A child wonderland, mature nightmare

Rating: 6/10 (5 June 2004)

It is always amazing to think about our childhood as a different era. We like to think of our infant years as living life as a different person. After recently watching this film, I found this to be inevitably true.
At a much younger age I had the privilege of watching Tim Burtons 'Beetlejuice' and was taken aback by this wonderment of fiction versus reality. Ghosts, ghouls, a freaky child, a scary woman and a clown-like rogue who everyone can't help but love - Beetlejuice. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a good comedy, well not if you're over the age of ten.
Beetlejuice - revisited was a disappointment. I was alarmed at the wooden performance given by Alec Baldwin as Adam, a man who is recently deceased and has to face life as an immortal along with his wife Barbara - Geena Davis. Now I do understand that it is a family comedy and brilliant acting is not essential but I was alarmed that he actually agreed to star in this film.
The story is pretty straight forward. Adam and Barbara become the undead, and a new, obnoxious family move into their home. Adam and Barbara still live there, but as they are dead they cannot be seen, except by the family's goth-like daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder.) The couple take a liking to Lydia and she begins to help the couple in their distress. They are unable to come to terms with their new selves and are drawn into dealings with the great 'Beetlejuice,' a helper of the recently deceased. However, as time passes Beetlejuice's antics as a troublesome rogue become too much for everyone.
Overall it is a good film for children, it has the impish comedy seen in films like 'Home Alone,' and it would most definitely occupy a younger viewer. An advantage is that it stars Michael Keaton as the indelible 'Beetlejuice' and his performance is worthy of a look., as always.