Burton’s zany take on the macabre finds target

After watching Beetlejuice Beetlejuice I had a bizarre urge to see the 1988 movie Beetlejuice because for some strange reason I never did.

This sequel to Beetlejuice is also directed by Tim Burton and stars some of the characters and actors who played them in 1988, including Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder.

The story opens about 20 years on from the end of the first movie.

It is a little hard to explain the plot in a nutshell as the action splinters off into several storylines.

However, the movie starts with Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), who in 1988 was a goth teenager who had the ability to see ghosts.

She is now the successful hostess of a talk show Ghost House.

She has a strained relationship with her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) who thinks she is a kook.

Astrid is also still grieving the loss of her father.

Lydia’s father dies which unleashes a series of events that puts Astrid in danger and involves a rescue visit to the underworld where those who have died hang out.

I really think Betelgeuse played by Michael Keaton is the star of the movie.

He has a stunning repertoire of tricks and interventions.

Ryder is also superb as the nervy indecisive Lydia who suddenly finds herself in a crisis situation and has to step up her game to save the day.

Danny de Vito also makes a cameo appearance.

The theme music at the beginning of the movie as the camera tracks the length of a small town where the story is set does a great job of setting the scene for the quirky storyline that follows.

The special effects are somewhat gross but very clever.

The movie is a little bit dark and it deals with the subject of ghosts and demons, albeit in a spoofy kind of way.

However, all up it is a very imaginative, funny and zany kind of movie which I guess is what we have come to expect from Burton.