Exceptional makeup can't save a dull, boring screenplay

Rating: 5/10 (4 February 2017)

I remembered seeing this movie in a theater when it came out. I recall the good makeup and camera work, but didn't think the story was that good. So, I watched it again these many years later and had the same impressions.
The idea for "Beetlejuice" was quite novel for the time. And there can be little doubt about the superb job of makeup, animation and special effects. And while the idea for the plot had possibilities, the screenplay is very lame. It's a challenge to stay interested because it quickly becomes boring. So much so, that the one very good performance in the film â€“ that of Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, can't salvage the film. The comedy is flat. What little of it I could find was dull.
My five stars are solely for the exceptional makeup and artwork that went into the production. It deserved its Oscar for that, but the film otherwise is a dud.