Review Roundup: BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE- What Do Critics Think of the Long-Awaited Sequel?

Tim Burton is back! Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to his 1988 film, is set to arrive in theaters on September 6. Following its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, reviews have been pouring in for Burton's first movie in 5 years. 

The film follows the death of Charles Deetz, the family patriarch, prompting the Deetz's to return to Winter River, where they first met the devious "bio-exorcist" from the Netherworld in the original.

Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it's only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice's name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees the return of Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara, and Winona Ryder. New cast members include Jenna Ortega as Lydia's daughter Astrid, Justin Theroux as Rory, Willem Dafoe as a dead movie star turned policeman named Wolf Jackson, and Monica Bellucci as Betelgeuses's ex-wife Delores.

The original Beetlejuice spawned a hit stage adaptation, which had a history-making run on Broadway, playing 366 performances at the Winter Garden Theatre and 313 regular performances at the Marquis Theatre. The production is currently on a U.S. national tour.

Ahead of the theatrical release of the sequel, find out what critics think of the highly-anticipated movie and if it lives up to the cult status of the original.  

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Owen Gleiberman, Variety: "The movie is just a lightweight riff on 'Beetlejuice' — a piece of fan service, really. It doesn’t give you the full monster-kitsch jolt that the original film had. Yet there’s good fan service and bad, and as stilted and gimcracky as it can sometimes be, I had a pretty good time at 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.'

Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline: "The first Beetlejuice in 1988 captured imaginations because it was new, unlike anything else and deliciously tasteless while being, to be honest, pretty clunky. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is not clunky. Yes, there are plenty of animation joins that haven’t been smoothed over by CGI...But it also has a proper plot, full of twists and turns; a terrific cameo characters supporting the impeccable main cast; a meticulous spoof Italian horror film in the middle of it all; and a climactic musical number..."

Siddhant Adlakha, IGN: "Tim Burton allows the cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to have fun, even if they're all off in separate movies that barely overlap. Its story is intentionally robbed of dramatic weight, but this makes way for the goofy, imaginative practical effects of Burton's early days, resulting in a small-scale legacy sequel that doesn't take itself too seriously (because it doesn’t need to)."

Xan Brooks, The Guardian: "For all its spilling intestines and head-spinning demon babies, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feels underpowered and throwaway. It’s a likable exercise in nostalgia; a joyride through old haunts. Burton’s underworld caper contains plenty of second-hand spirit; what it craves is fresh blood. What it needs is some substance."

Nicholas Barber, BBC: "The nicest surprise is that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that rare thing, a big-budget comedy which is actually funny. The screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is packed with knock-out punchlines, and Burton's visual gags manage to be hilarious even while pushing the boundaries of how eccentric and macabre a Hollywood blockbuster can be."

Stephanie Zacharek, Time: "This sequel to Burton’s 1988 cracked pop masterpiece Beetlejuice doesn’t strive for greatness, or even your garden-variety over-the-top fantastical vision. Instead, Burton has just allowed himself to be silly and have fun; Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is filled with low-stakes wisecracks and kindergarten-style one-liners, but the effect works."

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter: "The zippy pacing, buoyant energy and steady stream of laugh-out-loud moments hint at the joy Burton appears to have found in revisiting this world, and for anyone who loved the first movie, it’s contagious. That applies also to the actors, all of whom warm to the dizzying lunacy."

John Nugent, Empire: "The film is strongest when it remembers it’s a Tim Burton film and has licence to get weird. While it’s slicker and less homemade-feeling than the 1988 vintage, there are still flashes of B-movie brilliance."

Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire: "Think “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” filtered through “The Addams Family” with a scattergun sense of humor pulling from absurdism to deadpan to satire to the strain of maximalist visual weirdness that refreshes Burton’s status as great."

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Watch the trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice below:

 Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros.

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