As far as unnecessary sequels go, Tim Burton's “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is standard fare in just about every respect. The plot's busy, the visual effects hit-or-miss and its villains are neither potent nor memorable. Yet somehow, it becomes something greater than the sum of our expectations. The belated follow-up to 1988's “Beetlejuice” owes much of its charm to its supporting cast, which is hands-down one of the most strikingly entertaining ensembles of the past decade.
The original “Beetlejuice” reinforced the tactility of Burton's movie magic more than it emphasized the brilliance of its casting. Sandworms, scale-model hauntings and phantom football players made for truly iconic imagery, and so much of that first film's novelty is rooted in that aesthetic. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” flips these priorities. This time, monsters and mayhem play second banana to the people experiencing them, and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” revels in showing us what that looks like.
