Review of ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ at Venice Film Festival

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” Tim Burton’s long-anticipated sequel to his 1988 comedy classic, made its debut at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 28, premiering out of competition. Reviews have started to come in, offering a mixed yet largely favorable reception.

According to the first 16 reviews noted by MetaCritic, the film has earned a generally favorable rating of 67. Among these, 11 reviews are classified as positive, four as mixed, and one as negative. Over at Rotten Tomatoes, the film has logged 26 reviews thus far, with the majority being positive.

David Rooney from Hollywood Reporter found the film to be “unexpectedly delightful,” praising its “many inspired set-pieces” and “hilarious callbacks to the 1988 original.” Sophie Monks Kaufman of IndieWire also appreciated the film’s “relatively lean running time (105 minutes)” which “overflows with brilliant attention to detail.” Stephanie Zacharek from Time lauded Burton’s playful approach, saying, “Burton has just allowed himself to be silly and have fun; ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is filled with low-stakes wisecracks and kindergarten-style one-liners, but the effect works. The movie carries you along on its wriggling magic carpet of mayhem.”

Nicholas Barber of BBC commended the sequel, considering it a relief and comparing it favorably to “Top Gun: Maverick.” Barber noted that while the sequel pays “intelligent and affectionate homage to its predecessor,” it “surpasses that predecessor in almost every respect.”

However, not everyone was as enchanted. John Nugent from Empire felt that “the script spends so much time introducing new characters and plot threads that it gets a bit tangled in the narrative cobwebs.” Xan Brooks of The Guardian said it was “a game attempt to reanimate the bones of the director’s beloved 1988 horror-comedy,” but lamented that “this long-time-coming sequel doesn’t add much to the myth, nor push the tale in any radical new direction.”

Offering a more critical perspective, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair criticized the film for its “limp humor” and “rats nest of callbacks and plot, so jumbled and overstuffed it’s almost abstract.” Lawson referred to it as “yet another legacy sequel that serves as sad testament to the original film’s ingenuity.”

Despite these mixed reviews, the overall sentiment towards the film leans positive. Many reviewers see it as a pleasant surprise, avoiding the pitfalls of being a mere cash grab. Instead, it has garnered praise for its wit, ingenuity, and effects.

The original “Beetlejuice” won an Oscar for its makeup and earned Michael Keaton a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, shared with his role in “Clean and Sober.” There’s a possibility that this sequel could see nominations in various crafts categories at the upcoming Oscars. Michael Keaton could also potentially secure a comedy acting nomination at the Golden Globes.

The film is set to open to general audiences on September 6.

Source: MetaCritic, Rotten Tomatoes, Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Time, BBC, Empire, The Guardian, Vanity Fair