Nice F’ing Movie: How 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Dashed My Hopes (and the Film I’d Watch Instead)

Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) was a perfect blend of absurdity, quirky charm, and darkly creative chaos, all anchored by Michael Keaton’s gonzo performance as the titular “bio-exorcist.”

The film managed to be both comfortingly heartwarming and gleefully subversive. So naturally, when the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, was announced more than 35 years later, my hopes—not expectations—were high. 

I’ve been a fan of this character for as long as I can remember—whether it was Keaton’s original performance, the animated series, or even that one time my buddy Randy showed up to a Halloween party in full Juice Demon garb. But when I finally sat down to watch the sequel? Yeah. Hopes, dashed.

To be clear, this isn’t going to be a brutal takedown of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice à la one of my favorite critics, Nathan Rabin, who recently described it as  “lukewarm, devoid of inspiration, derivative, and self-cannibalizing to a depressing degree.” Trust me, I was tempted to go there, but despite its shortcomings, I didn’t hate the film. Keaton still brings that anarchic energy that made his original take so special. Every moment with him is pure joy—until the film clutters his performance with over-the-top visual gags and jokes that feel, well, dumb. Really dumb.

Again, I don’t want to lean too hard into the negativity here. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t a complete disaster. It's more like a loud, empty nostalgia trip that just never quite manages to capture the sweet, quirky, off-kilter magic of the original. 

Tim Burton is back at the helm, and visually, he’s still doing his thing—there are some delightful hand crafted effects and set design and fun film nerd references sprinkled throughout. But compared to the 1988 classic? The script feels watered down, the plot more overstuffed, and the performances—outside of Keaton and a few others—feel lacking in spirit. 

The new characters don’t help much either. Most are forgettable, and some feel completely out of place. I’ll give Jenna Ortega a pass—she’s great, as always, but the film doesn’t give her nearly enough to do.

The original Beetlejuice was a strange cocktail of the bizarre and the heartwarming, but here, the balance tips too far toward the shrill, predictable and shallow. There’s little in the way of genuine subversion, and many of the jokes fall flat, leaving long stretches of the film feeling hollow.

There are a few bright spots. Catherine O’Hara, who returns as Delia Deetz, seems to get more screen time in this sequel than in the original. Her big, campy performance injects some much-needed life into the film. Between O’Hara and Keaton, the movie has its moments where you can almost glimpse what this sequel could have been.

But ultimately, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t deliver the same specific, quirky fix I was hoping for. It’s fun in parts, sure, but it’s missing the spark that made the original film so uniquely cracked and comforting. Luckily, I’ll always have the 1988 version, a film that’s etched firmly in my list of all-time favorites.

Now, if this sequel left you craving more of that whimsical Beetlejuice energy but didn’t quite deliver, I’ve got a recommendation for you. Let’s talk about Paranorman (2012).

Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, Paranorman is an underrated gem of an animated film. It’s got all the dark humor, supernatural weirdness, and heart that the original Beetlejuice excelled at, but with a modern twist. It’s one of those rare films that balances its bizarre, gothic elements with genuine sweetness, all without ever feeling saccharine.

I’ve got a personal connection to this one too. A few years ago, my wife was stuck in the hospital, going through a rough time, unable to sleep due to all the interruptions. We threw on *Paranorman*, expecting it to be background noise while we tried to rest. Instead, we were so hooked by the story, the humor, and the animation that we stayed up all night watching talking about it.

Paranorman centers on a kid named Norman, a quirky little guy who can speak to the dead—a skill that makes him an outcast in his small Massachusetts town. As strange events unfold, Norman finds himself at the heart of a supernatural crisis, dealing with ghouls, zombies, and a whole lot of small-minded townspeople. But beneath all the dark comedy and supernatural hijinks is a surprisingly thoughtful meditation on death, fear, and how misunderstanding can tear a community apart.

It sounds heavy, but it’s anything but. The script is sharp and witty, and the animation—stop-motion that feels like a loving homage to Burton’s early work—is absolutely stunning. Plus, the voice cast is stacked: Anna Kendrick, John Goodman, Elaine Stritch, and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Norman. They all seem to be having a blast..

Paranorman  is the kind of movie that gets weirder and better the more you watch it. If you’re looking for a dark, funny, and heartfelt animated film that captures some of that original *Beetlejuice* spirit, this one’s for you. Check it out, and let me know if you liked it.