Jacky Toledo Soto ’24
Features Editor
toledosotoj@lakeforest.edu
Spooky season is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than to review Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 2.
Tim Burton created the original Beetlejuice in 1988 with a star-studded cast. Since its release, the film has become a cult classic, with fans eagerly awaiting a sequel, which recently premiered on September 6, 2024. According to a ScreenRant article, Beetlejuice has grossed over $337 million—a box office hit! I saw the film this past Sunday and was excited due to all the positive reviews from co-workers and friends.
If you have seen the first movie, you know the plot revolves around a demon named Beetlejuice hired by a married, ghostly couple, the Maitlands, who wish to scare away the Deetz family from their house, which they recently moved into. As soon as Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) becomes involved, total chaos ensues. The second movie follows the Deetz family as Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara), and Lydia’s estranged daughter, Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega), deal with the death of Charles Deetz. Soon, they return to Winter River for Charles’s funeral, where Rory (Justin Theroux), Lydia’s boyfriend, proposes to her. On the other hand, Beetlejuice has to deal with his first wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci), who hunts him for his soul while he obsesses over Lydia Deetz. Soon, the Deetz family, with Rory, find themselves in a chaotic exchange with Beetlejuice once again.
The original cast returns to the second film with Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, who plays Wolf Jackson, and Monica Bellucci joining them in this film. This star-studded cast was a great addition to an already fantastic cast. I was excited to see Monica Bellucci take part in this iconic movie. She is known for films like Malèna, The Matrix, and The Passion of the Christ. Monica Belluci is a very versatile actress who can play a misunderstood woman like Malèna or the evil witch in Beetlejuice. In an interview with CBR, Bellucci explains why she loved Delores and chose to play her: “What I liked about her is this duality, because she’s dangerous, but also funny at the same time. Tim [Burton] came to me and he told me, ‘There was a key role in this film for which I thought about you,’ and I was very happy to accept it and to play it. Because, to me, Delores is a metaphor of life, because we all have emotional scars, and she’s full of scars, but she’s strong. She’s coming back.”
Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Michael Keaton embodied their characters just like they did in the first film. The new additions to the cast, such as Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, and Justin Theroux, were also great additions, yet, their characters felt underdeveloped and rushed. I would have liked to see more dialogue from Monica Bellucci’s character. It felt like she was just thrown in with a very brief backstory. I wanted her story to be expanded. Jenna Ortega was great in the film, but at times it felt like she was playing Wednesday Addams, a role she is well-known for playing in the show Wednesday, with her sad, serious demeanor. She was playing Astrid Deetz, who is estranged from her mother, and dealing with the loss of her dad, yet it felt like she was playing Wednesday Addams in certain scenes because of the similarity in the two characters she played. Overall, it was great acting, but I would have wanted more character development for the new introductions.
The cinematography in this film was as good as the first film, but in HD. I especially like the Netherworld, aka the afterlife, in this film. It felt more exciting and vibrant compared to the first movie, and I felt like we got to see more of it in the second film.
In terms of music, the film was great at picking amazing songs, but it was awkward when introducing them. There is a scene where Beetlejuice is talking and suddenly sings at a random point in his dialogue. In other words, there were no transitions, so it felt awkward when music was played.
My favorite part of the movie is when the iconic “Banana Boat (Day-O,)” sung by Harry Belafonte, is sung by a children’s choir at Charles Deetz’s Funeral. I thought this moment was so Beetlejuice; honestly, it was hilarious!
Overall, this is a great and movie to watch for Halloween!
Rating: 3/5 stars
