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- The Keaton, The Stitched Up Woman, and Danny DeVito
- Scripts Stapled Together by Subplots
- Tim Burton’s Style Goes a Long Way
- Why These Are the Sequels That Made It
As a longtime admirer of Tim Burton’s unique cinematic universe, I find it captivating to analyze his sequels – Batman Returns and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – as they serve as reflections of the director’s career trajectory.
2024 saw the debut of “Beetlejuice 2,” the sequel from renowned director Tim Burton, following up on his 1988 original film. Despite being a well-established filmmaker in Hollywood and having numerous box office and cult hits, Burton has generally steered clear of making sequels. Interestingly, even though both “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” and “Alice in Wonderland” had sequels, Burton chose not to reprise his director role. Intriguingly, “Beetlejuice 2” is merely the second sequel Burton has directed; it came 32 years after his initial venture into a sequel with “Batman Returns.
1992 saw the release of “Batman Returns,” a follow-up to the blockbuster hit “Batman” from 1989 that shattered box office records. Warner Bros. entrusted Tim Burton with full creative control for this project, recognizing his unique vision as the key to revitalizing the franchise. The resulting film was divisive, causing discomfort among some parents and frightening children (while others found it captivating). This controversy led to Burton’s departure from the series, paving the way for a lighter aesthetic under Joel Schumacher with “Batman Forever” before the franchise eventually lost steam with “Batman & Robin.” Compared to “Beetlejuice,” the reception of “Batman Returns” was initially more mixed, but both films share many similarities with the two subsequent Tim Burton sequels.
The Keaton, The Stitched Up Woman, and Danny DeVito
Batman Returns’ famous tagline was “The Bat, The Cat, and the Penguin,” selling Batman, Catwoman, and, of course, The Penguin. Well, in many ways, that can sum up both Batman Returns and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Both films feature Michael Keaton reprising his iconic role as Batman and Beetlejuice, respectively. That means Burton is one of only two stars to appear in Tim Burton’s two sequels, the other being Danny DeVito. Danny DeVito played Oswald Cobblepott, aka The Penguin, in Batman Returns. Meanwhile, DeVito cameos in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice towards the beginning of the movie as a janitor in the afterlife, one who dies at the hands of Dolores (Monica Bellucci), a soul sucker who can actually kill the dead residents of the Afterlife.
Dolores was once married to Beetlejuice, who she tried to kill by poisoning before his demise. In retaliation, he chopped her body into pieces using an axe. In the afterlife, she exists as a collection of separate yet interconnected body parts. Tim Burton, known for his creations of sewn-together female characters reminiscent of the Bride of Frankenstein, has designed Dolores to resemble Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas and the Corpse Bride. Notably, her stitches bear a resemblance to Michelle Pfeiffer’s memorable Catwoman costume, made of black leather with visible sewing marks.
Tim Burton is often linked to Christmas and Halloween, a connection strengthened by the stop-motion animated film he produced in 1993 titled “The Nightmare Before Christmas“. Notably, both films “Batman Returns” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” are sequels that unfold during one of his signature holiday seasons. Specifically, “Batman Returns” is set at Christmas, while the dramatic conclusion of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” occurs on Halloween night.
Scripts Stapled Together by Subplots
In a similar vein, both “Batman Returns” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” have received mixed reviews, garnering significant criticism for their script but much acclaim for their unique style. A recurring complaint about both films is that the scripts are their weakest aspects. Both movies feature multiple subplots, much like Catwoman’s suit or Monica Bulluci’s Dolores, which seem to be pieced together haphazardly.
In the film “Batman Returns,” Selina Kyle (Catwoman) is summoned by her boss, Max Shreck, following her discovery of a clandestine plan to establish a power plant that would siphon and store Gotham’s energy. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne/Batman, who tends to react rather than initiate actions, plays a significant role. The main plot revolves around the blossoming romantic relationship between Bruce and Selina, prior to them revealing their hidden identities to each other. Critic Roger Ebert observed at the time that “The plot doesn’t move along smoothly like a well-oiled machine. Instead, the movie progresses in spurts, from one minor subplot to another.
The movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, like the original, combines multiple storylines to create a whole. Occasionally, it seems as if we’re watching two distinct sequels that just barely touch one another. The character of Lydia (played by Winona Ryder) rekindles her relationship with her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who harbors anger towards her mother’s ability to see ghosts while she herself cannot see her father and Lydia’s former spouse, Richard. When visiting the house from the first Beetlejuice film, Astrid encounters a ghostly child named Jeremy, unbeknownst to him having murdered his family in the 1990s. He manipulates Astrid into joining him in the realm of the dead, hoping to replace her among the living.
In Beetlejuice, Lydia is constantly troubled by apparitions of the character Beetlejuice. Her boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux), a television producer, proposes to her with the intention of hastening their nuptials. However, Lydia finds herself in a predicament where she must conjure Beetlejuice to protect her child. In a twist of events, Lydia agrees to marry him under certain conditions. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Beetlejuice himself is tormented by the spirit of his former wife, Dolores, who seeks vengeance on him. The plot also explores subplots involving Lydia’s stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and Willem Dafoe as a deceased actor turned police officer in the afterlife.
Nonetheless, numerous critics observed that the filmic problems in “Batman Returns” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” were swiftly surmounted by Tim Burton’s inventive cinematic flair in their visual presentation.
Tim Burton’s Style Goes a Long Way
The films “Batman Returns” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” demonstrate resilience against flawed screenplays, largely due to Tim Burton’s distinctive visual style as a director. Each film is unmistakably Burton’s work, representing different stages in his career. In the case of “Batman Returns”, Burton was essentially given free rein following the triumphs of “Beetlejuice” and “Edward Scissorhands”, as well as the initial Batman movie. Warner Bros. granted him creative freedom, which he seized, resulting in one of Burton’s most visually stunning works. In “Batman Returns”, he and production designer Bo Welch truly embodied the “goth” essence of Gotham City.
In their portrayal, The Penguin and Catwoman may not mirror their comic book versions but instead offer distinctive takes by Tim Burton. At the time, critics were captivated by the stunning visuals in Batman Returns, praise that has grown with time. As superhero films have gained prominence, it’s fair to say that nothing quite compares to the unique gothic Christmas blend of Batman Returns, and the movie has evolved into a cherished holiday tradition in recent years.
In simpler terms, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” can be described as a fresh take on a familiar theme for Tim Burton, marking his return to form after a less successful period in the 2010s, particularly with the film “Alice in Wonderland,” which was criticized for excessive CGI and seen by many as a departure from his best work.
Initially, Burton’s distinctive style seemed to lose its freshness as films like “Frankenwennie,” “Miss Pereguine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” and Dumbo appeared to be rehashes of his previous work. However, in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, it appears that Burton has found inspiration again after more than a decade. Unlike the remakes, this film doesn’t aim to modernize Beetlejuice but rather to recapture its essence. It utilizes stop-motion and offers dark, macabre visual humor with a childlike exuberance that characterized Burton as an intriguing filmmaker at the outset of his career.
Why These Are the Sequels That Made It
It also speaks to both movies that, despite their faults on a script level, they seem to overcome that in terms of general audience enthusiasm. While part of it is Tim Burton’s signature visual flare, one can argue that both movies’ stories, as messy as they might be, connect with the audience. In theory, the stories should collapse, but the audience’s praise and love for these films speak to how it isn’t always what’s on the page but how it is executed.
Batman Returns and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice were perfect choices for Tim Burton’s sequels because they demonstrated his ability to create engaging films even with less-than-ideal scripts, thanks to his unique visual style, dark humor, and emotional depth. Plus, having Michael Keaton involved certainly didn’t hurt! In the case of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, it also showed Burton rediscovering his creative voice after a hiatus.
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2024-09-17 01:32