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With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton's throwback era is well and truly here
The 80s were good to Keaton - better make the most of them.
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It is something that happens to many actors when they reach a certain point in their career; everything starts coming full circle. Keanu Reeves was just dragged back into the Matrix. Harrison Ford will keep showing up to Indiana Jones sets until his bones belong in a museum. Now, Michael Keaton is entering his own throwback era as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice gets ready to hit our screens. Just a few years after he revived his other iconic 80s role, Batman, Keaton seems to be well and truly into the Greatest Hits part of his long career.
We got the first hint that Michael Keaton was set on reminding us of his Hollywood heyday when he donned the iconic mask and cowl for 2023’s The Flash. Now, not everyone on the Popverse team hated this meandering, misguided jumble of a movie as much as I did, but we can all agree that one of the highlights was Keaton’s effortless charm as the Dark Knight. Even after all these years, the man somehow feels believable as a Batman with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to fight for and we love it. Is he the best Batman of all time? No, but he’s still damn good when he gets the chance to shine.
It feels like the perfect setup for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. After all, before he was Batman, Keaton was best known for playing the Ghost with the Most in Tim Burton’s fantasy-horror-comedy film about two people who desperately do not want to move on to the next stage of their life (which is death). It is honestly the perfect role for the actor, combining his dark wit and sense of humor with enough special effects to distract us all from how surreal the whole movie really is.
Unlike The Flash, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feels like a better fit for Michael Keaton’s throwback era. Even though he was never the main character of Beetlejuice, he was always the focus, allowing us to bask in the impeccable comic delivery that made him a star in the first place. Unlike his return as Batman, where he was a supporting character in someone else’s (terrible) story, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a chance for Michael Keaton to shine brighter than anyone else on screen.
Of course, the most exciting part of seeing Michael Keaton’s throwback era isn’t seeing what he’s already done but which of his classic movies he’s going to revisit next. A surprise sequel to Gung Ho? Another look at his first big dramatic hit, Clean and Sober? The man’s cinematic history is filled with brilliant moments that could - and should - be fodder for a Hollywood hellbent on never moving on to something new.
It should all culminate in a long overdue sequel to Mr. Mom, where Keaton has to look after a houseful of rowdy grandchildren while his kids start their own careers and take advantage of the free childcare that grandparents typically provide. It practically writes itself; he learns to connect to the younger generation and, through them, his kids, all while learning what a TikTok is.
Hollywood, you know it makes sense. Just call it Mr. Grandma and call it a day.
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