The Best and Worst of Michael Keaton

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" star Michael Keaton.

Films starring Michael Keaton that I've seen:
Night Shift
Beetlejuice
Batman
Batman Returns
Jackie Brown
Jack Frost
Toy Story 3
The Other Guys
Robocop
Need for Speed
Birdman
Spotlight
The Founder

Best Performance: Birdman (2014)
The performance that successfully resurrected Keaton's career is a visceral reminder of how great it is to watch top-notch acting on the big screen. Keaton uses a blend of frantic energy, dark humor and palatable emotional pain to paint a thoroughly convincing picture of an unstable, washed-up actor that's desperate to recapture his former glory. As great as Eddie Redmayne was in The Theory of Everything, I still think Keaton deserved the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2014.  

Worst Performance: Jack Frost (1998)
Following the success of the two Batman films and a memorable supporting turn in cult favorite Jackie Brown, Keaton's career descended into a strange tailspin that lasted from the late 90's until 2010. This slide in notoriety is evidenced by his decision to play the title role in the sappy family melodrama Jack Frost. Watching a vibrant, scene-stealing actor like Keaton reduced to playing a dead rockstar that's been reincarnated as a fucking snowman so he can make-up for all of the selfish decisions he made when he was still alive made me weep internally. Thank Christ some talented people eventually came along and rescued Keaton from his self-inflicted 12-year stint in cinematic purgatory.    

Best Film: The Other Guys (2010)
Will Ferrell and writer/director Adam McKay are one of the most lethal comedic pairings in Hollywood right now. The movies they've collaborated on (Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, both Anchorman movies) are easily some of the most quotable, insane and rewatchable comedies I've ever seen. While it doesn't reach the heights of the first Anchorman or Step Brothers, The Other Guys is still a hysterical film that's funnier than at least 95% of the comedies that have come out since the start of McKay's and Ferrell wildly impressive reign in 2004. Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are a flawless comedic pairing and the non-stop absurdity of the situations that the protagonists get into makes The Other Guys a joy to watch from start to finish.

Worst Film: Beetlejuice (1988)
Almost nothing in the world of film aggravates me more than quirky Tim Burton movies. His unwavering desire to be eccentric and tell corny stories about cutesy utopias where heavily made-up (and sometimes dead) "outcasts" fall in love with pretty people makes me want to vomit. Bettlejuice, which is considered to be among Burton's, is no exception to this trend. Every single character is either an insufferable asshole or a soulless mannequin, the plot is basically just an excuse for Burton to remind the audience that he loves the shit out of ghosts and the attempts at humor are consistently cringe-inducing (the god damn "Day-O" possession scene made me question if I had died and woke up in a dance-happy Hell). After exposing myself to this horrific shitpile in preparation for this piece, I can confirm that my hatred for Burton's stupid fucking zany setpiece porn is stronger than ever.   
  
Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "War for the Planet of the Apes" star Andy Serkis.