When Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son move into a new house they quickly realize that it’s haunted. She hires a ragtag group of individuals to work with her to eliminate the terrors happening within the walls of this Haunted Mansion. Together they must uncover the wild and horrifying past of the manor and its former owner, and then, just maybe, they can exercise the ghosts from their new home.
Disney has been struggling as of late with their films, there’s no way to avoid that reality. Haunted Mansion was an opportunity to take the production company in a different direction, one that didn’t dive head first into politics, one that was fun for everyone, and one that got back to its roots–good filmmaking. First, there’s no way that anyone familiar with the original, 2003 version of this film doesn’t walk into the theater prepared to compare the two. Viewers get a wildly different experience this time around.
We find ourselves immersed in a world that feels familiar and yet outside the realm of reality–and this is one of the first times in years that I didn’t finish a Disney film rolling my eyes and wondering why they went the direction that they did. The story present in Haunted Mansion is far better than its predecessor, and it dives deep into the lore of the beloved ride of the same name located in both the Disney World and Disneyland parks. For viewers like my wife and I, using pieces from the ride was a brilliant choice as it transported us back to Florida, the place we love more than anywhere else, and reminded us of the beauty, grace, and entertaining nature of what the Disney Company has to offer. For everyone else, for those that have never been on the ride or just don’t seem to care too much about the Disney parks or the ride, this story still heads in a direction far more entertaining than what came before. There’s more cohesion than before, more jump scares, more likable characters–and I promise you that the Haunted Mansion narrative will entertain you from beginning to end.
Haunted Mansion employs a series of A-list actors from different walks of Hollywood. We have Danny DeVito (Bruce Davis) who’s been around the block once or twice, Tiffany Haddish (Harriet), the aggressive comedian that has taken the world by storm, and an effectively brand new Chase Dillon (Travis)–among others. It seems that Haunted Mansion, its director, Justin Simien, casting director, Carmen Cuba, and the rest of the team looked to transcend generations, pulling in viewers from all walks of life and appealing to them throughout. They have an actor for everyone–but with that being said, some of the individuals that you’d expect to be on point, to deliver beautifully from beginning to end, just aren’t and don’t. Some of the actors appear to be overacting throughout the entirety of the film–and I originally chalked that up to the direction, but individuals like Haddish and Owen Wilson (Father Kent) instantly found their footing, landed joke after joke, and still appealed to emotion, I had to renege on that initial thought. I think some of these actors just failed in these roles–and that’s a damn shame, because they are actors that I believed could fill the shoes of any character.
Circling back to Haddish and Wilson, however–I was massively impressed by what they brought to the table here. Haddish doesn’t always work for me, and she tends to be the person that over acts in her roles, but she instantly found her way in Haunted Mansion. She almost never failed to deliver (and the moments in which she seemed subpar appeared not to be her fault anyway), and she just may have been the best part of the entire film. Wilson comes in a close second to Haddish. He initially seems out of place, but he, much like Haddish, finds his way early–and he often acts as the backbone of Haunted Mansion.
The film is a bit cheesy, but I think that’s essential to a Disney film that needs to appeal to children. In reality this doesn’t take anything away from the film–but it’s important to note. You’ll have more mature viewers that watch the film and have issues with the fact that Haunted Mansion is a tad silly (okay, more than a tad). Remember that this film is primarily geared toward a younger audience, that Disney’s goal here (beyond making a ton of money) is to appeal to its target audience–and I believe that it accomplishes its goal.
Haunted Mansion is a fun film all the way around. It will most certainly appeal to younger audiences; but there is a bit of crude humor and adult-related themes that make their way into the narrative as well, and that includes more mature audiences in the fun. Haunted Mansion will be a haven for those so called “Disney adults” and will transport us to a place of nirvana at times throughout. Disney has made it easy for viewers to nitpick at their content as of late, but I doubt people will really be able to find fault in what Simien and his team create here with Haunted Mansion.
Directed by Justin Simien.
Written by Katie Dippold.
Starring LaKieth Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chase Dillon, Jared Leto, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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