Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Blu-ray Movie Review

Madness for two.

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.

For a full synopsis of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, please see my recent coverage of the separate 4K edition. An alternate (though still largely positive) take on this film can also be found in Brian Orndorf's theatrical review.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As usual, please see my review of the separate 4K edition for an overview of the film's visual aesthetic, which in this case is "Tim Burton" every step of the way with plenty of artistic flourishes and creative set designs, not to mention loads of practical effects and gross-out gags. Although this Blu-ray's respectably good 1080p/SDR transfer can't hope to compete with its UHD counterpart, as seen by these screenshots it runs a solid second with comparatively decent image detail, textures, depth, and color representation. The limits of its own format are what hold it back slightly, with its more than three hours of total HD content and bombastic Dolby Atmos mix having a little bit of trouble squeezing flawlessly onto a modest dual-layered Blu-ray. (Remember back in the day when bonus features got their own disc?) Even so, aside from trace amounts of macro blocking and posterization there really isn't all that much to worry about here, and for the most part Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will look quite good on small to mid-sized displays.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For details about the Dolby Atmos mix, please see my recent review of the 4K edition. Please note that the foreign dubs and subtitle options (including for both the main feature and extras) are different on this Blu-ray.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and a Digital Copy redemption code. The extras listed below are identical to the 4K edition and detailed in my review of that disc.

• Audio Commentary with Tim Burton

• The Juice is Loose: The Making of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (27:37)

• The Ghost with the Most: Beetlejuice Returns (8:34)

• Meet the Deetz (6:52)

• Shrinkers, Shrinkers Everywhere! (6:26)

• An Animated Afterlife: The Stop-Motion Art of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (9:14)

• The Handbook for the Recently Deceased (12:07)

• 'Til Death Do We Park: Beetlejuice and Lydia's First Dance (7:54)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 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.' Blu-ray features very good 1080p video and outstanding Dolby Atmos audio along with the same great extras as the 4K edition.