Beetlejuice Beetlejuice spoiler-free review: A charming and surprisingly successful sequel

Thirty-six years later, we finally get the sequel to Beetlejuice. This sequel was somewhat unexpected, given how long it's been since the original premiered and how well the 1988 version holds up. However, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a surprisingly good sequel that honors the original without taking away from it.

The movie has already received some praise, with a score of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty close to the original's 82%. The sequel premiered at the Venice Film Festival and earned a 3-minute standing ovation.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice follows our favorite goth girl, Lydia Deetz, and her newfound fame after creating a TV show exposing the paranormal. Lydia gets a call from Delia telling her there has been an emergency and that she has bad news about Charles. This sudden tragedy forces Lydia to reconnect with her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who is resentful of Lydia's psychic abilities.

But once Astrid falls into some ghostly trouble and gets stuck in the afterlife, Lydia has no choice but to enlist the help of Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse has his own troubles in the movie once his ex-wife (Monica Bellucci) is miraculously revived. She is on the hunt to take Betelgeuse's soul and he needs Lydia’s help as much as she needs his.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice introduces us to a new group of characters, such as Astrid, Dolores, Rory, and Wolf Jackson. The characters are a great addition to the story and bring new life to the cult classic. Willem Dafoe is a hilarious edition I wasn’t expecting in this movie. He is on the hunt for Betelgeuse and Dolores, who is sucking the souls of the dead and wreaking havoc in purgatory. 

While Dolores is an interesting character and has a unique ability, she still falls a little flat. Her origin isn’t really explained and she has a very short amount of screen time. The subplot of her character seems to be pushed to the side and at times forgotten. The movie could have fared better if they stuck to one plot instead of trying to make multiple happen at once.

What makes Beetlejuice Beetlejuice a successful sequel is that it offers a different story while still retaining the aesthetics of the first. The afterlife is still full of eccentric dead people and colorfully creepy hallways. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder deliver a killer performance and that’s what makes this movie feel like the original. The bits and jokes of this movie work really well, and we get to see the goofy physical humor we all know and love. Not to mention a musical number that pays homage to the first that makes you want to dance and sing along. 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun sequel full of campy goodness that builds the perfect amount of nostalgia. My one issue with the movie was the overuse of subplots that didn’t really add to the story. Despite that, every character gave a memorable performance and we got to see the iconic Saturn sandworm once again. Tim Burton successfully breathes new life into the classic and I’m crossing my fingers that we get a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice because I will never tire of Keaton in this role. If you’re a big fan of the original I would recommend you see this movie as soon as possible!