There is no doubt that the new horror/comedy movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has brought attention to not only the original movie but also the popular musical adaptation.
“Beetlejuice,” directed by Tim Burton, was first released in 1988. The striking movie follows Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) alongside teenager Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) as they clash with the titular Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). We first meet Barbara and Adam enjoying a staycation, but they soon die in a car accident, leaving them to haunt their own home. That is when we meet Lydia, a troubled teenager who is trying to get away from her family as they move into the Maitlands’ home following their deaths. As Barbara and Adam attempt to help Lydia, we meet Beetlejuice, who causes chaos and wreaks havoc to foil Barbara and Adam’s attempts to help Lydia. As a huge comedy and horror fan, I absolutely love this movie. However, “Beetlejuice” may also fall under the action genre, considering the action and the ever-escalating plot line. It is truly original and one of my favorite movies.
Three decades later, playwrights Anthony King and Scott Brown and composer Eddie Perfect revived the franchise and made a musical adaptation of the original movie in 2018. There are many notable changes in the storyline between the movie and the Broadway show. The musical begins with Lydia Deetz (Sophia Anne Caruso) mourning the loss of her mother alongside her father, Charles Deetz (Adam Dannheisser). Furthermore, Beetlejuice shows up right at the show’s beginning instead of in the middle like he did in the movie. Finally, Barbara (Kerry Butler) and Adam (Rob McClure) do not die in a car crash as in the movie but fall through unsteady floorboards.
As a passionate musical and Broadway fan, this is one of my favorite renditions of Beetlejuice. I saw it on Broadway last year with my family for one of their birthdays. One of my favorite parts was the lighting, which utilized different colors and angles to emphasize what was happening throughout the story. Another part of the musical that I am a fan of is the musical aspect (I know it is called a musical; just bear with me here). There are so many different types of genres utilized, such as the ballet at the beginning of the movie, to what I suppose you could categorize as intense pop and solo songs that connect with the audience.
And now, Tim Burton has returned to direct the sequel movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” released this past week. It has already gained tons of positive reviews and box office revenue in just a few days. Ryder reprises her role as Lydia, who is mourning her father’s death. Her daughter Astrid, played by star Jenna Ortega (most well-known for her role as Wednesday Addams), joins her in grief. The two original ghosts, Barbara and Adam, are not included in the new movie. Shortly after the funeral, however, we meet Astrid’s “love interest” in the movie, Jeremy (Arthur Conti), who quickly enchants her. After Astrid goes searching through the attic and finds a flier that mentions Beetlejuice, Lydia warns her about him and their traumatic past. But after Jeremy reveals himself to be a ghost and traps Astrid in the afterlife, Lydia begrudgingly summons Beetlejuice to save her daughter, which causes the whole plot to break into chaos. As Lydia and Astrid attempt to manage and control Beetlejuice, they soon learn that they have created a world where the living co-exist with the dead and are not the only ones in danger.
If I am being honest, I am not sure how I feel about the new movie. It is interesting in the sense that it takes place years later and provides a new perspective on Beetlejuice and his relationship with the Deetz family. However, because I am not a fan of change, I didn’t enjoy all the new characters introduced. Furthermore, the cemetery in the movie wasn’t the only plot that had holes in it. Yet, despite my problems with "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", its box office success is clear evidence that these new elements, building upon the original movie and musical, have pleased fans and newcomers alike.
