Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a 2024 dark comedy and fantasy directed by Tim Burton and a sequel to Beetlejuice created in 1988. Many actors from the first movie returned to their roles like Micheal Keaton as Betelgeuse, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz, Lydia’s stepmother. The movie has also brought along new cast members like Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz, Lydia’s daughter, Justin Theroux as Rory, Lydia’s boyfriend, William Dafoe as Wolf Jackson, a ghost detective, and Monica Bellucci as Betelgeuse’s ex-wife. The main plot consists of Lydia Deetz trying to establish a healthy family while Betelgeuse comes back to haunt her. This movie is new and improved from the original and can be considered a great movie by fans.
The special effects of the sequel have improved drastically. The sandworm looks much more realistic and scarier and the horror aspect is much more frightening. From someone’s eyes literally popping out of their head to stapling body parts together will have you at the edge of your seat in fear, and at the same time, the special effects can get visually nasty. You will be looking away from the screen in disgust as you witness guts falling out and a baby puking. These sorts of effects are perfect for a movie like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice because of how horrific the first movie was with its effects.
While the 2024 sequel is heavenly different from the first movie made in 1988, they brought back some prime locations that were in the first movie for the nostalgic effect. Both of the intros in the movie started out pretty similar. They both panned out over a neighborhood with horror music made by Danny Elfman, but in the second movie, the music was remixed from the first movie also made by Elfman. In the movie’s soundtrack, it featured a cover by Day-O performed by Alfie Davis and the Sylvia Young Theatre School Choir. Making a cover of a song from 1955 for a sequel is perfect because in the movie, everything has been modernized with technology and music. Also for the nostalgic effect, there are scenes of the store and bridge from the first movie which will make you sentimental about the movie series, and the memories that came along with it.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t the best movie to watch with a slightly younger audience due to the intense horror effects and cussing. Since the movie is PG-13, they are only allowed one ‘F’ bomb, but the movie actually uses two. With the second bomb, they had to censor it which ironically gives off a comedic effect.
But will there be a third movie called “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”? Unfortunately, the answer is no. “Let’s do the math… it took 35 years to do this, so I’ll be over 100, but I guess it’s possible with the advent of science these days, but I don’t think so,” said Burton himself. Considering how hated some sequels are, this one in particular does a great job of relating to the first movie but with an original plot while conveying love takes time to find, and there’s other fish in the sea.
