“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice:” the sequel to “Beetlejuice” released in 1988, brings back roles from the original movie and new ones into the sequel. But that brings a question: What has changed in 36 years from the release of the original movie and how does it compare?

As we already know, the original actors from the first film, such as Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, are cast in the movie, bringing back the nostalgic ‘80s aesthetic from the first movie. However, new actors were placed within the film, such as Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe. I think that the new roles in the film modernizes the movie well, and includes the ‘80s nostalgia with it.

With the introduction of a new character, it is important to note that Ortega played the role of Wednesday Addams in “Wednesday” on Netflix in 2022, which was directed by Tim Burton. Needless to say, I am not surprised that she took on the role of Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Lydia Deetz (portrayed by Winona Ryder). Based on her performance as Wednesday Addams, as well as Astrid Deetz in the new film, it is good for me to say that Ortega is a new well-known and incredible actress when it comes to Burton’s films because of her overall performance.

Something else that I’ve noticed is that Charles Deetz, portrayed by Jeffery Jones in the 1988 film, did not return for the sequel. I feel that he is a big part of the Deetz family, and with him not being in the film, the storyline did not feel complete enough. Even though they showed that Charles Deetz died in the movie, I feel as though the reasoning of his death had not been so abrupt and went into more detail.

It is also important to note that the graphics and sets of the sequel had a vast difference compared to the original. There has been a huge difference in effects since “Beetlejuice” was last touched upon 36 years ago. Not only were the sets aesthetically pleasing, but the modern sets are more pleasing to look at and the graphics highlight the progress of animations over the years. But the graphics in the film are too modern and less nostalgic, in my opinion. For example, the sandworm has a more animated style in the sequel, but it did look more real in the original film, which throws viewers off when thinking about the first film.

Overall, I think that “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was a humorous sequel to the original, and I think that others would enjoy it as well. Considering the new roles, changes in the original plot, and graphic design, I would personally rate the sequel four sandworms out of five.

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