Beetlejuice Beetlejuice IMAX Review: The Juice is Loose Again!

Michael Keaton steps into his iconic role once more as Beetlejuice in this long-awaited Tim Burton sequel and after seeing it in the standard version on a screen that was crinkled and folded (sort it out Vue) we decided to step it up and see this movie in the format it was deserved to be shown in, IMAX.

Bringing back all of the familiar faces for this second instalment is paramount and whilst sadly Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis don’t reprise their roles there was an alternate version of the script which penned their return.

The idea to bring them back was scrapped because they are ghosts who don’t age so bringing them back they needed to look the exact ages they were when they died and Tim Burton allegedly thought that their story had already been told.

There’s a lot of computer wizardry they could have used to bring them back but I can understand the decision to omit them in favour of this new story taking the characters in a new direction.

The Deetz family all return to their home in Winter River as Lydia is now a popular TV supernatural host and her rebellious daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) is more of the focus of this particular movie as she accidentally opens the portal to the afterlife.

What makes Beetlejuice Beetlejuice so enticing is the fact that even down to the introduction credits the film still holds that 80s vibe and charm and it doesn’t stray too far away from the original. Effects have been updated but for the most part it looks like an 80s movie with a glossier on-screen look. They’ve done such a good job of keeping it in line with the original and maybe played it a little safe at times but it worked.

The film has grossed over $100M and is instantly the second-biggest September box office hit of all time!

After Jeffrey Jones’s arrest back in 2002 it was quite obvious that his character would not be returning for the sequel but in Tim Burton fashion we see how his character met his demise and it was handled quite well throughout. 

A side story featuring Monica Bellucci adds context to how Beetljuice died and now she haunts the afterlife seeking him out, I felt this particular storyline wasn’t needed it was quite distracting to the main story and was solely inserted to give Monica and William Defoe some extra lines as he plays an afterlife cop investigating these afterlife murders with multiple casualties of the dearly departed having their ‘souls sucked’. 

Opting for physical effects over digital is always a win in my eyes and that’s why the film oozes that 80s charm, what I loved, even more, is that for about 4 seconds of screen time, the wonderful Hell Fire Caves located in Wycombe were featured in the movie. The caves have an eerie history linked to devil worship and cult meetings and made for a perfect backdrop for a rather quick cameo in the film.

What I found annoying about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was that it felt a little rushed in places and how it ended made me quite frustrated that they could be teeing up another sequel. Whilst this particular sequel works and works well it wasn’t needed or warranted and to tease another one is exactly what is wrong with Hollywood lately in its lazy delivery of sequels, prequels and milking old done and dusted ideas.

Whilst the film wasn’t shot on IMAX it was certainly a better experience than the original standard version. The sound steals the show when a film that isn’t designed for IMAX is displayed in this foam and Danny Elfman’s music (he returned to score the movie) just oozed that 80s eerie classic charm.

I hope and pray they don’t milk another sequel but as a worthy follow-up to the original Tim Burton has recreated a style and charm that has been long lost on cinema for quite some time and I’ll be forever grateful for that. Bringing back the original cast is a genius movie and solidified the greatness of the original movie and in that rare occasion when a sequel can compliment the original then it gets the seal of approval from me!

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