The First Beetlejuice 2 Reactions Are All Saying The Same Thing

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is hitting theaters soon, and first reactions are starting to roll in … so how do early audiences feel about this long-awaited sequel?

Tim Burton’s followup to his 1988 classic “Beetlejuice” — which brings Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder back as Betelgeuse, Delia Deetz, and Lydia Deetz alongside new cast members Jenna Ortega (Burton’s star on “Wednesday”), Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe — officially hits theaters in the United States on September 6, but critics who got to see an advance screening are finally chiming in with their thoughts on social media.

What’s the initial verdict on “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” based on critics who saw the movie at the Venice Film Festival? It’s pretty good, apparently! IndieWire’s Sophie Monks Kaufman posted her official review (on X, formerly known as Twitter) with a blurb that praised Burton’s vision, writing, “Burton has married his jamboree of gags, visual spectacle, and charming practical effects with a distinctly human tale.” Along with their own review, The Playlist posted, “Tim Burton Is Back & At His Best in Decades.” Other critics, like Ema Sasic, joined in and praised the film; as Sasic wrote, “[‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’] is ghoulishly fun! Burton honors his first film with throwbacks, all while expanding his characters and world to make a delightful new story. The whole cast got the assignment and delivers plenty of laughs. So many great set pieces in the afterlife too.”

Overall, most critics definitely like “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” and with several of them chalking it up to Burton’s vision for the sequel. /Film’s Jacob Hall got a chance to see the movie early and offered up his own take: “‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is a long-awaited return to form for Tim Burton. Between Michael Keaton’s indelible performance and the hordes of practical puppets and mountains of old school VFX wizardry, this is a sequel that truly understands what made the original feel so special while building on it in fun, inventive ways.”

Mo Moshaty at NightTide Magazine agreed, posting, “[‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’] is full of schtick, jokes revisited, [Michael] Keaton doing extra, [Catherine] O’Hara being a kicked up Delia, [Winona] Ryder still being strange and unusual and [Jenna] Ortega staying angsty. Everything this type of sequel should be.” Barry Levitt, who reviewed the movie for The Daily Beast, liked it, but wanted it to go even further. “My first from Venice! [‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’] is a pretty fun time when it leans into the afterlife. Monica Bellucci is the underused MVP,” he wrote. Still, not all critics dug the movie — so, what did the detractors have to say about “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?”

Richard Lawson at Vanity Fair definitely didn’t like “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” based on his X reactions. On his own account, Lawson wrote that the movie “does Lydia Deetz dirty,” and on the outlet’s account, he summed up his feelings once again, writing, “‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is yet another legacy sequel that serves as a sad testament to the original film’s ingenuity.” Total Film wasn’t quite as harsh but seemed to mostly agree in their post, which calls the movie “a fun but scattershot frolic in the afterlife.”

Despite misgivings here and there about “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” it feels inevitable that the film will perform pretty well when it officially releases — especially when you consider the overwhelming affection fans feel for the original movie. (Plus, nobody can deny that bringing modern deadpan scream queen Ortega into the mix as Lydia Deetz’s daughter Astrid is a stroke of casting genius.) In any case, the buzz is primarily positive, so fans can start getting ready for spooky season when the movie hits theaters on September 6, 2024 (though international audiences will get it two days earlier on September 4).