Fun ideas and premise, but lacks plot and hilarity

Rating: 5/10 (31 October 2013)

Beetlejuice was the second big budget film from visionary Tim Burton and is the first film were you see some of his later trademarks come in. The film is packed with dark comedy, comical horror, offbeat performances and Gothic visuals that have become a mainstay in most of his movies. It has a lot going for it, but the execution holds the film back.
The story focuses on young couple Adam and Barbara Maitland who are killed in a car crash, yet they live on as ghosts in their home. Problems arise when a strange family move into the house and any attempts to get rid of them prove to be useless. The only solace the Maitland's get is with the young daughter who happens to be able to see them. The Maitland's are left with no choice but to hire crazy 'Bio- Exorcist' Beetlejuice who guarantees to get rid of the family. The premise is an extremely inventive one, the idea of ghosts expelling humans does sound very funny and starts off well here. The problem lies within how it's told as the film loses focus the longer it goes on. The film lacks coherence as a lot of things come from nowhere and aren't explained well.
The cast all do solid jobs. Alec Baldwin is very good in a reserved and very naturalistic performance as Adam, he comes off as a likable everyday person which means the ghost scenario genuinely confuses him. Geena Davis also puts in a very good turn as the laid-back and sweet natured Barbara. She too has a real sense of likability to her and the chemistry between her and Baldwin comes off as sincere. Winona Ryder is good as the goth inspired daughter Lydia. Ryder does have a good screen presence and comes across as innocently charming. Catharine O'Hara is excellent as the eccentric and obsessive Delia, she has a great sense of comic timing that is put to good use. Jeffery Jones is also great as calm Charles. However Michael Keaton steals the show as the equally bizarre, wacky and hilarious title character. His energetic expressions, exuberant delivery and knack for physical comedy work brilliantly here.
Visually the film is a typical Burton one with bright designs mixed in with the Gothic styling he usually goes for. The ghost world that is created is really imaginative and the colour scheme used adds to the supernatural theme nicely. The humour is a problem with the film. At times it doesn't go as far with the comedy as it should do which means that most of the comic sequences are wasted while when does go comically over-the-top, the calypso scene, it just feels forced. The scenes in the afterlife offices and the ones involving Beetlejuice were the only ones that had the ability to draw the laughs naturally. The comic horror aspects are used effectively and balance out with the straight up comedy well. The special effects are very weak too. They are extremely dated and the usage of Claymation looks very fake these days. The music from Danny Elfman is quite good and carries that quirky dark sound that works perfectly well with in the film.
On the whole Beetlejuice does have a fun premise and a brilliant Keaton performance, yet it lacks a fluid structure and truly funny moments to become anything great.