Is Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Good? Rotten Tomatoes Critics Overwhelmingly Agree

After decades of waiting, it's showtime again. "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" will continue the adventures of Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), now grown-up with a paranormal show of her own — and a fiancé, Rory (Justin Theroux), and daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). When her father, Charles (who will not be back in the guise of Jeffrey Jones), passes away, Lydia comes home to stepmom Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara) and Winter River, Connecticut. A dissatisfied, rebellious Astrid discovers the model town in the Maitlands' attic. She soon finds herself lost on the other side, and Lydia must team up with Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), who's busy dodging his vengeful, soul-sucking ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci). Trailing them all is Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), afterlife detective.

Though it's very early in the going, Rotten Tomatoes critics seem to love "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." Of the 27 critics who have weighed in so far, 21 enjoyed the film enough to give it a positive rating. That's great news that hints the movie might have enough staying power to take it from early September into October, where it could make an additional box office windfall over the Halloween season. But as of this writing, here's what critics think of "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." 

Most of the critics weighing in so far are very happy the 'Juice is loose, as hinted by the "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" trailer. Sophie Monks Kaufman of IndieWire called the film "A rollicking yet disciplined supernatural caper with a heart," noting that it sticks true to the film's goth weirdness while adding more heart into the mix. "You'll leave the cinema and return to the world of the living with a spring in your step and a smile on your face," raved Jo-Ann Titmarsh of the London Evening Standard. The BBC's Nicholas Barber even thinks the sequel surpasses its originator in every respect. Some critics feel like this is a big rebound for director Tim Burton after failures like "Alice Through the Looking Glass" and "Dumbo."

Not every positive review was a rave, however. Empire Online noted the film's imperfections but praised Michael Keaton's performance. "'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' is no "Beetlejuice," but in the end it's got just enough Burton juice," wrote Variety's Owen Gleiberman. Many critics simply enjoyed the film for offering an all-out fun time at the theater even if they thought it would be insubstantial in the long term. And that simplicity — and some fan service — resulted in some critics taking hatchets to "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice."

As with every motion picture, there are a few critical brickbats to be had among the raves. Kevin Maher of The Times wrote that the film is a blah retread. "It's a likable exercise in nostalgia; a joyride through old haunts. Burton's underworld caper contains plenty of second-hand spirit; what it craves is fresh blood. What it needs is some substance," complained The Guardian's Xan Brooks, who thinks the new characters and plot ideas Tim Burton added into the plot don't go well together.

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair opined that the movie is lifeless. "With its limp humor, canned sentiment, and over-egged efforts to gross us out, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a waste of a good cast and a defacement of a classic film's legacy. Most galling of all, it was summoned willingly by people who should know better than to mess with what's long been peacefully laid to rest," he said, adding that there was little effort to maintain the original film's freshness.

Robbie Collin of The Telegraph focused on what he felt was a messy plot with too much fan service. "Throughout, you can hear the writers cackling and high-fiving each other as they crowbar in favourite details from Burton's still hugely entertaining original, regardless of whether their inclusion makes the slightest bit of sense," he commented about the plot's callbacks. 

Will it be a hit or a miss? Fans will get their say when "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is released to open the fall box office season on September 6.