Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice… wait, let me not say that again. Anywho, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was nothing short of creepily amazing! I enjoyed the first film, so I had no doubt that this one would meet my expectations. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a sequel to the 1988 film “Beetlejuice”, with returning stars such as Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz and Michael Keaton as the title character that started it all.
The film also features new stars, such as Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz and Justin Theroux as Rory. The storyline follows the lives of the three Deetz women; Lydia, Delia and Astrid, after the patriarch of the family, Charles, dies after being eaten by a shark while trying to save himself from drowning after a bad plane crash.
Lydia, and her boyfriend/manager, Rory, are in the middle of filming a new episode of Lydia’s ghost hunting show when Lydia looks into the audience and sees someone dressed similarly to Beetlejuice, which sends her into a frenzy. Once she goes into the bathroom to shake it off, she sees multiple messages on her phone from her stepmother, Delia, and rushes to her studio to find out what’s wrong.
Once Lydia gets to the studio and locates Delia, it is then that she finds out what happened to her father. She knows that she needs to tell her daughter, Astrid, but because their relationship has been rocky since the death of Astrid’s father, she is hesitant to try and reach out.
Delia insists that they go to Astrid’s school to tell her in person, since she refused to pick up the phone for her.
Meanwhile, in the land of the dead, a janitor, played by Danny DeVito, accidentally electrocutes himself, as well as the body parts of Delores, Beetlejuice’s soul-sucking ex-wife, played by Monica Bellucci. Delores is a demon who survives by inhaling the souls of others. Once she and Beetlejuice were married, she poisoned him so that she could suck out his soul. To avoid losing his soul, Beetlejuice axed Delores… literally.
To save her daughter, Astrid, and to free herself from years of torment, Lydia must call on Beetlejuice one last time, knowing that it may cost her. I absolutely loved this movie! For once, a sequel actually felt like a sequel. I loved the tie-ins from the original film, such as recurring actors and music. My favorite scene would have to be the “wedding” of Lydia and Beetlejuice. If there’s one thing the ‘Juice’ is going to nail every single time, it’s a thoroughly choreographed and musically inclined dream sequence.
One thing I did dislike about the film was the ending. I thought it was that Lydia decided to spend more time with Astrid, but though it was intended to be a montage, their journey together did feel a bit too rushed. I would’ve liked to have seen their relationship have a bit more development in detail.
If you’re a fan of the first film, or you’re simply looking for a fright, I definitely recommend that you check out this movie! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” hit theaters on Sept. 6, 2024, and is still currently in theaters. Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice… Beeeee…safe and happy Halloween!