Plenty of movie franchises have been ruined by their sequels, like Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story, and Fantastic Beasts, and the controversial new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice could be the latest edition. 

The original Beetlejuice was a total blockbuster, directed by Tim Burton, and with its gory humor and cult following, the film is considered a classic for good reason. 

But with many classic franchises losing their luster for a quick buck, it’s understandable that the well-loved movie’s sequel has been a controversial release among the Beetlejuice audience, with many praising the sequel for its gothic hilarity, some criticizing it for its randomness, and others left wondering if it was necessary at all. 

With all this talk about trying to remake a classic, I decided to watch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to see if it is worth the watch.

One thing I was skeptical about going into the viewing was the plot. The ending of the original Beetlejuice gave closure to the story (Beetlejuice was neutralized, the family persevered), so I didn’t think it could extend further. I was both right and wrong. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice follows Lydia (Winona Ryder) and her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) through countless different plots and sub plots, which makes it, at times, very confusing to watch.  With the movie jumping back and forth between a vengeful ex wife, dead dad, and Beetlejuice’s backstory, it made the movie disorienting. 

There are more story lines than I can count that had nothing to do with the main characters, and was not developed enough within the movie, and instead of these stories intertwining into one ending, they crash into each other. Several of the storylines seem like they were written with no real importance to the story, and then are left with no further elaboration, leaving the story with the sense that plot holes are part of the— well, plot.

From the very first scene of the movie, one thing became painstakingly clear; it was… boring. Jenna Ortega’s character, Astrid, was cliche. Her “I-hate-my-mom” act was cliche, and the writing for her character was bland and shallow. 

However as the movie went on and the plot thickened, Astrid became slightly more bearable as her character developed. As for Winona Ryder who played Lydia, Astrid’s mom, I thought her acting was lackluster. Over 25 years, you would think that her character’s personality may have changed or matured just a bit. But nope, she just turned into a pill-popping, bipolar reality TV show star with attachment issues. 

However, as for the rest of the main cast, Cathrine O’Hara’s return as Delia, the “wicked” stepmother, added comedy to the movie and in my opinion, stole the show. Her character had evolved from the first movie, and her cameos in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice added an amazing touch of humor. Her acting was a breath of fresh air, giving us a break from the movie’s gore. Micheal Keaton did an amazing job reprising his role as Beetlejuice, giving his character much more depth and backstory than the original.

Despite some of my complaints, the movie’s production kept the charming aspect of stop-motion and B-quality practical effects of the original, which added to the believable, strange, and otherworldly effect of BB’s predecessor. I was pleasantly surprised that while the camera quality was significantly better,  the whimsical “handmade” effect was not lost. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice also included stop-motion sequences that added a layer of depth to the story that could not be recreated using acting. 

Beetlejuice was a smash hit because of the way Tim Burton balanced gore and horror with comedy. His signature style certainly carried over to the sequel, with awkward moments that add the perfect level of comedy to a serious scene, and jokes that landed without a bump. Another great thing about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that it always keeps you on your toes. Though it did have too many plot points pinging around at once, each and every one had a spectacular twist. It was interesting right to the very end of the movie. 

My overall impression is that no–the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie did not ruin the franchise– it just could never live up to the original Beetlejuice.  If you are a fan of the original, watching Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will not blow you away, but it will give you allow you a fun trip down memory lane, in its connection to the OG. It was an overall messy story, perhaps not well-thought-out, but ultimately it embodies the essence of the original.