Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a strong case for Tim Burton’s most entertaining film in more than two decades—not because it tells his sharpest story, but because it recovers the mischievous comic energy, distinctive macabre imagery and tactile effects that make his best work feel unmistakably his. The sequel is messy and overstuffed, yet Michael Keaton’s return gives its chaos a lively center.
What happens in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return to Winter River. Lydia’s teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the town model in the attic and accidentally opens a portal to the Afterlife, bringing Beetlejuice back into the family’s orbit. Tim Burton directs from a screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on a story by Gough, Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith. Keaton returns as Beetlejuice, alongside Winona Ryder as Lydia and Catherine O’Hara as Delia; Jenna Ortega plays Astrid, with Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti and Willem Dafoe among the new cast. Warner Bros.’ official synopsis and credits establish the setup and principal creative team.
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) (Blu-ray) | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Beetlejuice (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) | $16.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Beetlejuice | $3.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Beetlejuice [Blu-ray] | $18.61 | Buy on Amazon |
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) + Beetlejuice (1988) [Blu-ray -2 sets] | $39.88 | Buy on Amazon |
What makes the sequel feel like a Burton return?
The film’s best argument is not that Burton has reinvented himself. It is that he seems newly at ease making this kind of unruly, macabre comedy. Keaton’s Beetlejuice remains an unpredictable comic force, and the film gives him a visual playground of grotesque gags, oddball set pieces and handmade-looking creatures. The practical and animatronic effects have a physical texture that helps the jokes land as more than digital spectacle.
Rotten Tomatoes’ critics consensus calls it a “madcap return to form,” praising its practical effects and ghoulish gags. That is an aggregator’s summary rather than a verdict on every scene, but it captures the main source of the film’s appeal. In TIME, Stephanie Zacharek likewise argues that the silliness carries the film even when its story mechanics are loose. Her assessment of its “low-stakes wisecracks” helps explain why the sequel can be enjoyable without being tightly plotted.
#1 Best Overall
Is Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as good as the original?
It is a spirited return to the original’s comic and visual territory, not a clear improvement on it. Keaton again supplies the comic center, and the sequel’s tactile effects offer a welcome contrast to polished digital imagery. But the first film’s ideas and characters have had decades to settle into pop culture; revisiting them inevitably raises the question of whether familiarity is being used to deepen the world or simply to trigger recognition.
That is where the sequel is less persuasive. The Atlantic’s review sees a recognizable Burton film but argues that it breaks little new visual or narrative ground, relying on remembered elements. The callbacks can feel affectionate, but they do not consistently add new meaning. If you want a more focused story or a sequel that expands the original’s ideas, this one may disappoint; if you want to spend more time in its peculiar world, the familiarity is part of the pleasure.
Rank #2
- Item Name: Beetlejuice
- Product Type: PHYSICAL FILM
- Brand: Warner Brothers
Where does the film stumble?
The story has too many moving parts for its own good. Astrid’s predicament, Lydia’s personal life and the Afterlife’s returning and new figures compete for attention, and the film does not give every thread an equally satisfying payoff. Rotten Tomatoes’ roundup of first reviews reflects that split: critics praised Keaton, the cast, comedy and practical effects, while others found the script scattered, crowded with plotlines or uneven in how it resolved them.
The looseness is sometimes an asset: it leaves room for abrupt visual jokes and comic detours. But there is a difference between a story that feels playfully unruly and one that is simply trying to serve too many characters at once. Monica Bellucci’s Delores, for example, makes a strong impression, though Zacharek notes in TIME that she could have had more screen time. The film’s lively world is more fully realized than its story’s priorities.
Rank #3
- Factory sealed DVD
Is this Tim Burton’s best film in over 20 years?
That depends on what “best” means. Taking “over 20 years” to mean Burton’s work since 2003, the claim is most defensible if the measure is comic energy, a coherent Burtonesque visual world and the pleasure of watching Keaton reclaim this role. On those terms, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a persuasive contender for his strongest and most enjoyable film in that period.
It is a harder case if “best” means the most original or narratively disciplined. The sequel’s sprawl and reliance on familiar motifs are substantial limits, not minor quibbles. The Atlantic’s criticism matters precisely because a return to a distinctive style can still feel like a repetition of that style. The film earns the headline’s enthusiasm as a judgment about entertainment and renewed playfulness—not as an objective career ranking or a claim that it surpasses Burton’s most inventive work.
Rank #4
Is Beetlejuice Beetlejuice worth watching?
Yes, especially if you enjoy Keaton’s performance, practical-effects craft and comic fantasy with a dark streak. It is less suited to viewers who need a tightly controlled plot or want a sequel that breaks decisively from the original. The film’s reception reflects that trade-off: Nicholas Barber of BBC.com called it “a big-budget comedy which is actually funny,” while the broader first-review roundup also records reservations about its crowded story. Its pleasures are real, but they are concentrated in performance, visual invention and comic momentum rather than narrative precision.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where is the film available on disc?
Warner Bros. Japan lists a 4K UHD/Blu-ray set and a Blu-ray/DVD edition, with about 78 minutes of bonus features, including a making-of feature and material on the film’s stop-motion techniques. These are Japanese-market editions; check the listing, disc-region compatibility and current stock for your marketplace before buying. The listing does not establish availability in other countries. Warner Bros. Japan’s home-video listing provides the edition details.
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