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Yes, these and other burning questions are answered. And it’s all fun and games, until it’s not. This is not a bad movie, but it’s not nearly as good as you remember it. It has its moments, some of them good, some of them kind of weak, but nothing that will make you regret watching altogether. It’s like watching a high school talent show. It’s a very uneven experience, but they’re kids. They’re new at this, so you have to cut them some slack. Beetlejuice was Tim Burton’s second big budget film. What did you want, Batman Begins? It’s not outrageously funny, but it never loses your interest. It’s lighthearted, it’s charming, and it never takes itself very seriously. How can you dislike a movie like this?

But despite Burton’s insistence that Beetlejuice is meant to look cheap, it’s hard not to be a little put off by that. I remember how huge this movie was when it came out. It made tons of money. People went to see it again and again. And this is how it looked? It’s like watching a good natured spoof of The Twilight Zone shot with three cameras on a soundstage filled with $5000 worth of Styrofoam. On the other hand, my latest viewing was on Blu-Ray, and in high def, Michael Keaton’s makeup looks like he bought it at K-Mart. This is forgivable. Beetlejuice has other flaws that trouble me more.

The Maitlands are bland, slapstick cardboard cutouts. Baldwin and Davis both have pretty solid comic instincts, but they’re also good actors. Their characters seem woefully underdeveloped, and the movie’s failure to underscore their humanity seems like a missed opportunity. Especially since both actors are more than capable of delivering. No, it’s not the worst thing in the world. But bland, unadventurous comedy can be made to seem edgy by adding just a little touch of humanity. Why do you think people love Judd Apatow so much?

Second offense - Keaton is not in the film as often as you remember. Perhaps the biggest weakness of Beetlejuice is how little Betelgeuse there is. The character doesn’t appear in the (rotting) flesh until about halfway through the film, and even then his presence is largely confined to a few key scenes. It’s not as egregious as Terminator 2, where the antagonist disappears for about a half hour right in the middle of the film. But Betelgeuse could have been as dull as the rest of the cast - yet Keaton clearly went through a lot of trouble to avoid this. It’s hard not to feel that a little more of Michael Keaton being Michael Keaton was just what this movie needed.

If you happen to like Beetlejuice - and I do - it’s probably because Tim Burton’s vision wins out in the end. The movie is crude, simplistic and it paints in pretty broad strokes. But it’s also witty, cheerful and infectiously fun. Adults will find it choppy, but amusing. It’s harmless enough for kids, although you’ve got creepy Faustian bargains, a surreal depiction of the hereafter, some major burn victims and perhaps half a dozen severed rubber heads. Just keep the under ten crowd out of the room, I guess. Without a doubt, Beetlejuice is a little rough around the edges. But it’s still got the Burton magic. It’s still got the mom from Home Alone, married to Ferris Bueller’s principal. It’s got Winona Ryder in a black wedding dress. It’s got Dick Cavett and Robert Goulet singing Harry Belafonte tunes. It’s got Batman. In a wig.

And best of all, it’s got an ending that makes being dead seem like more fun than being alive. If you work in an office like I do, that’s actually kind of reassuring.

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