Passion. When you think about the Tim Burton who did Beetlejuice in 1988 and the Burton who did Dumbo in 2019, that’s what separates the two. For a few decades, it looked like the former was lost for good. But after seeing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, I’m pleased to say, thanks to the help of a delightfully devilish demon, the spark that once defined the director has been found once more!

In my roundtable article with the director, I spoke of my fondness for him and my history loving and admiring his work. So it was a matter of great importance for me that any sequel to Beetlejuice, one of Burton’s signature works, not be a letdown, as recent efforts, like Dark Shadows, have been. In fact, there was a time I would have flat out told you a sequel would have been downright unnecessary.

Thankfully, I’m pleased to say that not only am I grateful that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a worthy follow up to the first film, but also grateful that the movie seems to have given us back the Burton we all know and love. It is hands down Burton at his best! While aesthetically we get a return to form with the macabre imaginative look and feel of classic Burton’s films, we also get the heart and the hilarious dark humor with it as well. Combined with a wonderful reunion of sorts from mainstays of the reliable Burton troupe, giving the production their finest charisma and energy, and you have a movie that will prove every naysayer expecting a cheap cash-grab completely wrong. My arrogant, wannabe cinephile self from half a year ago included!

The action takes place, naturally, 36 years after the events of the original. Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) has grown up into a successful television medium. She now has a teenage daughter named Astrid (Jenna Ortega) and is dating her producer Rory (Justin Theroux). But she is still haunted by her last terrifying (yet hilarious) encounter with The Ghost with the Most. After the tragic death of a loved one brings her, Astrid, and her stepmother Delia Deetz (a wonderful Catherine O’Hara) back to her childhood home of Winter River, supernatural occurrences take place that force her to resurrect the demon of her nightmares: the one and only Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton)!

While it may not seem like it, many will say that there is a lot going on in the film, and they’re not wrong. The movie balances about three to four different storylines that all logically intersect with one another. But that didn’t bother me as much as other critics because the characters and themes of the film took center stage. Burton knows these characters inside and out, and knows why they’ve remained appealing for all of these years. In the case of the Deetz family, he’s evolved them in logical ways, allowing the events of the first movie to influence who Lydia is as an adult today. It also allows for a natural state of conflict to exist between her and Astrid, and also Rory, as they predictably don’t believe in any of the stories Lydia’s tried to warn them about.

Burton stated in our roundtable that he could not have done this sequel in the immediate years following the first, and it makes sense why. Lydia’s wisdom and trauma is something that could only be properly captured by a director with the benefit of age and experience. Knowing what it’s like to be a parent at odds with a teen, as well as an adult that has gone through his own share of toxic or traumatic relationships has allowed Burton to infuse his characters — Lydia especially — with a sense of actual honesty and verisimilitude that would not have been possible for a Burton in his early 30s. And it’s because of this sense of realism within the characters and their relationships with one another that the movie remains grounded, even when set within a sea of surreal visuals.

And that is what Burton does within Beetlejuice Beetlejuice that authentically recaptures the magic of his earlier films like, Edward Scissorhands. Characters feel genuine, relatable, and personal to who he is as a storyteller, as they take part in a story with the look and feel of a gothic fairy tale. Burton’s best work has always explored the best and worst aspects of humanity and life in a hilarious way, but with amazing and whimsical visuals and worldbuilding, and just like the first iconic film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice knocks this out of the park.

However, in a way that’s perfectly aligned with the original, while the characters that needed to evolve have done so logically and beautifully, the characters that had to stay consistent perfectly do so as well. By that I mean, Beetlejuice himself, and Delia Deetz. Beetlejuice is the same rude, crude, over-the-top hilarious prankster he was in the original, and Keaton hasn’t missed a single beat resurrecting one of his most iconic characters. He’s just as funny, just as quick, and just as energetic as he was in the first movie. Those coming to see a “Beetlejuice” movie will not be disappointed, as The Ghost with the Most has not been watered down. And he’s not just there to spit out “member berries” either. This is the same character, with the same irreverence, reacting to a new story and situations in ways this character could only be capable of. Both Keaton and Burton understand that, and do incredible work together, with Burton giving Keaton liberty to ad lib and improv for the greatest benefit of the film and the character’s legacy.

He did the same with O’Hara as well, which is why Delia is still reliably her drama queen self! Next to Keaton, O’Hara gets some of the most hilarious moments within the movie, delivering every single melodramatic beat and theatrical line with so much gusto! She steals so many scenes, and has the best lines, never straying away from the charm of what made the eccentric “artist” such a favorite.

That being said, while Keaton and O’Hara do what they do best, which is bring the hilarity, Ryder and Ortega are where the heart is. The dysfunctional relationship between them is indeed broken, and gives us something to root for. Lydia’s concern and love for her daughter are palpable, making us feel so much sympathy for her when her demons — both internal and external — prevent them from being close, and Ryder makes us fall in love with this character all over again. For as “strange and unusual” as Lydia might be, she’s hands down the most relatable character in the film, and it’s because Ryder brings humanity to the role, convincing us this is indeed the Lydia Deetz we all know and love, but fully matured and wise to life’s challenges, traumas, and also blessings. Her chemistry with Ortega makes their relationship feel real, and Ortega’s performance elevates what could have been a very stereotypical moody teenage character into someone more genuine. Astrid’s grief is something that defines her character, and Ortega gets that, adding subtle emotion to the role so we know Astrid wants for her and her mother to make it work, but just doesn’t seem to understand her mother or how to do this.

Additional performances that deserve incredible recognition come from Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe, who make the most of surprisingly minor roles/characters. Bellucci in particular is actually incredible as the psychotic Delores, a character that is perfect for Burton mythology. She’s devious, insane, and brutal, with a backstory that’s twisted as hell. And Bellucci captures that darkness perfectly. But there’s just not enough of her, which is a damn shame given how much she crushes the performance. The same can be said for Dafoe, who we know is a brilliant actor. He plays the incompetently hilarious Wolf Jackson, a former actor turned Neitherworld cop, with so much comedic charisma, perfectly spoofing actors who believe law enforcement officials are the literal archetypes we see on TV. But again, the character is a bit wasted, as is the amazing effort of Dafoe himself.

If the movie has a weakness, it’s the unfortunate handling of these characters. The movie introduces them without any real purpose to have them in the film, other than to introduce more conflict for the protagonists. They are all established in really promising ways, and instantly capture our attention. But then as the film progresses, it seemingly forgets about them, diminishing the impact they actually could have had on the story if they were better interwoven with the familial narrative of Lydia and Astrid’s relationship. It’s an acceptable casualty for the narrative since the focus should be on the Deetz family and Beetlejuice, and it completely is! But perhaps they could have been saved for another film, or removed all together. Still, what we do get of them is nonetheless welcome and still quite enjoyable. I won’t complain about time spent with Dafoe or Bellucci in any movie!

Despite these oversights though, the film still manages to possess a fairly clever and faithful script from Wednesday writers and showrunners, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. While the movie may seem chaotic, their witty dialogue and their understanding of the original, combined with Burton’s true grasp of the characters, smooths the chaos out. The movie is downright hilarious. And their additions to the pre-existing mythology add to a world in a way that fans of the original, and even the cartoon series, will appreciate. They never once betray the source material, keeping their script fully aligned with the tone and gothic irreverence of the original, but also not heavily relying on just rehashes of repeated iconic lines or story beats, as so many legacy sequels often do (e.g: “Get away from her you bitch!”). That doesn’t mean there aren’t callbacks, but what little there are feels welcome and inherent in who these characters are today. As a result, I honestly wasn’t bothered by minor quibbles or any superfluous plotlines or characters. It all felt relatively organic, and never diminished the amount of fun I had with the movie, because tonally, even characters as over the top as Delores or Wolf never feel out of place with this world.

The other thing that really resonated with me was the film’s themes about toxic relationships versus healthy ones. It’s a difficult topic to explore within a comedy, but Burton, Gough, and Millar are able to make the film feel substantial in this regard, successfully evoking pathos from us over the emotional heartbreaking obstacles that unite Lydia, Astrid, and even Beetlejuice in some ways. How broken characters and relationships, like that of Lydia and Astrid’s, benefit and evolve thanks to the strength they gain from walking away or ending such relationships is perhaps the most personal thing about the film. It’s not an easy topic to genuinely approach with sincerity and humor. But the movie is able to do so adeptly, while still keeping us in stitches (pun intended).

We, of course, cannot talk about any Burton film without discussing what a feast for the eyes and ears the film is. And Beetlejuice Beetlejuice recaptures the amazing visuals and music the original is known for. Danny Elfman once more returns to score the film, and as usual, he does a terrific job giving the movie an energetic and manic vibe, perfectly suited for the titular character’s quirky brand of cartoony black comedy. The selection of hits, like “Macarthur Park,” during outstanding key sequences add to the offbeat, wacky fun of the film.

The colorful sets and props of the Neitherworld also continue to be an absolute treat for us to admire, adding grim and unique environments and characters to the afterlife. However, what stuck with me most were the ’80s Burton-inspired practical effects of the film. Burton had every opportunity to go full CG with a lot of this movie, but never compromised how a Beetlejuice movie should look, persisting with amazing stop-motion sequences and practical makeup effects and puppetry, from Sandworms to one specific flashback sequence in the movie. And that not only recaptured the look and feel of the first movie perfectly, but also helped retain its charm, making everything feel a lot more authentic to the magic of that film, along with earlier Burton works.

Overall, Burton has never been better! Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a return to form for the filmmaker doing what he does best: blending the hilarious, macabre, and the heartfelt all in one, with surreal and wonderful imagery, effects, and trickery! Part of the magic is most definitely the script, lovingly written by Gough and Millar, which is clever, funny, touching, and dark, without ever being too much. Ryder is wonderful and it’s so great seeing her and Burton work their magic again! Keaton has still got it! And huge props to O’Hara who has literally some of the best moments in the movie! The music and practical effects, and even the stop motion animation really reminded me how brilliant and charming Burton can be, and Elfman’s score, along with the wild musical sequences, are so incredibly good! For me, it’s one of the best movies of the year, one of the most fun, joyous experiences I’ve had in a theater this year, and worth every year of the nearly 40 year wait!

Overall Score: A

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hits theaters this Friday, September 6!