Tim Burton returns as a director for the first time in eight years, directing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to the movie Beetlejuice. Many longtime Beetlejuice fans had high expectations for the sequel but received a fairly mediocre movie.
“The script was simultaneously overly convoluted and undercooked,” said Kit Lazer on Letterbox. “It’s about an hour before anything interesting happens and then it’s resolved almost as soon as it begins.”
There are many plot lines in the movie that didn’t get enough screen time. The movie feels rushed at the end, leaving the viewer dissatisfied. If there weren’t as many unnecessary characters, such as Monica Bellucci’s character Delores, the movie would be better put together. Bellucci’s plot line feels very last minute and is not well written.
Even though certain parts of the movie were underdeveloped, Burton found a way to criticize the faults in American society. There are several scenes that take small hits at influencers and social media, as well as reality television. It was refreshing to see representation of social media and Hollywood degrading the art form.
The original Beetlejuice movie came out in 1988 and is beloved by many. It is funny, sarcastic, and a creative take on the classic 1980’s horror movie. But its sequel is overly modernized and takes away the crafty and silly feeling that the original movie perfected. A couple of times in the theater, I knew something was trying to be funny, but I just couldn’t get myself to laugh. `
Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is merely an ok movie. It is just another over-hyped sequel that did not meet expectations. It is not the worst but personally I would much rather watch the first Beetlejuice movie.
