“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” stormed the theaters on Sept. 6, with loyal fans teeming with excitement to see a classic movie franchise brought to the big screen once again. But that excitement was short-lived as the movie droned on and on, not giving as much “Beetlejuice energy” as the previous film.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” follows Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) as she struggles with her relationship with her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), the loss of her father and the reappearances of something, or someone, she previously thought to be a figment of her teenage imagination. Lydia returns to her hometown, her daughter in tow, to mourn with her stepmother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara).

Meanwhile, in the afterlife, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) has his own monsters he’s dealing with. His past wife (Monica Bellucci) has come back from her dicey exile, and she’s back for revenge. The only way for Beetlejuice to escape his ballistic bride is for him to marry someone else.

Performances from the lead actors, Keaton and Ryder especially, bring these classic characters back to life, but even that cannot save the plot from its ultimate demise. Sure, it has some of the energy that the previous movie did, but the actual storyline doesn’t cut it.

The plot seems very random and while some things connect to the previous movie, other things don’t make sense in the world of Beetlejuice. It seems as though the directors wanted to make a sequel simply because they could and because they knew it would do well. However, Beetlejuice would have been better staying as a standalone. The sequel is not necessary to continue the story.

The film’s special effects are something to point out. They bring the movie to a whole new level, the gruesome visuals making the audience cringe but laugh at the same time. Many nostalgic moments from the first film make the final cut in the second as well.

Overall, the movie is disappointing and bland compared to the last, but it has some good laughs and is still a fun watch. 

3/5 stars.