The recent sequel of Tim Burton’s second feature, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, was a joyful experience for the cast to create, as they repeatedly affirmed. Full of whimsy on the big screen, it features Willem Dafoe as the spectre of a forgotten B-list actor who perceives himself as the hero of film noir. Winona Ryder resumes her role as Lydia Deetz, presenting a ghastly supernatural programme on television. Despite Jenna Ortega’s somewhat lacklustre part as Lydia’s daughter Astrid, she still appears to be thoroughly enjoying the experience, a fun side effect of her work with Netflix’s Wednesday, presumably her precursor to working with Burton. Meanwhile, Michael Keaton has a grand time reviving the lead character, savouring every bit of the special effects and revealing his inner persona on screen; such fun almost set off my laughter. It becomes tedious, though, viewing the crew’s jubilation when all you yearn is a breath of fresh air.
The whole project carries a note of desperation. Burton’s reputation has diminished in recent times, with his excessively convoluted ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ and his real-life adaptation of Dumbo flagging even with his most devoted followers. Hence his decision to embark on the ‘legacy sequel’ trend. And what could better ward off claims of arrogance than a return to the horror comedy that was the talk of the town prior to the Seoul Olympics of 1988?
Attempting to condense the chaotic plot design of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar – revered creators of Wednesday – into a succinct summary is an arduous challenge. Their narrative showcases a sequence of peculiar events. Firstly, an unexpected twist reveals Monica Bellucci (famed Burton’s real-life partner) reviving herself from the dead through a bizarre reconstruction of her disfigured body, thus emerging as Beetlejuice’s maleficent spouse several centuries post her demise.
Meanwhile, Astrid sparks an unlikely romance with a neighbour who conceivably could be a spirit. Adding to the unlikely series of events, Beeteljuice himself is called upon from the netherworld (or a place alike) by Lydia’s dreadful fiancé, who speaks Beetlejuice’s name thrice, triggering his reappearance and consequent chaos.
Attempting to articulate the storyline merely results in an array of loosely linked occurrences, validating it as the quintessential jigsaw of arbitrary scenes. Serving as a jolt to the memory for those sentimentally tethered to the original movie and its sequel episodes.
There are a few standouts amongst the clutter, whether they’re convincing or not. Dafoe may not be the shining star of the show, but his zealous performance is a testament to his commitment to the role. Bellucci, on the other hand, rises above the narrative, bringing a flamboyant charm to her part.
A particularly memorable scene involves an unsystematic rendition of Richard Harris’s timeless “MacArthur Park”. This spot seems to exist purely for increasing the unpredictable ‘fun’ for the cast, while its peculiarly strange lyrics find a perfect fit in this movie that defies all sense of rationale. With a backdrop of cakes dissolving in the rain and elderly men engrossed in a game of checkers, there’s a sudden and unexplained emergence of sandworms, possibly reminiscent of Dune. A case of throwing everything but the kitchen sink at a narrative already charged with offbeat moments. Go figure. It’s not going to write itself.
The allure of late summer movie goers may very well extend a warm embrace towards a truckload of talented actors amusing themselves at the viewer’s expense. Beetlejuice’s fundamental premise now appears rather outdated. Outdoor theatre akin to that of The Addams Family and The Munsters were drawn from retro American horror, specifically, Universal Horror – that originated during the youth of the audience’s forebears. Despite its age, this genre has endured the test of time. A fitting example of this is the fan appreciation of Miss Ortega’s Wednesday character. The attention of the Venice audiences wasn’t mainly on Keaton, Bellucci or Ryder, but her. As for enjoying the experience, it was seemingly a barrel of laughs for all involved. Beetlejuice will hit the cinema screen from the 6th of September.