The iconic ”Beetlejuice” movie that came out March 30, 1988, has recently released a sequel, ”Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” on Sept. 6. Tim Burton is the director of both movies, which share many similarities. However, the sequel is based in a more modern time.
One of the main similarities was the overall style of each movie. Even though the original “Beetlejuice” movie was made in the late 80s, the detail that goes into each setting and location in both movies are quite similar. For instance, the main house, which the original movie takes place in, is also in the sequel. You can very much tell Tim Burton put his unique taste in both of the movie’s settings and designs.
Another similarity between the original “Beetlejuice” and the sequel is the actors. The newly added characters really feel like they were a part of the original story and not just add ons. The way the original characters, such as Micheal Keeton who plays Beetlejuice and Winona Ryder who plays Lydia Deetz, are presented to the audience so closely to their characters in the original is amazing. One of the new main characters added to “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” is Jenna Ortega’s character Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Lydia Deetz. The way Jenna Ortega plays this character resembles a lot of how Winona Ryder played her character Lydia Deetz in the original movie. They were similar to each other because of their style and the way they spoke. This type of comparison was for the original movie’s fans. The way the original actors are able to step back into these old characters and play them with the same energy they had in the original “Beetlejuice” movie is incredibly nostalgic.
There are plenty of differences in both “Beetlejuice” movies as the original movie was filmed in the 80s and technology has been greatly upgraded since then. The usage of computer generated imagery can open more gateways to experimenting with different effects that can make a movie more enticing and interesting. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” really took advantage of that tool that the original couldn’t access as easily. In a few specific scenes, Tim Burton utilized stop motion, which is a very popular, stylized way of creating characters and making them come to life. Stop motion is a very familiar technique to Tim Burton fans, as he uses it often in many of his movies.
Even so, we feel the original is more worth the watch if one were going to watch one or the other. It sets up the entire storyline and is so iconic. It’s a timeless piece of cinema and no matter how old it is, it will still be relevant. Though the sequel is still very enjoyable, We personally believe the original is better, especially when it comes to the new vs old “Beetlejuice” movie. Nevertheless, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” still lives up to the original “Beetlejuice,” it still feels nostalgic for older audiences, while also allowing a new generation to be introduced to the “Beetlejuice” fandom. It adds a modern taste, which appeals to the world today.
Some examples of the modern taste aren’t just the new and improved film making techniques, but also additional actors and actresses that appeal to the majority of young people. Jenna Ortega has become an extremely popular actress within today’s generation and in my opinion was a perfect choice to play Lydia Deetz’ daughter because of her past gothic style roles in productions such as the hit netflix tv show “Wednesday,” where Ortega plays the main character Wednesday Addams. Tim Burton, while a much older director, has also been relevant and popular with the majority of movie lovers. Both of these celebrities appeal to many , including North students. Overall, we would rate the movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” a 5/5 stars. Even though nothing will beat the original, it’s still a really fun movie to watch.
