More Zany Fun, But 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Falls Short of Original

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I finally managed to catch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). I thought the sequel captured the whimsical charm of the original movie from 1988, but didn’t quite match up to it. Then again, the first Beetlejuice movie left some big shoes to fill. It was fresh and zany and magical. Tough to be as fresh the second time around. 

I was also slightly disappointed that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice didn’t have more of Harry Belafonte’s calypso music that made the first movie such a joy. “MacArthur Park,” even when sung by Donna Summer, doesn’t quite do it for me. 

Nonetheless, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fun, enjoyable movie in its own right. In this second installment, Lydia Deetz—the teenager whom Beetlejuice wanted to marry in the first movie—now is the host of a paranormal talk show called Ghost House. She taps Beetlejuice for help when her daughter is tricked into giving up her life so a psychopathic ghost can live again.

It was a pleasure to watch Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara reprise their roles. Heck, O’Hara brightens any role. Ryder just gets better with age.

Michael Keaton was his usual crazy self, and Jenna Ortega was a great addition to the cast. Willem Dafoe hammed it up.  

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