As a huge “Beetlejuice” fan, I’ll admit that I was less than excited for the announcement of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” With 36 years between the two movies, I had concerns this sequel was just a cheap cash grab. However, as I sat in the theater and the lights dimmed, I found myself surprisingly eager for what was to come.
In “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the Deetz family, including Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), return to their house from the original movie after a tragic incident leads them back there. However, being back in the town of Winter River brings up an abundance of emotions for Lydia – especially those of the demon that terrorized her family years ago, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton).
From the moment Ryder appeared on the screen, I found myself increasingly excited for the movie. Seeing her reprisal of Lydia and who she’s grown into since the first movie was compelling and something I’ve been curious about throughout the years.
While in some ways, I found myself disappointed in Lydia, I found the actions of her character to be fitting for who she was. This was especially apparent in the way she interacted with Astrid, in which the two’s painfully strained relationship is the center of the story. Watching how the two developed individually and together throughout the 1 hour, 44 minute film was one of my favorite parts of the movie, as they shared multiple impactful and wholesome moments.
Along with the excellent dimension in the characters, I appreciated how the sequel maintained a similar quirky and chaotic nature of the first movie. This was one of my main concerns when I first heard about “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” However, the eccentric nature of each character, especially Beetlejuice and Delia, was conveyed almost as well as the first one.
While of course there were noticeable discrepancies and differences between the two, I didn’t feel like I was watching a sequel from a whole other planet, in which no one understood what they were doing. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” complimented the first movie admirably well and stood out in comparison to other movie sequels I’ve seen over the recent years.
While the movie lived up to the first in a lot of ways, there was one aspect that had me confused and unfulfilled throughout.
Aside from the main plot of the story, there were multiple unfleshed-out subplots. Unlike the majority opinion, I tend to enjoy subplots in shows and films, but only when they truly contribute something to the grand scheme of things.
The side stories introduced in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” had a solid foundation and made me excited to see where they’d go. However, as the film continued these aspects remained left behind with the rest of the plot, lacking detail and disappearing just as quickly as they were mentioned. While these subplots added a comedic aspect, I wished it contributed more to the main storyline.
Despite certain concepts lacking the depth needed for them to properly flourish, I still found my expectations exceeded a plethora of times. I loved watching the Deetz family grow throughout the story, as well as seeing all the silly scenes and finally getting to see Lydia and Beetlejuice back on the screen together after all these years.
Even if you’re hesitant to watch “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” it’s still a fun watch through all the nods to the original and weird, over the top scenes. Regardless of the discrepancies, the film still proves to be a must-watch for fans – I can attest that it definitely made 12-year-old me happy. And while I won’t give any spoilers, I will say that you are guaranteed to leave the movie with Richard Harris’ “MacArthur Park” stuck in your head for hours without an end in sight.
