DVD Corner

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K UHD Review

We waited 36 years for this?  

Written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a sequel to the 1988 original. The story revolves around 3 generations of Deetz women (Lydia, her daughter Astrid and Lydia’s stepmother Delia) who come together in Connecticut for the funeral of Charles Deetz. The trip back home for Lydia turns out to be a chaotic one to say the least. Her daughter Astrid ends up in the Afterlife with a conniving boy (Jeremy) so that she can look for her late father, Lydia marries Betelgeuse (again) to find Astrid in the Afterlife despite being engaged to a TV producer (Rory) in the real world, and Betelgeuse’s murderous ex-wife Delores is looking for him. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

The original “Beetlejuice” still stands as one of director Tim Burton’s best films. The horror comedy exemplified Burton’s bold, unique style and quirky humor. After many years of chatter and rumors a sequel has finally hit the big screens. Unfortunately, it is weirdly ordinary and disappointingly lazy.

There’s a good movie somewhere in here, but the end result is a rushed sequel that features far too many subplots that clutter the narrative (even if they all sort of connect in the end). There’s storylines about Bob (a shrunken head man), Betel’s wife, Jeremy, Lydia and Rory, Wolf Jackson (a detective in the Afterlife), Delia, Delia’s dead husband Charles, and Lydia’s deceased husband. All of this takes away valuable screentime from Lydia and especially Betelgeuse who isn’t in the film nearly enough. The sequel also sadly retreads familiar moments including a “Day-O” musical sequence rip-off with “MacArthur Park.” The whole film reeks of being a missed opportunity.

The one aspect that does shine here is the practical creature/make-up effects and stop-motion animation. Yes, there’s CGI here, but as someone who advocates for more practical effects, it was refreshing to see Burton rely on them heavily here. Visually, the film is a treat to behold as we (the audience) get to navigate the Afterlife more.

Cast wise, this movie is stacked with talent. As mentioned above, Michael Keaton isn’t in the movie as much as he should be, but he certainly livens up the picture whenever he is on screen. He has no trouble stepping back into the role. The same goes for Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara who both get to explore the characters of Lydia and Delia further. Jenna Ortega is Hollywood’s IT Girl at the moment and has been collaborating with Burton as of late with “Wednesday” and now this. She delivers a solid performance although her character arc wasn’t as compelling as others. Willem Dafoe and Monica Bellucci are sadly rather wasted here in their respective roles as the characters are lacking depth.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? Regardless of how one may feel about the film itself, there’s no denying that this is one of the best looking discs of the year. The visuals and colors really pop in 4K. 

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? From Danny Elfman’s score to the sound effects, this Atmos track delivers the goods.

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Commentary by Tim Burton
* “The Juice Is Loose: The Making Of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”- A 28 minute making of featurette with behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with cast and crew, artwork, and discussions about the long-gestating project and its production.
* “The Ghost With The Most: Beetlejuice Returns!”- An 8 ½ minute featurette on the character.
* “Meet The Deetz”- As the title suggests, this 7 minute bonus feature is all about the 3 Deetz women.
* “Shrinkers, Shrinkers Everywhere!”- A 6 ½ minute featurette on the shrunken head characters.
* “An Animated Afterlife: The Stop-Motion Art Of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”- A 9 minute featurette on the stop-motion animation featured in this sequel.
* “The Handbook For The Recently Deceased”- A 12 minute featurette on the dead characters and the make-up, practical effects, and costumes.
* “‘Til Death Do We Park: Beetlejuice And Lydia’s First Dance”- An 8 minute behind-the-scenes look at the marriage sequence.

November 13, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K UHD Review, Jenna Ortega, Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Winona Ryder