Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

What's 36 years compared to eternity?

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 14, 2024

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice may not hold the record for longest time between sequels (that honor goes to Fantasia 2000), but this is a rare case where more than three decades actually seems to be worth the wait. Once again directed by the singular Tim Burton with appearances by a majority of the original cast, it's an entertaining and imaginative extension of 1988's Beetlejuice that doesn't really feel like a cheap cash-in. It lies somewhere between "better than the original" (Top Gun: Maverick) and "stale rehash" (Bill and Ted Face the Music) where 1980s franchises are concerned, thanks mostly to great casting, solid production design, and terrific practical effects. Simply put, it's showtime again.

Tim Burton admits in an accompanying audio commentary that sequel ideas for the original Beetlejuice was always on the back burner to some extent. None seemed right enough to act upon, but this screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (the respective developers of Smallville and Wednesday) catered to Burton's eventual acceptance of a story that caught up with its characters roughly a full generation after the original film. Our story begins when recently widowed Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara) informs her daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) that her father Charles has been eaten by a shark. Lydia's estranged daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega, very much playing a variant of Wednesday) doesn't need more bad news, as her own father Richard died in a similar fashion years ago, but the end result is that all three generations of Deetzes are now back in Winter River, Connecticut for Charles' funeral. Not surprisingly, the same town model is still covered in their house's creepy attic and, together with her possessive beau Rory (Justin Theroux), Lydia continues to have recurring hallucinations of a certain obnoxious, suit-clad trickster demon from "the old days".

Charles' funeral goes about as smoothly as possible under the circumstances, but soon enough personal relationships begin to add fuel to the already turbulent narrative. Delia has trouble grieving for her lost husband, Lydia is proposed to by Rory in a frightfully awkward public display and, during his sooner-than-expected reintroduction in the afterlife, old Betelguese himself (Keaton) is pursued by a soul-sucking ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) whose case is handled by a B-movie action star turned underworld police office, Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe). Astrid seems like the only who who lucks out in the relationship department, as a seemingly random bike accident connects her with local teen Jeremy Frazier (Arthur Conti), with the two outcasts forming a quick bond due to his parents' lack of attention.

If Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is guilty of anything, it's an awful lot of subplots; there's simply a hell of a lot going on here, but somehow the pinballing narrative mostly works in its favor. Most sequels have a lack of ideas and stretch them to their absolute breaking point, but the 36-year gap since Beetlejuice offers proof that there was lots of lingering material to work with. The concept of "throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks" is nothing new in movie-land but the bulk of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice comes off way better than expected, as Burton's trademark approach to visual design -- moody lighting, German expressionism, stop-motion, and even a nod to Italian horror films of yesteryear -- ensure that it's never boring, only a littler scattershot. I'll take that any day of the week over a boring old rehash, as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice further makes its case for existence with several absolutely outstanding sequences (the dizzying climax, set to the cheesy, operatic "MacArthur Park" as performed by Richard Harris, is the green icing on the cake) and only a few brief duds, such as that whole Soul Train business and its somewhat patchy ending montage.

That's a roundabout way of saying that, like most cautiously optimistic theater-goers back in September, I enjoyed Beetlejuice Beetlejuice a lot more that I thought I would. Some sequels are so bad that they make you question your love of the original, but this well-crafted extension just makes me want to watch the 1988 film again so see how many more little connections are there. Both are enjoyable in their own right, and this sequel clearly shares the same DNA without feeling like either a carbon copy or something so different that it'll just piss off fans of the original. Warner Bros. offers Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in separate 4K or Blu-ray packages, with both sporting proportionately great A/V merits and an identical slate of extras. An even better Steelbook combo pack is also available.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the Blu-ray disc, available separately and reviewed here.

Unsurprisingly for an A-list studio movie -- especially one helmed by Tim Burton -- that's authored on a triple-layered (100GB) 4K disc, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice looks basically flawless from start to finish. Fine detail and textures are rock-solid, color reproduction is superb, black levels run deep, and the variety of textures inherent to different aspects of its outstanding sets and production design are on full display from start to finish. The HDR10 pass, which I watched in Dolby Vision, bolsters color saturation and dynamic range superbly, with shadow detail and overall balance being tack-sharp and incredibly faithful to its source material every step of the way. Disc encoding is superb, with the bulk of this film hovering in the 70-80Mbps range and displaying no aberrant signs of compression artifacts including banding, posterization, or macro blocking. In every way, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice looks as good as you'd expect it to.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Atmos mix follows suit with a moody, dark, atmospheric, and largely aggressive presentation that perfectly suits its source material, prioritizing dialogue but leaving plenty of room for strong dynamics, object-based surround effects, clever use of the height channels, and of course plenty of low end that will test the limits of most consumer-grade subwoofers. (That's my subtle way of saying "be careful with this one".) Danny Elfman's terrific score, which of course recycles more than a few themes with great results, likewise gets plenty of time to shine. Overall, it's a suitably rich mix that's well-balanced yet unpredictable and seems to perfectly preserve a theatrical experience, which means that your neighbors may need to be warned ahead of time. Simply put, crank this one up and enjoy.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are included during the main feature and all extras listed below.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption code. The bonus features are surprisingly well-rounded and all are worth a look.

• Audio Commentary - This feature-length track with director Tim Burton is an expectedly candid and enjoyable scene-specific track that covers a lot of ground. Topics of interest include building upon the original film, finally getting a sequel up and running, setting the tone with "front credits", reuniting with members of the cast, set design and practical effects, the original (and returning) score, conversations with Michael Keaton over the years, his love of Italian horror films, introducing new characters and ideas, post-production, and more.

• The Juice is Loose: The Making of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (27:37) - This light but satisfying behind-the-scenes featurette visually fleshes out subjects touched upon in the commentary. Director Tim Burton is featured prominently (and also narrates, to a degree), while other cast and crew members are also featured including Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, and co-writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Besides for a handful of supportive clips from the finished film, the original is also discussed and contrasted as well.

• The Ghost with the Most: Beetlejuice Returns (8:34) - The cast and crew, including of course Michael Keaton (seen in new and archived clips), give their thoughts on the character as seen in both films.

• Meet the Deetz (6:52) - This like-minded piece covers the three generations of Deetz women coming together for this sequel after three decades, including of course comments from key cast and crew members.

• Shrinkers, Shrinkers Everywhere! (6:26) - Another bite-sized character piece, this short featurette talks about the original film's "shrunken head" character and his race's expansion for this sequel.

• An Animated Afterlife: The Stop-Motion Art of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (9:14) - This terrific featurette offers a brief look at the stop-motion artwork used for this film including the airplane and sandworm sequences, which of course includes a nice little amount of footage of the artists hard at work on character models.

• The Handbook for the Recently Deceased (12:07) - Danny DeVito, other "deceased" supporting actors, and key crew members talk about the afterlife's visual design, sets, practical effects, and much more.

• 'Til Death Do We Park: Beetlejuice and Lydia's First Dance (7:54) - A brief look at the filming of the surreal climactic scene, which was brilliantly set to "MacArthur Park" as performed by Richard Harris. A note to Todd Phillips: this is how you successfully weave music into a film without running it into the ground.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Long-delayed sequels to films rarely work out for the best, with recent successes like Top Gun: Maverick and of course Mad Max Fury Road being the most obvious exceptions. Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn't quite reach those heights but comes awfully close, as its familiar elements -- creative visuals, great characters, Danny Elfman's score -- blend pretty damn well with the new material, even if perhaps one too many subplots are attempted here. There's still a lot to like and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is anything but overblown, with its surprisingly sleek running time and pinball pacing ensuring that new and old fans alike will be entertained from start to finish. Warner Bros.' 4K is a near-perfect release right out of the gate, offering top-tier A/V merits and plenty of great extras. Firmly Recommended.