Review of Beetlejuice (1988) by Thomas D — 14 Aug 2016

Beetlejuice is mostly a product of the 1980's, but there's something about Tim Burton's flare for the absolute absurd supernatural that gives this film an incomparable likability.

Burton teamed up with his early career favorite Michael Keaton for the title character, and in turn created what is perhaps one of the most iconic performances of all time. Beetlejuice has Burton's prints all over it on its own, but with Keaton's performance, it's classic Burton. With that said, I don't know that the film survives if you aren't keen on the overbearing style of Burton. I like his movies as much as the next guy (Big Fish is in my top 5 favorite films of all time), but besides Keaton, there isn't a whole lot to ride home about here.

Beetlejuice has had fans clamoring for a sequel for decades, and I'm not going to be the one to shut those hopes down. With the talented cast, especially where they all are in their careers now, a sequel could be interesting. But I never found Geena Davis or Alec Baldwin's characters to be all that interesting. As they weave their way through the weirdness of the world of death, the film just veers more into a meandering area.

With all the dated elements to Burton's execution, the real gems of this film come from his unique vision. If you were to walk in on this film at any particular moment, you would be able to tell that it's a Burton project, and there's something special about that. I can appreciate a unique vision, but I just wanted more of an overarching journey than a collage of creepy and just strange sequences.

+Burton's style.

+Keaton's iconic performance.

-Hodgepodge of strange scenes.

-Supporting characters aren't that interesting.

6.6/10.