Review: Beetlejuice (1988)

Directed by: Tim Burton
Written by: Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones and Michael Keaton

Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! I can't believe how much time has passed. I first saw this movie back in 2009, only a year after the classic film had its 20th anniversary. I was in high school, beginning to get truly serious about movies and saw it as mandatory viewing given director Tim Burton's iconic stature in popular culture. Personally I'm far more drawn to some of Burton's other works, though there's quite a lot about this film that remains as remarkable as ever following the 30th anniversary of its release.

Adam and Barbara are a normal happy couple who dedicate their lives to making a great home, but after being killed in a car accident the pair's ghostly spirits are confined to their idyllic rural Connecticut home. The afterlife feels like going through the old motions of the living until a pretentious couple and their kooky daughter move in. This leads to Adam and Barbara seeking help from an eccentric and malevolent "bio-exorcist" that goes by the name 'Betelgeuse.'

Prior to his directing Batman, Tim Burton only had one other feature called Pee-wee's Big Adventure to his name. While I prefer both of these of these movies to Beetlejuice this offered Burton the opportunity to truly realize the artistic and storytelling style we might take for granted from the director today. The sets and lighting are both eerily gothic and simultaneously goofy, giving us a visual experience that is dark, amusing and ultimately inviting. This elements extents further into its special effects that remain a real jaw-dropper. Like any good movie all the appeal comes back to character. Although Baldwin and Davis give solid performances as the two leads, their characters would ultimately be forgettable if not for their compelling dramatic need. The show is truly stolen, unsurprisingly, by Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse. He's delightfully over-the-top and embraces the role passionately. I'd also love to make a special note of Winona Ryder's character Lydia. I honestly feel her outcast status is symbolic of Tim Burton's own childhood. If there's any personal touch by the director in this movie, it's here.

While Beetlejuice might not offer the larger stakes of some of Burton's later films it's undeniably a piece that allowed him to flex the creative muscle and develop that instantly identifiable style. Let's hope the upcoming sequel can hold up!

My Rating: 8/10