Rated PG-13

It’s been 36 years, and BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE drops us in on the Deetz family after their patriarch has died. Lydia, her step-mother Delia, and her estranged daughter Astrid return to their old home only to discover their old pal Betelgeuse is reaching out to them from the underworld.

Even with the return of most of the cast, director Tim Burton is clever enough to not just retread the original story. We do get a standard plot about a family in strife, and this can feel a bit mundane. But what makes the movie tick is the title character causing chaos and havoc.

At least the film strikes a good balance with this.

Things get off to a clunky start, but the film delivers the off-kilter goth humor we all want without relying solely on nostalgia.

It’s got a lot of energy, though it’s not nearly as fresh as the original film. But honestly… could it ever be?

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE gets three three and a half half ghosts out of five five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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