When I took myself to CinĂ© in downtown Athens to see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – the highly anticipated sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 horror-comedy Beetlejuice– there was one thought going through my head: Jenna Ortega. I was so sure would give a compelling performance as defiant teen Astrid Deetz. Other than that, my nihilistic brain told me that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice would end up being another mediocre sequel. I certainly didn’t expect the film to blow me away, outside of Ortega and Winona Ryder, who plays Lydia Deetz, the central female character in the original Beetlejuice.
I was wrong.
From the moment the endless previews, which always leave me antsy, gave way, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had me hooked. The characters I fell in love with while watching the first movie, intuitive goth Lydia, quirky Delia, and horny trickster Betlegeuse, were recreated effortlessly by their respective original actors. Better yet, how they evolved from the first movie made sense. Each character, both old and new, had their time to shine (except Charles, but we’ll get to him later). My only bone to pick is with Delores. She was an entertaining character, but I wish her screen time was cut down so more time could’ve been spent on Astrid and Jeremy, the ghost boy who captures Astrid’s attention. Astrid and Jeremy had my favorite plot because it included an insane twist I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen the movie yet.
The premise of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, in my opinion, is pure genius. Killing off Charles, who wasn’t included because the actor who portrayed him is a noted criminal, was a power move – especially considering that death is a central theme in the Beetlejuice franchise. Rather than casually mentioning his death, though, the movie goes one step further and makes Charles’ death the inciting incident which brings the Deetz family together at their old home in Connecticut, where the events of the first Beetlejuice took place. The familiar New England setting, in tandem with several subtle references to the original movie carefully woven into the new plot, captures the whimsy of 1988’s Beetlejuice without feeling redundant and nostalgia driven as many other sequels do.
The movie’s clever use of creepy-cute stop motion animation, a Burton staple, made Beetlejuice Beetlejuice incredibly enjoyable to watch. I loved the completely animated flashback scene, and Betelgeuse’s zombie sidekicks, also animated, completely stole the show. Especially Bob – I cracked up every time his antics were shown on screen. Adorable animation, characteristic of iconic Tim Burton films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride, was a perfect inclusion to the Beetlejuice sequel. In a Tim Burton movie, the animation aspect makes sense, and in this film it cements Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as a true return to form for Burton.
My personal favorite moments in the movie were the musical moments. I’m a former theatre kid, so obviously I ate these up. I was impressed by how theatrical they were in comparison to the original Beetlejuice’s dance sequences – it’s so obvious Burton and his team drew from the success of the Beetlejuice musical.
While the Deetzes and Jeremy venture into the afterlife, a gaggle of dancing ghosts put on a show in the “Soul Train” station. The “Soul Train” scenes, my favorite parts of the movie, are a clever mixture of Soul music, musical theatre movement and New York subway performances. In the climactic final battle, Betelgeuse possesses the Deetz family, causing them to burst out into several minutes of song and dance. Jenna Ortega absolutely kills it in this scene, delivering a breathtaking performance that rivals her iconic “Goo Goo Muck” dance in Burton’s Netflix show Wednesday.
I applaud Tim Burton for reminding us that his director chops are still there, even when 2019’s Dumbo and 2022’s Wednesday caused many to lose faith in him.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t just measure up to its predecessor – in many ways, it outshines it. If that’s not convincing enough, you should see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice simply because it’s a damn good time.
Final Rating: 9.5/10
