Movie Review: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is finally here, almost 40 years after the release of the cult classic “Beetlejuice.” Now that we finally have the sequel, the question of whether or not it was at all necessary arises.

After being announced in early 2022, the sequel had caught the attention of longtime fans, but are those fans happy with the final product?

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” takes place several years after the events of the original film. Lydia Deets — played once again by Winona Ryder — has gone on to sell out and become a famous “ghost hunter” personality type on a T.V. show. She is occasionally haunted by visions of Beetlejuice, who appears to be messing with her from the other side.

Her stepmother Delia Deets — played once again by Catherine O’Hara — is now a famous artist, and surprisingly, the two characters have a decent relationship, counteracting the entire plot from the first film.

In addition to several returning characters, we are introduced to Astrid Deets, the estranged daughter of Lydia. Astrid is played by Jenna Ortega, and her addition feels the best out of the rest of the newly added cast.

Another standout character from the new additions is one named Rory, who is dating Lydia. Rory is played by Justin Theroux. We also see Willem Dafoe, and Monica Bellucci added to the cast, and while they play their roles energetically and seem to be having fun on set, the characters are not as fleshed out as they should be.

Michael Keaton reprises his role as the titular character, however, because it is no longer the ‘80s, that character is a tame shell of what it once was.

Where the original film was filled with raunchy perversion, this new film's character has to adhere to a much stricter outline in order to remain likable to a modern viewer. There are still funny scenes involving the character, but overall, when compared to the original, not even Keaton could have saved what Beetlejuice has become, although he tried his best.

This is not to say that the film is bad though — in fact quite the opposite — this film is good, but it is only good. The original however, is often regarded as great, and is many people’s favorite film.

It is unlikely that this sequel will garner the same level of praise. Once the dust settles, it is likely that most people will forget that this movie exists. It cannot stand next to the original film, and instead becomes muddled and indecisive, undoubtedly going through several obvious rewrites over the 36 years that have taken place since the release of the original.

There are about four main plotlines, and that makes it slightly hard or annoying to follow what is going on within the story. Where the original had one plotline and found a way to fit Beetlejuice into that story, the writers of this film clearly did not want to do away with any of the good ideas that the previous writers had come up with for the script, which leaves us, as viewers, with a less immersive experience and potentially even a bit of mental whiplash.

There are several positives of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” though. For one, the visuals are ramped up this time, and the film looks great. Although some viewers may share the sentiment that the limited capabilities of the technology in the ‘80s helped contribute to the overall vibe of the first film.

The practical effects from the first film helped with the comedy and overall theme. In this sequel, the practical effects are often overshadowed by the CGI effects. While the film may look great, it doesn’t feel as cared for as the original in the effects department.

We get to see a lot more of Beetlejuice’s past within this film, which is nice for viewers who were wondering how the character met his demise and wound up in the afterlife in the first place. In addition to the added backstory for Beetlejuice, we also get to see a lot more of the afterlife, and how it functions behind the scenes in the world of this franchise.

The soundtrack is one of the best aspects of this film, and may even be the one thing that this film did better than the first. While the first film had an amazing soundtrack that contributed to and enhanced the plot, this film doubles down and provides an excellent list of licensed music that all fits well within the world of “Beetlejuice.”

At the end of the day, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is yet another legacy sequel that is obvious about having been rewritten many times, and while it is an improvement visually, it is not as enjoyable of an experience as the first.

The cast worked great together and you can tell that they had fun on set, but it is not enough to overcome the obstacle of being a sequel. While this film is enjoyable and fun, it will never be as good as the original. It is worth watching if you are a fan of the characters and the world, but it is not anything that will be overly memorable in the years to come.