Beetlejuice (1988)

I like Tim Burton as much as the next person, but I just don't enjoy his films after 2005. In my opinion, his last decent film was probably Corpse Bride in 2005. But I'm not here to talk about Corpse Bride. I'm here to talk about Beetlejuice, the movie that kick-started a golden age for Tim Burton films.

Beetlejuice haunted our cinemas (and our lives) in the year of 1988, the same year as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Die Hard, funnily enough. It was directed by a small-time director who went by the name of Tim Burton. Beforehand, Burton had only directed one feature film: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985), which is just as creepy as Beetlejuice in some ways. However, Beetlejuice was the film that put Burton on the map, securing his future career. So we have Beetlejuice to thank for the weird and wonderful mind of Tim Burton, which never seems to run out of ideas and ways to mess with our heads. Cheers!

The film stars the likes of Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Winona Ryder. Some people may think that having this many great actors is a bit overkill, but I beg to differ. I think it's great when a director manages to get this many high-profile actors in one room to film a movie.

The story of Beetlejuice centers around the madly-in-love Adam and Barbara Maitland, who live in a big country house in Connecticut. They seem to be having a really happy life, until they crash their car into a nearby river and die. They soon discover that did not survive the crash, and that they have become ghosts who cannot leave their house. The house is soon sold to new owners: The Deetz Family. Adam and Barbara are determined to get rid of the Deetzes, and so they put it upon themselves to scare them out of the house. When they realise that they can't haunt the house by themselves, they enlist a professional bio-exorcist - Beetlejuice! This seems to go in their favour, but things soon start to spiral out of control...

As far as comedy-horror's go, this has to be one of the funniest. Of all the films to watch on Halloween, Beetlejuice always seems to be the one that I choose. It's kooky, it's crazy, and it's downright trippy. It mixes stop-motion animation and live-action in a way that only Tim Burton could. However, there is one little gripe that I have with Beetlejuice, and it's the fact that, at times, it can get a bit too weird, such as when the Maitlands visit the Netherworld waiting room, with all of the other distressed souls. I find it hard to believe that dying could be so bureaucratic. But then again, this is a Tim Burton movie.

Overall, Beetlejuice is a hilariously-creepy film, filled with excellent acting and special effects. Lots of clever scenes throughout, as well as the occasional silly moments too. The runtime leaves you wanting more, which is what a film should do. However, that doesn't mean that a sequel is needed. The strange world of Beetlejuice is presented clearly to the viewer through just 1 hour and 32 minutes. A definite recommendation, with a score of 8/10.

I hope you have enjoyed this review of Beetlejuice. If you did, show it to one of your friends. Join me next week, when I shall be reviewing another completely random movie. Ta-ta for now.