Beetlejuice 2, Movie Review: Sequel Magic or Missed Opportunity?

Introduction Hey, everyone, Beetlejuice 2, also known as  Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is out. And I think   I just said his name three times, didn't I?  Oh, all right. I guess my house's current   ghost is going to have company. All right. Anyway, so Beetlejuice 2,   directed by Tim Burton, is out in theaters  now. And this weekly wild sequel takes on   the 1988 classic featuring Michael Keaton as  Beetlejuice and Winona Ryder as Lydia Deets.   We have seen a number of remakes and sequels this  year that have just fallen flat despite the buzz   and the excitement. So when I heard this film was  coming out, I couldn't help but be more than a   little bit skeptical with the sequel. However, with Tim Burton, a great cast and   a unique style that is clearly part of  the Beetlejuice world, they have a great   chance of hitting box office gold, which means  this film's success will either live or die on   the quality of the dialogue and the story. So let's get into it because there's a lot to   talk about. First, be sure to like this video  and subscribe for more. Thank you so much. You   guys are the best. All right, so Tim Burton  brings us back to his quirky version of The   Summary Afterlife featuring an adult Lydia Deets  played by Winona Ryder, her stepmother   played by Catherine O 'Hara, her teenage  daughter Astrid played by Jenna Ortega.   And of course, there goes with the most  Beetlejuice himself played by the great   Michael Keaton. The Deets family all return home  to the ghost house after Lydia's father dies. And   with her return, Beetlejuice renews his  devilish tricks to get her to marry him.   However, this time her daughter Astrid gets pulled  into the afterlife and Lydia finds herself forced   to choose between her smarmy TV producer boyfriend  who's using her to cash in on her ghost talking   talents and Beetlejuice, who we have all grown  to know and love despite his many issues.   But ladies, let's just get real here. When these  two guys are the extent of your dating pool,   you really need to rethink your choices. Anyway,  with Beetlejuice back to his old tricks, all hell   breaks loose in the afterlife as his soul sucking  ex -wife, Dolores, literally stitches herself back   together to come looking for him. So as predictable as this film is,   First Impressions it's still a fun time that delivers a lot of  laughs. Like most sequels, the story is just   a little bit shallow. Depending more upon the  character's action and comedy to get us from   point A to point B than a complex plot. However, what this film does really well   is it pays off our expectations from scene  to scene to scene so that we are constantly   feeling a sense of fulfillment throughout  the movie. The other thing that Beetlejuice   2 gets right is that it knows exactly what it  is and the film leans into its strengths which   keeps it from competing with the original. As a result, Beetlejuice 2 really feels additive   to the story which allows us to enjoy the  return of these characters that we know   while also getting to know Astrid better.  Beetlejuice 2 actually felt like the story   Unexpected Themes & Surprises itself had aged or grown up a bit refining some  of those rough edges and that edgy dialogue and   some of those conflicts that we saw in the  original with relationships that had kind   of grown more adult and more meaningful. There's a real sense of love and family in this   film that was kind of absent from the original.  And Lydia, despite the broken nature of her   character at this point in her life, actually  finds some of that younger earlier strength   that she lost over the years when she realizes  that her daughter was in mortal danger.   This makes the film's themes of love and  family feel so much more mature while also   making it a really great story for the entire  family to enjoy together. The artistic design   The Unique Style and Setting of the set and the creative clothing and  the bold color palette along with the,   you know what it is, that surreal kind of  design aspect and the distorted shapes within   the afterlife world and just that imagery,  they all remain uniquely Beetlejuice.   And that's really the only way I know how to  describe it. It's a uniquely Beetlejuice. Even   better, the production didn't result to too much  CGI. It could have, but it didn't. Instead, again,   they leaned into the story rules established in  the original film to keep the same aesthetic look   and feel of that world, which really meant  that they employed more of the Foley effects   that we would have seen in the past instead  of the CGI that Hollywood tends to resort to   when they're doing their filmmaking lately. These tactile effects created this nice connection   to the past and made the sequel actually feel kind  of fresh, which is an odd thing to say, but we see   it so rarely nowadays that these kinds of special  effects really did feel new again and perfectly   suited for this cinematic experience. Most of the original cast returned along with   The Cast and Characters: Michael Keaton Michael Keaton carrying much of the show with  the sheer power of his personality on camera.   Whether he is playing Beetlejuice or Batman or  Mr. Mom, Michael Keaton is a powerhouse.   He's so talented. We really get a sense that  he is enjoying himself in this film. While he's   still a bit freaky and scary for kids, there's  something a little less sinister about him in   this film because he seems to have developed a  genuine interest in Lydia over the years.   And when you see the difference between his ex  Dolores and the hidden steely spine of Lydia,   or I should say older Lydia, you can see why  she's especially interesting to him. And Winona   The Cast and Characters: Winona Ryder Ryder does a great job with Lydia. She's older. She's more experienced. She's   had some heartache and she's been run  down by all of the things that she has   seen both in the physical world and in the  ghostly. Even though we can feel the age   and experience that Lydia is carrying with her,  there is still something just kind of sweet and   hopeful about Lydia that I think speaks more to  Winona Ryder as a person than as an actress.   And it is really nice how that just kind of bleeds  through into this character. As a result, there   seems to be an almost natural connection between  Winona and Jenna Ortega that carries over into   the film and it's just tangible on screen. Jenna Ortega is a great actress and she seems to   The Cast and Characters: Jenna Ortega be picking the right roles for her where  she is in her career. And the role of   Astrid is no exception. She literally is the  daughter of Lydia Deets in this film.   And you can feel the weight of what it must be  like to be a near lookalike for her famous mother   who has sort of failed in the mother department  because of her career as a TV personality and   spiritual medium who can connect to anyone in the  world of the dead except the one person Astrid   wants to connect with, which is her father. However, we still see the desire for a bond with   her and her mom and the disappointment that  she feels. It's just... because her mom is   so easily swayed by that smarmy manager of hers.  You really get that frustration boiling through   and it makes the character of Astrid that  much more, I think relatable nowadays.   You really do get the sense of her. There are  also a freaking ton of other guest appearances   The Cast and Characters: The Clown Car Effect in this movie. So many characters, most of  whom are connected to Beetlejuice's ex -wife,   Delores. There is a point when you feel  like the film is kind of like a clown car   because the characters just keep running. They just keep coming and coming and coming,   but without them, there wouldn't be enough  meat to make the movie. I guess that's the   best way to put it. There wouldn't be enough  meat. Plus they do a lot to kind of keep that   vibrant circus -like environment alive and so  very Tim Burton -esque in the afterlife.   And they are integral to many, many of the comedic  moments in the film. I mean, they are kind of the   group that delivers some of those laughs,  some of the unexpected laughs too. So while   their elimination would have really tightened  the script a lot, it would have also made the   film much more serious and the surreal setting  would have felt strangely out of place.   Plus they kept the film lighthearted and lively.  So I'm really glad that they left most of those   characters in. Tim Burton really pulls off  this sequel that could have easily failed,   Recommendation but didn't. From the casting to the  characters, there is a real sense of   family and connection within the film. Beetlejuice 2 delivers the laughs and it   does deliver some unexpected fun in this quirky  throwback to the 1980s, making it a satisfying and   entertaining story despite being predictable  and overpopulated with characters.   Still, it's better than a lot of the films  hitting theaters this year and it makes for   a fun night out with friends. Plus, again, the  artistic style of the film is visually stunning   on screen. The music is fun and there are some  truly magical moments that make Beetlejuice 2   worth the price of a ticket because this is a  film that you want to see on the big screen.   So Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, will you watch it?  Did you watch it? What did you think? How do you   Subscribe and Comment think it held up as a sequel? Did you like it? I  would love to know what you thought and what do   you think about a part three of the series? I kind of feel like they really could transition   this to being Astrid's movie for maybe the next  one. I don't know. Tell me what you think. Let me   know in the comments below. All right, everybody,  thank you so much and remember to give this video   a thumbs up and subscribe for more videos  and you will absolutely make my day.   For now, happy viewing, everybody. I  will see you all again soon. Bye.