Hollywood loves reviving old franchises. Name titles during recent years, such as “Ghostbusters” or “Indiana Jones,” could barely please more long-standing fans as they lacked that balance between charm from the past with more modern technologies. With Tim Burton’s recent track record, many fans worried that this “Beetlejuice” sequel was going to be no different than other overdone sequels with CGI and shallow fan service elements.

However, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” felt like a movie worthy of being a “sequel”. Burton brings Beetlejuice back in all his strange chaotic glory and makes a film that feels like a wild, unpredictable party you’re both nervous about and excited to attend. Being a new standout stars in the franchise, many critics were eager for Jenna Ortega’s performance, especially after seeing her nail the role of Wednesday Addams. They had doubts that she would bring too much of her previous character into this new film. But while there’s some overlap in their dark aesthetics, Ortega manages to make her performance here feel freshly unique.  She easily fits into Beetlejuice’s weird world, balancing the comedy and creepiness while still grounding her character in a way that moves the story forward without relying on old tropes.

Returning as Beetlejuice, the star of “Beetlejuice,” Micheal Keaton really shines, throwing the eccentric energy of the film into a wild overdrive. Even with some of the humor feeling rather forced compared to the original, that is understandable with this being the nature of a sequel coming out three decades later.That being said, the movie isn’t perfect. The opening scenes drag a bit and fans wished it would have jumped into the action faster.

“I felt that there were too many unnecessary plotlines that I struggled to keep track of,” said Emil Mejia ‘26.

The CGI, while better than the original, sometimes goes overboard. One of the things that made the original movie so memorable was its quirky, handmade feel—like the stop-motion sandworms. The new, sleek digital effects lose some of that charm.

What fans appreciate most is that this sequel doesn’t try to be a complete replica of the original. The new sleek digital effects lack some of the charm of the movie. But what really works with this sequel is that it is not a complete carbon copy of the original. The characters are older, the effects polished, and the plotlines much deeper. It is no longer 1988, and this version of Beetlejuice accepts that. It differs from the original in many ways, but at its core, it retains the strange, slightly unsettling charm that made the first film a cult classic.

Jayden Lee ’26  summed up the film well, saying, “I didn’t expect it to capture the original magic, but I was still totally entertained.”