Nearly 40 years ago, Beetlejuice burst onto the big screen and, while it’s now hailed as a bonafide classic and one of the best ’80s movies, its debut wasn’t all smooth sailing. While the OG Ghost with the Most is now considered one of Tim Burton’s best movies now, at the time, some critics downright trashed it. On that note, the film’s star, Michael Keaton, gifted Jenna Ortega an A+ gift that indicates how time has changed the perception of the flick.
The success of Michael Keaton and Tim Burton‘s beloved horror comedy paved the way for the recently released Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Fans love it–some even say it improves on the original–and the movie’s star, Jenna Ortega, took to her Instagram to show off the A+ gift she received from Keaton himself. The irony? It was a nod to how critics initially slammed their movie. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how well this movie has aged?:
As you can see in the photo above, the Wednesday star, who plays Lydia Deetz’s daughter in the Beetlejuice sequel, posted a shot of herself casually sipping from a drink, but the real star of the pic? That crisp white shirt with bold black text of an old Beetlejuice review printed on it! The Scream alum kept things simple with her caption:
Gift from Michael Old Beetlejuice review from 1989
It should be pointed out that Beetlejuice was released in 1988, so it’s hard to say if Jenna Ortega has the years mixed up or if that particular review really is from ’89. Either way, that’s classic Michael Keaton, right? The front of Ortega’s shirt features a harsh review from critic “G. Franklin,” with a blunt “-1” rating. And, just in case that wasn’t clear enough, the back drives the point home with, “I give it a -1.” Ouch. But Franklin wasn’t the only one who didn’t get Beetlejuice.
Back then, Siskel & Ebert hosts Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert also slammed the film, calling it an unfunny “Ghostbusters clone.” Fast forward to today, and it’s clear the joke’s on them. What was once dismissed has become a beloved and iconic piece of film history. Sure, some may consider it a nostalgic ’80s flick that sucks, but not I!
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finally hit the 2024 movie schedule on September 6th. While, just like the original movie, there have been a few negative write-ups from critics (because when aren’t there?), the early reactions to the long-awaited sequel were largely positive. Also, Michael Keaton called it “really fucking good” leading up to its release. The movie currently holds a solid fresh 77% on Rotten Tomatoes and 81% on the newly introduced audience Popcorn rating.
Michael Keaton’s thoughtful gift to Jenna Ortega is a perfect reminder of just how out of touch critics can be on films that audiences truly love. Beetlejuice is living proof of how time can be kind to certain movies. In my humble opinion, Tim Burton’s vintage film is a hilariously spooky piece of work with some outstanding visual flair. And for that? I give it a ten. A freaking ten.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is now playing in theaters, and its predecessor is streamable with a Max subscription. Be sure to check your local listings for showtimes. Also, check out our list of upcoming horror movies to see what other fantastically spooky releases are headed to a nearby cinema.