Was aBeetlejuicesequel on your 2024 bingo card?
Did anyone honestly expect it to manifest some 36 years later out of the blue?
Keaton has recently reprised both these iconic roles inBeetlejuice BeetlejuiceandBatgirl, but to radically different fates.
Image via Warner Bros.
Still, this same company also deleted the completedBatgirlmovie as a tax write-off.
If anything, he has expanded on world-building.
What Is ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ About?
Image via Warner Bros.
Well, the Maitlands (Geena DavisandAlec Baldwin) from the original have moved on.
The Deetzs, who bought the house haunted by them decades ago, though, are still around.
The hallway and waiting area are the same as you remember, albeit with different dead people passing through.
In this way, Astrids trajectory mirrors Lydias in the original and casting Ortega is pretty on the nose.
Like Ryder andChristina Riccibefore her, she fits perfectly in Burton’s universe.
ScreenwritersAlfred GoughandMiles Millarhave done a sensible job getting the returning characters up to date.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The sequel to the cult classic brings back the infamous ghost Beetlejuice, who is unleashed upon a modern family, setting off a chain of hilarious and supernatural events. As mischief ensues, both the living and the deceased must deal with the resulting chaos, blending comedic antics with ghostly intrigue.
That said,some of the other subplots feel arbitrary.
Discerning viewers may spot the stop-motion animation and blue screen.
For the sequel,Burton has actually dug into his old bag of tricks.
CGI use here has been minimal and the film hews closely to the aesthetics of the predecessor.
The visuals have definitely gotten an upgrade from the 80sMTVlook, yet somehow remain consistent.
It would be absolutely seamless watching both films back to back.
If anything,Burton has gone for even more retro.
One thing thats noticeably dialed down is Betelgeuses inappropriate behavior.
Indeed, some stuff he said in 1988 is now considered sexual harassment.
Rife with nostalgia,Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis intended for 80s babies.
He is acting like energized and having fun, something we havent seen in quite a while.
