, Keaton still brings Beetlejuice as an iconic character.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun vehicle to bring comedy about death, family drama about the relationship between a teenage girl and her mother, and how the two of them cope with the crisis that occurs. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is showing in Indonesian cinemas starting September 4, 2024. Indonesian media watched at the pre-screening session on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. (M-1)
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