A sequel of the cult classic, Beetlejuice, has recently hit theaters, directed once again by Tim Burton. While it arrived in September, the movie is still relatively fresh. Should you watch it if you have not already? Well, that depends. To help you decide, I am going to rate the movie on several aspects including: How easy it is to follow along, the plot, how good it is as a sequel, does it live up to expectations, and whether I would watch it again.

First of all, I have not watched the first Beetlejuice movie. I may have watched 20 minutes of the beginning, but besides that, I do not know the movie at all. Honestly, you don’t need to watch the first movie to watch this sequel. Everything was understandable and easy to digest. However, I did find the plot a bit…lacking. While I understand it is a sequel, the plot didn’t have much going for it, and in the end, I felt as though we were right back to the beginning. There wasn’t progress made or anything substantial added. In my opinion, it felt a little like a Hallmark movie. Then again, Hallmark movies have their appeal.

Again, the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie is a sequel, but I feel that sequels are meant to introduce a new aspect of the story, a new character, a new chapter if you will–but this movie didn’t do that for me. Was it funny as a movie? Yes. Would it have been fine as a parody or stand-alone? Yeah, probably. But to say it was a good sequel is a reach. Of course, I haven’t watched the first movie, but it did feel half-baked anyway.

With all of this being said, I did not leave the theater feeling disappointed. It was a fun experience and I could tell that the directors had fun with the movie. It was entertaining to watch and quite well made. While I expected more plot-wise, it didn’t fall that short of my expectations. Under the right circumstances, I would watch this again. There are few movies that I despise so much to say I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t jump at the opportunity though. The actors performed well, despite the fact that sometimes it was very difficult for them to do so. The script was rather questionable at times.

Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an alright movie. In terms of stars, I’d say a 3. Not terrible, not stellar. It didn’t exceed or reach my expectations. I recommend it if you just want to have fun and catch up with your friends or something of the sort. However, I wouldn’t recommend it if you want a substantial sequel. Instead, for this Halloween season, let me recommend you Sweeney Todd, a Tim Burton movie musical. It is a watch you will not regret.