(Life Through the Lens - Photo Illustration/MetroCreativeConnection)

“My job is to make sure you do your job.”

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Have you ever tried to “recreate the magic”?

Magic is easy. Magic just kind of … happens. A moment arises, and it is spectacular. An event takes place, and it instantly takes your breath away. A circumstance unfolds, and you are transformed and transported.

With magic, you don’t have to plan it, prepare for it, pave the way for it — magic presents itself TO YOU.

Now … recreating that magic is darn near impossible. You can put yourself back into the same spot, but magic does not linger — it quickly dissipates. No amount of planning, preparing or paving can revive it. You don’t get to orchestrate magic; you must simply be moved by it.

I have experienced this sad certainty many times in my life. When you attempt to resurrect magic, all that resurfaces is an echo. A vague shadow. A slight electric twinge.

Brief backstory: I was part of a traveling a cappella singing group in college (shout-out to all the tenors out there!). My experience can be summed up in three, overly-hyphenated words: relentless-summertime-sweat, mass-produced-foodlike-slop and seemingly-eternal-road-trips. Though much was mundane, there were many moments of magic (most of them consisting of me sneaking kisses from my future-wife in our travel van. Don’t tell the driver!).

One such magical moment comes to mind. At our beautiful destination in Maine one year, a spontaneous group-sing began. It wasn’t planned, prepared or paved … it just kind of happened. Parts weren’t rehearsed, and harmonies weren’t arranged … we just let a moment wash over us and the sound take control. For years we attempted to recreate that magic again, but it never quite worked. Each subsequent attempt was nothing but a cold reminder of that first time.

REtracing steps though hallowed halls, REtreading important milestones, REuniting with past friends, REcreating whimsical dinners, REconstructing side-splitting conversations — they all fall flat on repeated fabrication. Let me save you some time: You cannot recreate magic. You cannot control the universe’s rhythm and flow. Your best bet is to recognize it when it appears and enjoy it while it lasts!

***

Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) once considered her “abilities” a gift, but it has become quite a burden. Seeing and speaking to the deceased used to be an escape — it used to be her preferred means of spending time — but now it is her job! She has hosted a TV show called “Ghost House” for years now, and it has become a stressful burden. It has granted her fame and wealth but at the cost of her relationship with her disappeared husband and increasingly estranged daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega).

When Lydia’s father dies in a freak bird-watching-accident, her mother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) is struck with artist inspiration: They should all return to “the house” in Connecticut, cover it in a house-sized-death-shroud and host a public funeral. Lydia, strung out and already fragile, hesitantly agrees … primarily because her producer Rory (Justin Theroux) likes the publicity it promises.

Now on to the afterlife: Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) is an office manager in the “Office of Bio-Exorcism.” His afterlife is chuggin’ right along until his ex-wife is reanimated and thirsty for revenge against Beetlejuice for…let’s just say “their marriage fell into pieces.” In order to escape her, Beetlejuice seeks to marry a living … and there just so happens to be a houseful all-of-a-sudden!

And here goes another attempt to recreate magic! Beetlejuice from 1988 has become an American film staple. Its imagination, its dark humor, its untethered venture into death — it was the 1980’s at its best. It was back when Tim Burton was fresh and new! It was back when special effects were tactile and painstakingly artistic. It was rude and brash and hilarious! To recreate that now seems impossible…

… but it was great! It was a wonderful mix of nostalgia and celebration without feeling completely unnecessary. I was very pleasantly surprised! It is, hands down, the best thing Burton has done since maybe the 90’s. It is what made him famous in the first place — not obnoxious CGI and soulless fodder but rich and textured creativity. Is it as good as the original? Obviously not … but it is certainly a worthwhile addition.

Burton’s direction was sharp and focused on the absurd. The script by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is funny and energetic. The music by Danny Elfman was consistent and up to his original’s standard. The production design by Mark Scruton was wonderfully inventive. The art direction by Nick Gottschalk, the costume design by Colleen Atwood, the hair and makeup by Christine Blundell — all were on full display!

Keaton’s Beetlejuice is a favorite of mine. I love when a comedic master is allowed to play, and Keaton is given, once again, free rein. He may lack a bit of the energy from 36 years ago, but he still embodies the spirit with ease. O’Hara is another favorite of mine — her filmography is full of wonderful performances and hilarious turns. Her Delia is back in all the right ways! Theroux and Willem Dafoe (as afterlife detective Wolf Jackson) were great new characters; each were entertaining and exciting. Arthur Conti was a scene-stealer as neighborhood boy Jeremy. Ortega was an unexpected highlight for me; she was everything Lydia was in the original plus some. Speaking of Lydia, I think Ryder was my least favorite part of the movie. She played adult Lydia with no personality and no draw. The raw mystery is gone with nothing to replace it.

As far as reboots go, this is a good one! Finally!

REPORT CARD: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Grade: A-

Assessment: A solid attempt to recreate magic

***

When Margaret (Amy Ryan), the Manhattan district attorney, finds herself in a pickle (and by “pickle” I mean “in a hotel room with a young boy who has killed himself while high on drugs”), she calls an emergency contact. She doesn’t know who the contact is … but it was given to her if she ever needed immediate and imperative help, if she ever needed something “fixed.”

In comes the fixer (George Clooney). All business and order, he assesses the situation and begins to handle it. Then in comes another fixer (Brad Pitt), hired by the hotel to make the problem go away. I’m not sure how good you are at math, but that is two fixers. Two wolves … and a wolf doesn’t work in a pack … they work alone … until now.

Both men are put in a bind with their respective employers: They must cooperate to make this issue disappear tonight. They know nothing about teamwork, but they both know everything about being a wolf. Clean and dispose — check! Complete and erase — check! Babysitting and treachery — not a check! In a job that depends on calm and command, both wolfs find themselves in uncharted territory.

And here goes another attempt to recreate magic! Pitt and Clooney have starred in four films together and been best friends for years. They have created and culminated a magic easily seen on screen where their subtleties enhance each motion or word shared and now we are doing it again…

…but it was great! Their chemistry translates, and the movie becomes relentlessly fun. Their harmony makes humor with the slightest look or pause. Pitt is my all-time favorite; he can captivate the camera like no one else. Clooney is a great verbal comedian, a wonderful straight man to Pitt’s physicality. Austin Abrams (as “the kid”) is an absolute treat! His ferocious vitality is intoxicating. His hotel room monologue is one for the ages!

The cinematography by Larkin Seiple is constantly motivated and interesting; it keeps the movie moving. The direction by Jon Watts was startlingly inspired — he demonstrated quite a handle on comedy and beauty. I didn’t know he had it in him (after the debacle that was “Spider-Man: No Way Home”)!

REPORT CARD: Wolfs

Grade: A-

Assessment: Two stars born to entertain