Tim Burton‘s 1988 film Beetlejuice is the first live-action movie I remember seeing. My dad showed it to me when I was four or five years old; it gave me recurring nightmares and taught me an especially crass swear word. In Dad’s defense, it was only rated PG (the ’80s were a lot more generous with that rating), and despite the nightmares, or maybe because of them, I became obsessed with that movie, and subsequently all things spooky. I literally wouldn’t be the horror correspondent for FlixChatter if my dad hadn’t introduced me to Beetlejuice at such a young age. I credit him, and this movie, for my love of the genre.

Because of my sentimentality for the film, I was skeptical when a sequel was announced. Beetlejuice is such a product of its time; I worried that a sequel produced 36 years later wouldn’t capture what made the original so iconic. It’s not the first sequel or reboot of a movie beloved by millennials and Gen X-ers we’ve gotten in the last several years (Power Rangers, Hocus Pocus 2, and the various live-action Disney remakes immediately come to mind), and I was nervous that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice would be just another nostalgia cash grab. That, combined with being underwhelmed with the last several Tim Burton projects, had me concerned.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finds Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), the strange and unusual heroine from the original film, using her ability to see ghosts as a famous TV medium. When her father unexpectedly dies, she returns to the original “ghost house” along with her stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara), her estranged daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and her manager/boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux). Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, everyone’s favorite bio-exorcist Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) is desperately trying to contact Lydia in a desperate attempt to return to the living world after the return of his unhinged ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci).

My first thought when the movie ended was “Oh, thank God, that was actually a lot of fun.” While nothing will top the original, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a solid sequel; it’s not a rehash of the first movie, and it doesn’t rely on nostalgia to appeal to its audience. There are obviously plenty of nods to the original, but it never feels like the movie lingers on them or winks at them. Like any good horror comedy, there’s a good balance of laugh-out-loud moments and spooky scenes.

My biggest gripe writing-wise is that the multiple plotlines feel a little cumbersome, mostly due to the relationship between Lydia and Rory. Justin Theroux is extremely funny as the phony, punchable Hollywood manager, but the romantic relationship between him and Lydia is set up clumsily, and too much time is wasted on the sub-plot surrounding their rushed Halloween wedding. They could have shaved his part down to a smaller supporting role and fleshed out the Beetlejuice/Delores storyline and the one centered on Astrid and her love interest, a mysterious local boy named Jeremy (Arthur Conti), balancing both better as well.

While the script might have been a little sloppy, it’s still performed by a phenomenal cast. Michael Keaton is still giving 150% as the disgusting, scheming demon plaguing Neitherworld denizens and mortals alike. Catherine O’Hara is comedy royalty, and her lines made me laugh the hardest. Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega have excellent chemistry as mother and daughter. Monica Bellucci is haunting and criminally underused. Rounding out the hilarious cast are Willem Dafoe as Wolf Jackson, an ex-actor from a crime TV series now enforcing the law in the Netherworld, and Burn Gorman as Father Damien, the local priest who presides over Charles Deetz’s funeral.

Lastly, I can’t talk about a Tim Burton movie without discussing the visuals. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feels like a return to ’80s/90’s Burton; most of the effects are practical (there are some cheesy CGI moments, but they’re mercifully few and far between), the costumes and makeup are quirky, creepy, and little gross, and the sets are the definition of the Halloween season, from the small New England town nestled in fall leaf-covered trees to the eerie, dingy, green-lit Neitherworld.

All of this is supported by an incredible score. Besides the usual dark, whimsical Danny Elfman instrumentals, several musical moments elevate certain scenes: the Bee-Gee’s “Tragedy” playing when Delores is introduced is an unexpectedly impactful combination; the children’s choir singing “Banana Boat (Day-O)” at Charles’s funeral is beautiful, funny, and a nice reference to the first movie; and, while nothing can beat the iconic dinner party lip-syncing possession scene, there is a similar one that had the audience laughing the whole time.

Again, nothing can beat the original Beetlejuice, and the writing isn’t perfect. But Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is still a surprisingly enjoyable sequel and a genuinely fun Halloween watch, and I’m already anticipating a double feature of the original and sequel being a new seasonal tradition for me.

Have you seen Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? What did you think?

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