“Beetlejuice” was released on March 29th, 1988 and has since become a classic all horror movie fans must watch. Thirty-six years later and the sequel was released on Sept. 6, 2024. Despite the movie only being out for a few days from the time of writing this review, it has already surpassed the original films box office with an outstanding $140 million globally. It is no surprise since Tim Burton is a fantastic director and artist notorious for pioneering goth films such as “Corpse Bride” and “Nightmare Before Christmas.” “Beetle Juice Beetle Juice” the sequel film continues the original storyline of the Deetz family but with a grown Lydia having an ex and her own daughter named Astrid. Due to circumstances, Lydia was forced to call out Beetlejuice and promised to marry him for a second time. Following the promise, Beetlejuice was subdued once again and the Deetz family was safe.
A common concern with sequels and prequels is if they will stay true to their content. Whether they will abide by the world created and make the story feel new but also flow directly into the original film. “Beetle Juice Beetle Juice” did exceptionally well in making the world feel exactly like the original, but also improved upon it without making it feel retconned. Another aspect is the characters and relationships. It is important to make characters fleshed out and have relationships feel genuine. Both make or break stories. “Beetle Juice Beetle Juice” does a great job in making all the characters feel genuine and relatable on certain levels varying with each individual. For example, the relationship between Astrid and Lydia felt so genuine. Seeing Astrid’s detest for her mother Lydia, while Lydia is trying to protect her only child made me experience multiple emotions throughout the film.
The final aspect of a film is the quality of visual effects. The sequel has improved upon the original, which is to be expected with thirty-six years of technical innovation. For example, there are many more spirits in the waiting room who all look realistic. A prime example is Charles who was Lydia’s father from the original film, but was attacked by a shark out at sea in the sequel. He appeared repeatedly in the sequel as a bottom half spirit with part of his vertebrae exposed. His wounds looked so realistic as well as many spirits throughout the film. The overall critique people make is that the story felt rushed and scattered, however that is Tim Burton’s style and not a result of production. Beetle Juice Beetle Juice stayed true to its content, had fleshed out characters and relationships, and visual effects were pristine.
