After 36 years of stops and starts on a Beetlejuice sequel, fans finally get a follow-up that feels like a fun homecoming of sorts for many of the principle players of the original movie. While the first Beetlejuice was merely a respectable hit in theaters rather than a massive smash, it has maintained some real cultural relevance over the years and has remained a spooky season staple for many. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is poised to be a big early fall hit, and though the film is definitely quite rough around the edges, it does succeed in bringing the spirit of the first movie back in a big way. 

Tim Burton seemed to be doing paycheck movies for a bit, culminating in the very forgettable live-action Dumbo for Disney, but he has definitely seen a resurgence thanks in part to his directorial work on the Netflix smash Wednesday. Burton wisely brings Wednesday star Jenna Ortega into the fold for this project, where she portrays Astrid- daughter of Lydia Deetz- in a manner that strongly evokes Wednesday Addams. Meanwhile, the most important members of the Beetlejuice cast return including Michael Keaton, and Winona Ryder, plus Catherine O’Hara in a very fun reprisal of her role as Delia Deetz. 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a very busy movie with several different plot lines vying for attention. First there’s the relationship between Astrid and Lydia, with Astrid’s father having died years earlier before we the audience ever got to meet him. Lydia is about to marry the amusingly unlikable Rory played by a game Justin Theroux much to Astrid’s chagrin. Meanwhile, in the afterlife, Beetlejuice is running from his evil ex-wife Delores played by Monica Belucci. There’s also running comedic subplots for Delia, Willem Dafoe’s actor turned afterlife detective, and even Beetlejuice’s subordinate Bob. 

All the various elements give the movie a madcap sort of feel, but it also holds the film back as there’s a lot of build-up and moving pieces that get resolved much too quickly and anticlimactically in most cases. I would’ve cut out Delores entirely, who doesn’t get enough screen time nor funny moments to justify her menacing premise. Astrid’s through line felt the strongest to me here, and while this fizzles out very quickly in the second act, I think it could’ve been the focal point of the movie with a tighter script.

While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t have a full grasp of its own storytelling, the vibes of the original are very much here. It’s clear that Tim Burton is having a blast returning to all the grounded special effects and over-the-top cartoon horror moments that made the first movie memorable. I thought this one also did a good job at referencing and evoking the original in the right spots without just copying it beat for beat. While this sequel obviously isn’t quite as creative as the original, there’s a clear reverence for the ridiculous lore built up in that first movie. And of course, Danny Elfman is back without another absolutely banger soundtrack, which we can’t take for granted.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a decent sequel let down somewhat by its messy story, but I think there are enough winning elements to make it a recommendation for fans who have waited a long time for this. While definitely not as good, it feels true to the first film where it counts.