The story of Betelgeuse and the Deetz family is so foreign to the usual Filipinos, including me. I had never heard of Beetlejuice until I looked for recommended horror films on Google. Upon watching, however, a Filipino viewer would find commonalities and comfort in the American-centric story: afterlife, ghosts, slapstick performances, and lipsync performances from the cast members. Director Tim Burton exemplifies his mastery in executing the universal appeal of his films.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice carries its predecessor’s Gothic camp and charm, which Filipino fans will enjoy. Fans of the predecessor will wink back at the sequel’s pile of smart and cheeky references, including the meta reference to its cast members. But if you did not have time to watch the 1988 American classic, don’t fret because Burton’s magic and the cast’s entertaining, over-the-top performances will keep you entertained for almost two hours and incentivize you to watch the prequel after leaving the cinema.
I was worried while traveling to SM Megamall for its Philippine premiere on Sept. 4. Is it going to rely on nostalgia and fan service? Are they going to switch from charismatic practical effects to lazy CGI? How are they going to deal with the original film’s characters played by controversial actors (Charles, played by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Jones, and Adam, played by Alec Baldwin)? Is Burton going to continue his series of dismal, flop films?
Luckily, Burton is in full control of what he wants, what the viewers are looking for in an entertaining American flick, and what his fans demand from him. The famed auteur showcased why he is a favorite storyteller among the creative, zany, and quirky moviegoers: The film started with the classic introduction of showing a miniature town of Winter River, Connecticut in a sweeping high angle. It transported us back to the 80s with its credits in corny font style placed in the middle of the screen and the memorable score of the veteran Danny Elfman. Of course, there were updates and references in the miniature town like the car of Adam and Barbara. The introduction gives us a glimpse of what Beetlejuice Beetlejuice would be like: a fun, camp, self-referential horror-comedy film for everyone, including those who were not even aware of the prequel.
Burton and screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar got away with a lot of every possible pitfall of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. No Baldwin because his character “found a loophole” in afterlife together with Barbara (Geena Davis). We also did not see the face of a sex offender because Charles was killed by a shark that ate the upper half of his body. Gough and Millar used this meta-solution to jumpstart the sequel’s plot.
Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), a now-successful psychic and ghost show host has to go back to Winter River for the funeral of his father. Along with her is her stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and her estranged daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Lydia, however, is still haunted by the crude and mischievous “bio-exorcist” Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) years after she tricked and prevented him from being resurrected.
But that’s not it. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice got busy with so many stories in under two hours: Rory (Justin Theroux) and his cunning plans for his girlfriend Lydia; Astrid and her romance plot with Jeremy (Arthur Conti); Astrid, again, and her longing for her deceased father Richard (Santiago Cabrera); Former B star Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe) and his career as a detective in the afterlife; and Delores (Monica Bellucci) and her quest to seek revenge against Betelgeuse.
For some strange reason, Burton justified the connection of all of these stories with simplicity. All of the storylines were complete despite the lack of fleshed-out plots. However, it was such a waste to have the talent of Dafoe and Belluci in Burton’s hands and only utilize them to forward the development of the Deetz family’s storyline. I want to be further enamored by Belluci’s spell on the big screen. While Burton faltered in exploiting the star quality of Dafoe and Belluci, he managed to get out of the best from Ryder, Ortega, and especially O’Hara. At some point, I asked myself if I was watching Delia or Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek. But who cares? O’Hara got most of the laughs from me and the audience.
But the main reason why Burton got his mojo back is his directorial decision to use practical effects instead of relying on CGI in comically portraying the other ghoulish monsters. Filipinos are familiar with this, especially to those who grew up with Shake, Rattle, and Roll and scary Filipino horror anthology shows in the 2000’s. The ghosts, the sand snake, and other creatures in the afterlife do not look realistic. But the awareness made Beetlejuice Beetlejuice a sweet escape from reality. It reminds us moviegoers why we buy a ticket to films like this: To see the cinema’s magic of storytelling.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is now showing in PH cinemas nationwide.
