Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice hit theaters on September 4th, 2024 and, despite anticipation from fans of the original movie, the sequel missed the mark.
Even with the technology available to modern filmmakers, this movie failed to bring the world of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice to life, leaving most aspects of the movie artificial and cringe-worthy.
The whole “rebellious teen” stereotype that Jenna Ortega’s character, Astrid Deetz, was supposed to be representing, gave me secondhand embarrassment during many scenes with the character, Jeremy Frasier (who we later find out is the ghost of a serial killer). Their brief romance can only be described as…well, awkward. Not to mention the relationship between Lydia and Rory, her manager-turned-fiancé.
Another major issue I have with the film is the lack of consistency regarding its many plots. From the issues between the now grown, Lydia Deetz and her daughter Astrid, to the loss of Lydia’s confidence and self-worth, to the ghost of Jeremy Fraiser manipulating Astrid, to Beetlejuice’s soul-sucking ex-wife, Delores, I found it difficult to become invested in the storyline(s). Certain scenes felt rushed, especially when Lydia found her late husband, and Astrid’s father, Richard, in the Land of the Dead.
The personality of Lydia is also drastically different from the original, and not in a good way. It honestly seems like the actress, Winona Ryder has become incapable of playing any character other than Joyce Byers from Netflix’s Stranger Things. The once free-spirited, rebellious teen, grew into a woman who constantly doubts herself and succumbs to the peer-pressure of her toxic fiancé, Rory.
The film’s heavy reliance on nostalgia is ever present with a reference to Soul Train, an older television show that was on air from 1971 to 2006. I found this aspect of the movie to be creative, even though it furthers my point of the film’s obvious dependency on nostalgia. Astrid, after being tricked by Jeremy, is sent to the “Soul Train” in which her soul was supposed to be sent to the “Great Beyond.” These scenes consist of 70’s dancing, disco ghosts who board the train with a musical number each time the train is set to leave.
All in all, without Tim Burton’s signature style and, once again, the nostalgic feel of Beetlejuice, this film was honestly boring and shallow. Thankfully, the movie will be available to watch on Max, so you don’t have to waste your money to see this film in theaters…unless you already have, in which case, I am truly sorry.
