Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Following the critical and commercial success of “Beetlejuice,” Warner Bros. immediately commenced development of a sequel under, “Beetlejuice in Love.” The plot originally intended to follow the titular character who falls in falls in love with a woman after he killed her boyfriend. The script was scrapped. In 1991, Tim Burton collaborator, Jonathan Gems penned a script, “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian.”

Set after the first movie, Lydia Deetz and her family move to Hawaii where her dad, Charles is working on a resort. Suddenly, the building has something on the ground, an ancient burial. The Deetz Family summon Beetlejuice to save the day by winning a surfing contest. Michael Keaton & Winona Ryder were eager to reprise their roles unless Tim Burton directs. Unfortunately, the project was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts with Tim & Michael busy working on Batman Returns. Winona was filming scenes for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Dracula.” In 1996, WB offered Kevin Smith to rewrite Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian in an attempt to bring Tim and his crew back. Kevin turned it down in favor of “Superman Lives” with Nicolas Cage as the Man of Steel. That project was cancelled too.

Nineteen Years Later, Winona Ryder appeared on Seth Meyers talk show promoting HBO’s “Show Me a Hero.” She confirmed a sequel is in the works. It took six years for pre-production to commence development as a result of Winona’s involvement in “Stranger Things,” Tim Burton stopped making movies due to his unpleasant on the live-action “Dumbo” remake and COVID-19 put a halt on Michael Keaton filming his scenes as Batman in “The Flash.” Spanning from 2015-2022. In 2023, Tim and his crew reunite for the sequel. Fresh from Tim’s produced Netflix series “Wednesday,” Jenna Ortega signed on to play Lydia’s daughter, Astrid. Originally slated for a 2023 release, the sequel was delayed to September 6, 2024, as a result of two union strikes with the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild.

The long-awaited sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is finally out in theaters earning good reviews. Tim’s working on a Wednesday’s second season with Jenna reprising her role as the character. It’ll stream sometime around 2025.

Today’s review contains no SPOILERS whatsoever.

Alive & Dead Qualities

Alive: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder & Catherine O’Hara reprise their roles from the first movie. They all did a great job for their respective performances.

Newcomers such as Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci & Willem Dafoe all did a decent job for their respective performances.

Tim Burton did a great job directing. He also co-produced the sequel.

Alfred Gough & Miles Millar co-wrote the script.

Brad Pitt served as an executive producer courtesy of his production company, Plan B Entertainment.

Danny Elfman orchestrated the soundtrack.

Prosthetic Makeup transformed Mr. Keaton into Beetlejuice yet again.

Practical Effects & Animatronics were heavily involved. Not a single trace of C.G.I. spotted. It’s good to see old school effects.

Humor retains the first film’s dark humor and surreal moments.

Cinematography didn’t have any technical problems.

Pacing didn’t feel like a drab.

Danny DeVito makes a brief appearance.

At first, I was worried about Jenna’s character, Astrid portrayed as a bratty teen who does nothing but nag. She’s not a carbon copy of Lydia.

Callbacks to the original. They don’t overindulge like “The Force Awakens.”

We learn about Beetlejuice’s backstory. We also get to know what Lydia’s been up to since end of the first movie. She has an estranged relationship with her daughter after a family tragedy.

Alec Baldwin & Geena Davis didn’t reprise their roles as Adam & Barbara for two reasons. One, Alec had legal problems because a prop gun killed a crew member on the set of “Rust.” Second, Geena’s running a non-profit organization called, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Their characters’ absence is addressed.

Jeffrey Jones didn’t reprise his role as Charles. His character gets killed off. As you may know, he’s a registered sex offender. Thank goodness WB did the right thing.

Bob’s my favorite character. He stole the movie.

My favorite part’s a wedding scene. It earns Bonus Points for making me laugh so hard.

Dead: Beetlejuice’s ex didn’t appear as much. I expected her to be a driving force.

Juno from the original went A.W.O.L. I understand Sylvia Sweeney’s long gone, but her absence has never been brought up. Juno played a big role helping Adam & Barbara. She even has ties with Beetlejuice.

I can’t tell you about the Ending. Got me puzzled.

The Final Verdict: B, FOR BRILLANT!

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t a perfect follow up to the original. It has some good elements that make up imperfections. If you’re a fan of Tim Burton’s work, this one’s worth your money and spare time.