A Great Black Comedy

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 1999)

While Michael Keaton is the "name draw" despite his character's relatively small screen-time (and as he cuts loose in one of these occasional "insane" roles that Keaton likes to take on), the real focus is on the rest of the cast. Baldwin and Davis are great as the bewildered ghosts, Ryder is great, and Jones and O'Hara (often overlooked) are great comedy actors. There's a kind of "anything goes" attitude to the whole thing, giving Beetlejuice's antics a Robin Williams-sort of improvisational air (how would Williams have played the part)? Keaton is still great though: he doesn't even bother to try make his character likeable, but just kind of sweeps you along.