Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was an unorganized attempt at a sequel, encompassing little charm and minimum audience interest. Tim Burton, American animator and director, should have stopped at the first movie, not create an unneeded second.
Burton productions are anything but below phenomenal. Fan enthusiasm always follows when word of new works are spread around. Such was the situation for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to Beetlejuice after nearly 36 years. Fans took to the media to express their enthusiasm, often posting their nostalgia to the original film or hidden easter eggs within the sequel’s trailer. Some fans had their expectations high in terms of the success associated with the original film. “I thought it was going to be, like, okay but not as good as the original.” Chloe Wood, junior, said.
The most obvious aspect of the ratio between the two movies are the ratings. Rotten Tomatoes ranked the first movie sixth with its successor ranked 11. Although not much of a difference, for its predecessor to be in the top 10 under Rotten Tomatoes, one would expect the sequel to fall under a similar aspect. Parallel to this, the sequel received 6.8/10 while the original gained 7.5/10 on IMDb.
With no established main character, the movie lacks a focus. Burton claims he only decided to revisit Beetlejuice because he was interested in how Lydia would be portrayed as an adult and all the things that follow it. Even so, any hint to Lydia being the main character of the second movie is lost to other side stories trying to make light. “I would say I thought it was more about her [Lydia’s] daughter.” Ruby German, junior, said. The original focused on the recently deceased Maitlands and their desire to scare the Deetz family out of their home. Even while the original does feature a slight subplot to better develop the other characters, it does so in an even manner that never overpowers the main story and main characters. The sequel struggles with this, examining a bit too much for too many characters.
Fans may argue that the film was actually a total hit, with Burton’s distinct style and compelling visuals as well as the actor performances. Well known for his Gothic horror approach, Burton was able to mesh the eerie side of the story through the use of practical effects and stop motion. “He wanted all the human characters to feel a bit like creepy dolls.” said Ian Mackinnon, stop motion supervising producer in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Behind the Scenes | Stop-Motion Art|. Burton expresses his revisit to practical effects to reconnect better with the original film, claiming that it feels more close to the original to create it in the same manner. Depicted in a multitude of reviews under IMDb, fans also exclaim of how well the actors both returning and new had made the world of Beetlejuice come back to life. “She showed up and I went, ‘Oh yeah, she’s got this figured out.’” said Micheal Keaton, Beetlejuice, in an interview with Access Hollywood. Not only were the original cast able to fit back into their roles so easily, the new cast seemed to fit almost perfectly in.
While an incredible cast and incredible practical elements benefits a movie, the story and script is where it all matters. “But everybody in this movie gets a subplot, even side characters like Beetlejuice’s shrunken-headed buddy Bob,” says Brian Truitt, journalist, under an article for USA TODAY. The film becomes confusing and even unamusing with the lack of focus and even more so with vague explanations for certain characters. A prime example being of the Maitlands and the loophole which allowed them to “move on”. Burton explained that he was focusing on something else in regards to the Maitlands’ absence however the illustration within the film leaves so many questions unanswered. Another important example being particularly the leading cause for the Deetz family’s reconnection to Beetlejuice and the afterlife, Charles Deetz. Fans have noted that the inclusion of, or rather the importance of, Charles Deetz should not have even occurred. In recollection with the original film’s actor, Jeffrey Jones, and his legal disputes fans state that Burton just should not have weighed so much importance on his character in the sequel regardless that the former actor would not be present. The script appears to have focused too much on certain aspects of the story while also not explaining enough of the other.
